THE ORTHODOX WAY
April 2018

Dear St. Nicholas Family,

Holy Week is upon us! We hope to see you during many of the services this week.

Please remember to register your school-aged children for the Great & Holy Friday retreat. Registration link below.
Quick Links:

Sunday Worship:
Orthros: 8:15am
Divine Liturgy: 9:30am

Archdiocese and Metropolis News

Keeping you informed on what is going on in our broader Greek Orthodox Community.

And photos from the event
Metropolis of Boston Summer Camps:

"St Nicholas Week” will be the 1st session: July 9 - 15


Join us for our first Orthodoxy in Action event on April 21st! See flyer for more info.
Reflections for April 1st:

Lives of the Saints - click on icons for more info
Orthodoxy in the News
Children's Word - Written by Presbytera Alexandra Houck
Ministry News
Ministry News:

Fr. Demetri's Message

Philoptochos

GOYA
Fr. Demetri's Message

Great and Holy Pascha is a week away! It will be the end of darkness, of our fears, of all sin. The Light will shine so bright and that Light is able to be given to all who seek it.

The leter "E" will be added to the word fast (since we have been fasting since the beginning of Great Lent) and the word becomes "FEAST," as we will enjoy the beautiful FEAST of the Resurrection with our parish family members when we chant the hymn of hymns,

"Christ is Risen." Later, either that some morning, or later in the day, we will welcome family members and friends to our home (or vice versa) and enjoy the feasting that comes with this Joyous Day! This Great FEAST is not only good for our soul, but also for the heart!

Now comes the question...What happens next? So many people after Pascha feel that they are "churched out" and many become like the lilies that are decorated in our churches. They are beautiful and full of water...but as many of you know, they do not last long!

The Sunday following Pascha (the Sunday of Thomas, which is the day we will celebrate Godparent Sunday) is the LEAST attended Sunday of the Liturgical year throughout the world. This worries me because it is very easy to fade away from the life of the Church and say that we DID our duty during Great Lent and Holy Week...and that we make ourselves think that 'we need' a break from our Lord. And because the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer, in invites us to do other things and allows us to get spiritually lazy, leading into summer.

How can we make sure that we don't become lazy and stray away? The answer is easy...continue to be the faithful Orthodox Christian you have been working to be this Lenten season. Continue to worship our Lord each and every Sunday morning. Continue to be an involved participant in one or many of the ministries of our parish. Then you won't find yourself being lazy, and you won't feel like you need a break, because our Lord never takes a break from us.

God Bless,
Philoptochos

It is a blessing to report that we collected $1,488.00 by our parish to send to Hellenic College Holy Cross! We as a philoptochos will be matching this amount to send a total of $2,976.00 to our beloved school!

  • Philoptochos Stewardship- Please don't forget to send in your stewardship as we have to submit the names to National by the end of April. (Attached is the stewardship letter that went out in January). 
  • Interfaith Garden Flyer- THE LEXINGTON INTERFAITH GARDEN will begin its ninth season this year! If you have volunteered before or have never volunteered and are curious, this is a perfect time to see the work we do. Beautiful organic produce is grown and brought over to the Lexington Food Pantry every Saturday morning from Spring through Fall. It is a wonderful opportunity to garden with fellow parishioners, connect with people from all other faiths in the Lexington area, and ensure those visiting the food pantry are able to receive fresh, healthy vegetables. You will also pick up great gardening tips! For more information and to be on the St Nicholas volunteer list, please contact Helen Theodosiou at htheodosiou@rcn.com.
  • April 26: An Evening with Yvette- The Metropolis of Boston Philoptochos invites you to join us for an evening with Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and author Yvette Manessis Corporon. Yvette will discuss her new book Something Beautiful Happened: A Story of Survival and Courage in the Face of Evil which is the fascinating story of her grandmother who helped hide a Jewish family on a Greek island during World War II. This event will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston, Massachusetts. Watch this preview from the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHSV6rRwcDA 
  • Philoxenia House- Saint Irene's Philoptochos is offering a special way to give back this Lenten Season. The Philoxenia House established 25 years ago, is our Orthodox “home away from home”. It continues to offer hospitality to fellow Christians from throughout Greece and the world, all of whom come to Boston for medical treatment.The Home is currently in need of many items, to help make its residents stay a more comfortable one. Our Philoptochos will be collecting donated items and will be delivering them to the Philoxenia House during our spring visit. Please refer to the flyer for the list of items needed. Please also note that ALL items must be NEW, and in its original packaging. Collections will begin now through April 16th. If you have any questions please contact, Anna Travias at 617-680-7888 or annatravias@yahoo.com.
  • Next meeting- April 16th (6:30-8pm)

God Bless, 

Eleni Saledas    
esaledas@gmail.com / 803.514.8696 
GOYA

Our GOYA started the year strong with your support in doubling our goal in helping us make 1,125 IOCC hygiene kits. Thank you! Your support on Souper Bowl Sunday was also greatly appreciated, the non-perishable items collected were donated to the Church of Our Redeemer food pantry and $300 was collected for the Home for Little Wanderers organization. 

Lazarus Saturday the GOYAns made Lazarakia. We will be having our annual lent lock-in on Holy Thursday and the GOYA retreat will be on Holy Friday. We look forward to our youth participating!
We pray you all have a blessed resurrection. 

Kalo Pasxa! 
Reminders

Sunday Fellowship Hour:
A gentle reminder to all Fellowship hosts: Please keep in mind that families hosting coffee hour (children's table and main table) are responsible for clean up after completion. We appreciate your help with keeping our parish clean and treating it as your own home...because it is! Thank you.

Not Receiving Church Materials?:
If you have not been receiving church material/mailing or emails, please contact the church office at 781-862-6453 or email  st.nicholaslex@verizon.net  Thank you.

Monthly Bulletin Personal or Business Ad:
If you are interested in placing a personal or business ad, please contact the church office at 781-862-6453 or email  st.nicholaslex@verizon.net