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2 THE SHEPHERD • FEBRUARY 2020 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO At the beginning of each year, I try to spend some time nding one word that will give meaning and focus to my life in the coming year. A couple of weeks ago, I learned a new Greek word, “Ke .” I learned that Ke trans- lates roughly to “profound passion.” It has been described by various Greeks as meaning “the spirit of joy, passion, enthusiasm, high spirits, overpowering emotion, or frenzy.” I learned that the custom of smashing plates is considered an expression of Ke — when your soul and body are so overwhelmed with an exuberance that you must nd an outlet to express your joy. It also happens to be the title of a new doc- umentary produced by our own Peter Pre- ovolos — “Kefi: e Story of FDF, the Greek Orthodox Folk Dance Festival.” e lm doc- uments the history of FDF which began at St. Spyridon with the Aegeans dancers. It shows the profound passion of all of those who have been involved with FDF some 45 years ago. FDF is now the largest youth ministry program of the Metropolis of San Francisco hosting over 3,000 participants annually. e lm will be shown on Friday, February 28 at the Joan and Irwin Jacobs eater at the Mu- seum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, with a reception from 6-7 pm, followed by the lm’s screening. February will be lled with the passion of dance. On February 13th-16th , the 44th an- nual Greek Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival will take place in Anaheim, Califor- nia. Our Dance & Choral Groups have spent countless nights and weekends together pre- paring to represent our community. ey will be hosting a FDF Preview in the Church Hall on February 8th , I hope you will all come to support them and enjoy a night of joy, passion, and enthusiasm. Many Blessings, Jim Gilpin Parish Council President Yes, the storage dungeon is fewweeknights and aweeken adjacent to the Kitchen. Reno anddisposalofallcabinetsand walls were prepped and RFP open, and brighter room via u lighting, aswell as heavy duty have a few finishing touches t nextcoupleofweeks. Special thanks for theirhardwo somewell-deserved breaks) fo JimLeventis,CoreyLeventis, a request forall topleasemakea cleanandorganized,whilealso that youmay“forget”behind. Πιστεύουμε ότι θα σας αρέσε στην Κουζίνα. Όλη η ομάδα π διατηρήσουμε και μελλοντικά καθαριότητα αυτού τού χώρο μας! Regards, Vlassiand theTeam FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT WOMEN WORD OF THE “And so we have the prophetic word con- firmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2Peter1:19) A er we have come back from our holiday break, we have been reading the 2nd book of Peter where this quote strikes us as partic- ularly thought-provoking. So what do make of this prophetic word con rmed? We have just celebrated three major feasts – the Holy Nativity where Christ is not only with us as His name, Emmanuel, reveals; but He is also one of us, taking on our full humanity except sin; the eophany where God declares His Beloved Son and reveals the Holy Trinity; and in February the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple where both Simeon and the Prophet- ess Anna have awaited and stand present to the revelation of the Messiah. e meaning of these three feasts lingers with us and helps us to understand better this passage from Peter. We nd that these are not just eeting holi- days celebrated on just one day and then we pack up the decorations and move on. Why do we celebrate these events? e Kontaki- on for the eophany says, “You appeared to the world today, and Your Light, O Lord, has le its mark on us.” How are we changed by what has been revealed to us? What is the mark it has le on us? Peter reveals the deep truth in his words: “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.” In oth- er words, something is supposed to happen within us, to change us. Christ became in- carnate to show us the way, to restore us to our Father; He came in our likeness so that we could relearn/refocus on the fact that we were created in His image and likeness. In Churchly Joy: Orthodox Devotions for the Church Year, we read: “He brought to earth His peace, and He abides always in those who love Him…Christ is present in every man by His mysterious power…He made us in His image; and these are His gi s which we must find in ourselves, opening our treasure house.” Like the wise men we must o er back to God the gi s that He has given us that we may in- deed be marked and be lled with His light and shine as the true children of God. May this light enter into our hearts, ll our entire being, gladden and illuminate us every day and not just on holidays. Our group is always open to anyone who would still like to join us. If you are continues 5 STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE ~~~ PRAXIS OF FAITH ~~~ I write this message for the monthly newsletter to remind you that as we grow in our faith as Orthodox Christians, and worship, praise and thank God each and every Sunday regardless of our circumstances, we grow in spiritual strength and thus our ability to love one another. is is the true meaning of being a “good neighbor”: we all nd unique and appropriate ways to express it not only with one another but also our next door neighbor and our work colleagues and our families. is is a practical and rewarding manner in which to live one’s life! us, we are called to live as Orthodox Christians as we have been taught and continue to be taught as we attend church services and are attentive. We do this practically and tangibly through the giving of our “Time, Talent and Treasure”. In other words, through faith we are asked to o er our “presence” and our “presents” to our beloved Church, our neighbors and our beloved families. With this money to support 42 min- istries within the church – big and small – all made available as a banquet of ministries which meet you at your moment of need – weddings, funerals, memorials, youth groups, senior groups, transportation, and anksgiving lunches! As we have grown as a community of worshippers, we are faced with a broad spectrum of personal and social challenges to both heal and grow in our faith and in the praxis of that faith. us, as we open our hearts and our doors to those in need we ourselves may grow in faith. is is a challenge and a blessing. Please take a moment to complete your pledge card for 2020 and mail it to the o ce today. Please take the time to contemplate and pray over your 2020 pledge, for when it is done in joy and in sacri ce that is where the opportunity for real spiritual growth exists. STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE: John T. Kalas, Stewardship Committee Chairperson Fr. Andrew Scordalakis Ben De La Riva, Jim Gilpin, Greg Kostas, Bill Navrides, Stephen iros, and Spero Tzathas