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1 THE SHEPHERD • FEBRUARY 2024 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW www.theshepherdnews.com The Shepherd Newsletter My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the feast day of The Presentation of our Lord into the Temple is celebrated every year on February 2nd. From the Gospel lesson for that day (Luke 2: 22-40) we meet the devout servant of God, Syme- on. Symeon was a very religious person who knew his Old Testament Scripture well and was patiently waiting for the promised Mes- siah. He lifted up his voice to God and asked that his flame not burn out before he laid eyes on the Savior. His prayer was answered but not until he was over one hundred years old. As the holy and righteous ancestors of the Lord, Joachim and Anna, brought Jesus to the Temple they were met there by Syme- on who took the child and blessed Him. Joachim and Anna offered what the Law of Moses required - a pair of turtledoves and two young pigeons (Ex. 12:1-8). Following that event, not much more about Jesus’ early life is known. The next account of Jesus’ life comes at the age of twelve. As we remember, He was found in the Temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions…and that is about it. Forty days after His birth, Jesus was brought to the Temple to be dedicated to God. This act of faith completed what was required from the parents according to the Law. Je- sus was born in a cave, circumcised on the eighth day and given His name; and then on the fortieth day, He was brought to the tem- ple to be dedicated to God. It was a seem- ingly normal ritual act. However, with the presence of Symeon and his words, Symeon’s patient endurance allowed him to proclaim, “Now let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation…” As Orthodox Christians, we retain the an- cient custom of bringing our children to the Church (Temple) to be blessed forty days following their birth. The forty-day presen- tation of our children serves two purposes. First, it is an official welcome back extended to the parents and child. Childbirth can be a difficult process and moms and dads and their child(ren) need time to adjust to their life-changing event. This takes some getting used to and many Sundays can pass. Thus, the forty-day service/prayers offer the par- ents and child the opportunity to officially return to the Church; the community shar- ing in the joy of the newborn within the con- text of communal worship. Secondly, the same idea of dedicating our children to God is still a beautiful ritual even today. Parents bring their children to Christ’s Church in faith with the hope that they will remain close to Her. Throughout history, the Church, like the Theotokos, has been looked upon as a mother, a mother of God. St. Cy- prian, writing in the third century, reminds us, believers cannot have God for their Fa- ther if they have not the Church for their mother. My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, as devout and faithful Orthodox Christians, let us con- tinue to encourage one another to be present for the divine service of the Church. Let us, as parents and family members, continue to bring our children to the Church (Temple) and present them to the Lord, as He gave an example and left us with the feast day of the Presentation. When we bring our children from a young age their sensory organs will remain full of Christ’s Church on earth (Col. 1:24). If from a young age they (and we) continually hear the prayers and hymns of the Church, look upon the icons, light candles and pray, smell the incense, do our cross and taste the awe- someness of the Gifts, they (and we) will The Shepherd The official newsletter publication for the parish of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego I S S U E 3 3 3 • F E B R UA R Y 2 0 2 4 continues 2 IN THIS ISSUE FR. ANDREW ............................................. p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD........................... p. 2 DIVINE SERVICES, HOLY SACRAMENTS, MEMORIALS, NEWS FROM THE LOFT, BIRTHS, SENIORS ......................................p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 DANCE & CHORAL, STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE .................. p. 6 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL ................ p. 7 EPIPHANY 2024 ....................................... p.8 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS .......................... p. 9 PARISH CALENDAR ................................. p. 10 ORATORICAL FESTIVAL INFORMATION, BOOKSTORE .............................................. p. 11 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 12 Congratulations To our 2024 Leon Balaban Award recipient Elaine Arapost this!