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6 THE SHEPHERD • MARCH 2021 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL Στις 25 Μαρτίου γιορτάζουμε διπλή γιορτή. Γιορτάζουμε πρώτα – πρώτα τον Ευαγγελισμό της Θεοτόκου, και την 200η επέτειο από την αρχή της Επαναστάσεως του 1821, που ήταν η αναγέννηση του γένους των Ελλήνων. Διαλέξανε αυτή τη χαρμόσυνη μέρα για ένα ιερό Εθνικό σκοπό: να ξετινάξουν τον Τούρκικό ζυγό μια για πάντα. Η Ελληνική Επανάσταση του 1821 δεν έγινε μόνον εναντίον των Τούρκων. Έγινε και εναντίον της αμάθειας. Το κρυφό Σχολείο δίδασκε στοιχειώδεις γνώσεις της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας και το ψαλτήρι στα Ελληνικά. Η μόρφωση λοιπόν έπρεπε να ελευθερωθεί. Έπρεπε να εγκαταλείψει τις κατακόμβες του πνεύματος και να έρθει στην επιφάνεια. [Η Επανάσταση εκείνη είναι επίκαιρη ακόμη και σήμεραγιατί μεγάλαμέρη του ελληνισμού είναι ακόμα σκλαβωμένα κάτω από τους Τούρκους, όπως η Κωνσταντινούπολη κι η Μικρά Ασία, καθώς κι η Βόρειος Κύπρος, ενώ η Βόρειος Ήπειρος υπάγεται στην Αλβανία.] • ΖΗΤΩ Η ΠΑΝΑΓΙΑ ΜΑΣ ΚΙ Ο ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΣΜΟΣ! • ΖΗΤΩ Η ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΤΟΥ 1821! • ΖΗΤΩ Ο ΣΚΛΑΒΩΜΕΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΣ! • ΖΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΓΕΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΑΝΙΚΟ ΕΘΝΟΣ! • ΖΗΤΩ ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΛΟΙ ΟΙ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ! • ΖΗΤΩ ΟΙ ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΕΙΣ ΜΑΣ! • ΖΗΤΩ ΟΙ ΔΑΣΚΑΛΟΙ ΚΑΙ ΔΑΣΚΑΛΕΣ ΜΑΣ! This month, March of 2021, we are bless- ed with a double celebration. March 25th marks both an important religious holiday for all Orthodox Christians and an import- ant historical day for all people who love freedom, but especially for the Greeks. On the religious side, we remember the Annun- ciation to the Theotokos, the day on which the Virgin Mary was visited by the angel Ga- briel and told that she would be the mother of Christ. This marks the beginning of the greatest mystery of all time: The Incarnation of the Son, when God became man to save all mankind. But we are also celebrating the 200 years from the beginning of the Greek revolu- tion of 1821. You may already be familiar with some of the Greek heroes of the revo- lution, or perhaps you may have only heard of their names. Some of you, especially the ones from the Peloponnesus area, are prob- ably related to the Greek heroes of 1821. But I wonder if you are aware of the assistance the Greeks received in their struggle for in- dependence from the Philhellenes, the non- Greeks, friends and supporters of Hellenism and Greece. Many books and articles are written on the Revolution. For now, let us concentrate on the assistance the Greeks received in their struggle for independence from the Philhel- lenes: Did you know that the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes who wrote Don Quixote fought the Turks? He received three wounds on October 7, 1571, defeating the Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. But the most famous of the Philhellenes was Lord Byron, the celebrated British poet, who gave all his money and life for Greece. His real name was George Gordon Byron and he arrived in Greece on Dec. 24, 1823. He knew the difficulties he would face there and that he might never again see England, but he adored the Greeks and passionately believed that he had to be part of their struggle for lib- eration. He had studied Greek history from its pre-historic eras until that present mo- ment and knew equally well both the Greek vices and virtues. He quickly organized a group of Greek sol- diers whom he paid with his own funds. Under his leadership 500 Souliotes, some of the most fierce Greek fighting men learned discipline and became the nucleus of a fa- mous army. Lord Byron knew that above all, the Greeks needed unity and discipline and he was the only one they respected enough to take orders from. Unfortunately, the bad and humid climate of Mesolonghi hurt his already failing health and Lord Byron died at the age of 36, on April 7th, 1824, only three months after he had arrived from England. His last words were “I gave Greece my time, my fortune, my health and now my life. What more could I give?” One of Lord Byron’s poems was about Greece, and it reads as follows: On this day I complete my 36th year, The sword, the banner, and the field Glory and Greece, around me The Spartan, borne upon his shield, Was not more free. Awake! (not Greece – she is awake!) Awake, my spirit! Seek out – less often sought than found – A soldier’s grave, for thee the best, Then look around, and choose thy ground, And take thy Rest. Lord Byron THE 200 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE