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1 THE SHEPHERD • MARCH 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO www.theshepherdnews.com The Shepherd Newsletter The official newsletter publication for the parish of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego I S S U E 3 4 6 • MA R C H 2 0 2 5 IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE DESK OF FR. ANDREW ...... p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD, BOOKSTORE .p. 2 NEWS FROM THE LOFT, DIVINE SERVICES, BIRTHS, DEATHS, MEMORIALS, STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE ................ p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL, DANCE & CHORAL .................................. p. 6 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS, ZATHAS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS ............ p. 8 FDF 2025 PHOTOS .................................. p. 10 GREEK FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ...................................... p. 11 PARISH CALENDAR ................................. p. 14 YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS ................. p. 15 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 16 FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we enter the Great and Holy Lenten period (Monday, March 3rd), and for the next five weeks / Sundays we will be using the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great instead of Saint John Chrysostom’s text. St. Basil’s Divine Liturgy pre-dates St. John Chrysostom’s and in the earlier years was used for most every Sunday celebration. However, because it is a little longer it was eventually replaced by St. John’s Liturgy. In today’s usage, St. Basil’s Liturgy is only used ten times throughout the ecclesiastical year: on Christmas Day, on the feast day of St. Ba- sil (January 1st), on Epiphany Day (January 6th), the five Sundays throughout Great and Holy Lent, and on Great and Holy Thursday and Saturday mornings. The main reason St. Basil’s Liturgy is a bit longer is because of the “Holy Anaphora” (the main Thanksgiv- ing Prayer). It is an extended and profound recounting of God’s love and the history of man’s salvation. The Anaphora speaks of God as Creator, His greatness, His Holiness, His great love, mercy and grace, toward mankind. Saint Ba- sil’s Anaphora identifies our human predic- ament, per se: " … For having made man by taking the dust of the earth, and having hon- ored him with your divine image, you placed him in a garden of delight, promising him eternal life and the enjoyment of everlasting blessings in the observance of your command- ments. But when he [Adam] disobeyed you, the true God, you who had created him, and was led astray by the deception of the serpent becoming subject until death, through his own transgression, in your righteous judgment you expelled him from paradise into this world re- turning him to the earth from where he was taken, yet [and here is the Good News] pro- viding for him the salvation and regeneration in Christ." The prayer of the Anaphora continues in this way for many more beautiful verses remind- ing the faithful about where we were, how we got to where we are, and the way back home through the gift of knowing Christ and His saving work through the Church. Besides many other requests the Anaphora of St. Basil’s prays for it includes specific prayers for those present : "…fill their treasuries with every good thing; preserve their marriages in peace and harmony; nurture the infants; in- struct the youth; strengthen the aged; give courage to the faint-hearted; reunite those separated… defend the widows; protect the orphans; liberate the captives; heal the sick." Yes, My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is a bit longer but it’s a lot more profound, enlight- ening and encouraging as well. To be sure, the length of the Anaphora prayer is con- trasted by its depth and beauty, its inclusion and intensity. Let’s not let the extra length of the Divine Liturgy during Great and Holy Lent be cause for concern. But let’s pay closer attention to the extra prayers and effort being offered for any of the many and varied situations we may be experiencing in our lives and be inspired by it during this very focused and prayerful Lenten period. May you enjoy a Blessed and fruitful Great and Holy Lent. +A Daylight Savings Time begins SUNDAY MARCH 9 at 2 AM (clocks ahead 1 hour) don’t forget to ... spring forward!