TSN0326

1 THE SHEPHERD • MARCH 2026 • 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 5 8 • MA R C H 2 0 2 6 IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE DESK OF FR. ANDREW ...... p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD, BOOKSTORE .p. 2 DIVINE SERVICES, BIRTHS, DEATHS, MEMORIALS, NEWS FROM THE LOFT .p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL ................ p. 6 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS .......................... p. 7 ZATHAS FOUNDATION .......................... p. 8 STEWARDSHIP CORNER ........................ p. 9 DANCE & CHORAL ................................. p. 10 GREEK FESTIVAL COOKING & BAKING SCHEDULE ................................................. p. 13 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, Great and Holy Lent is upon us. The time indeed for self-exam- ination through prayer and reflection is once again here. The time for “renewal” has come. Along with the devotional practices of fast- ing, prayer and good works, is attending the many and varied Lenten services. The most celebrated services of the Lenten season are: the Great Compline, the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts offered on Wednesdays and the (Four) Salutations to the Theotokos and the Akathist Hymn offered on Friday evenings. Allow me just a few brief words about each Lenten service. The service of Great Compline can be offered on most days through the Lenten period, but Monday evenings seem to be the cus- tom in many of our Orthodox parishes. The Greek word for Compline is Apódeipnon [Απόδειπνον]. It is the prayer offered after (apo) the evening meal (deipnon). The Com- pline service has monastic roots, which have been adapted and adopted for use in the par- ish setting. The monks (and, of course, any lay person) can begin and end their day in prayer. After the evening meal is taken the Compline/Apodeipnon is offered before the monk retires into his cell for private medita- tion and/or study. So, Compline is a prayer that is offered after the evening meal. On alternate Wednesday mornings and eve- nings during Great and Holy Lent, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts . The title of the service may lead us to the understanding that we are celebrating a Divine Liturgy, but in essence, the structure of the service basically follows that of a Ves- pers service. During the service, there is no consecration of the Gifts. This consecration has already taken place within the previous Sunday’s Divine Liturgy; hence the term Pre-Sanctified Gifts. Therefore, it could be said that the service is a Lenten Vespers ser- vice with Holy Communion being offered. During Great and Holy Lent, the Divine Lit- urgy is not offered Monday through Friday. This is so, because at its very core, the Divine Liturgy remembers the joy of the Resurrec- tion. The Lenten season is seen as a reflective, solemn and sober time. Therefore, the “joy” of the Resurrection is basically limited to the day of Resurrection, which of course, is Sunday. However, the early Christians made it a practice to receive Holy Communion regularly, for many, at every Divine Liturgy. Coupled with the understanding that many fasted very strictly, the early Christians felt a great need to receive the Sacrament during the week. Thus, out of pastoral concern and in her wisdom, the Church developed what has come to be known as the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, instituted for the strength and nourishment of her faithful as they await Sunday’s celebration. It has been said that the Akathist Hymn [Ακάθιστος Ύμνος] is the most beautiful service of Great and Holy Lent. The Akathist Hymn is an ecclesiastical poem, which relates to us the relationship the Virgin Mary has with God and with us. The Akathist Hymn is a hymn that consists of twenty-four stanzas. The twenty-four stanzas are broken into four sections, each consisting of six stanzas. Each of the four sections is chanted individually on the first four Fridays of Great and Holy Lent. On the fifth Friday of the Lenten Pe- riod, the entire hymn (all twenty-four stan- zas) is chanted without sitting. Hence, the title Akathist Hymn, which in Greek means, without sitting. continues 8 Τη υπερμάχω στρατηγώ τα νικητήρια, ´Ως λυτρωθείσα των δεινών ευχαριστήρια, Αναγράφω σοι η Πόλις σου, Θεοτόκε. Αλλ’ ως έχουσα το κράτος απροσμάχητον, Εκ παντοίων με κινδύνων ελευθέρωσον. ´Ινα κράζω σοι. Χαίρε, Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.