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1 THE SHEPHERD • APRIL 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 7 • A P R I L 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, DEATHS, MEMORIALS, STEWARDSHIP CORNER ..................................................... p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL, PASCHA PICNIC INFO .............................................. p. 6 DANCE & CHORAL .................................. p. 7 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS .......................... p. 8 PARISH ORATORICAL FESTIVAL ........... p. 10 GREEK FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ...................................... p. 11 SPEAKER SERIES ....................................... p. 12 SAINT NICHOLAS RANCH ..................... p. 12 PARISH CALENDAR ................................. p. 14 YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS, AHEPA .. p. 15 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 16 FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Palm Sunday is upon us, and hopefully, we are prepared to journey through Great and Holy Week and to experience the Bridegroom Services, the institution of the Last Supper, the Betrayal by Judas Iscariot, the Arrest, Trial, Passion and Crucifixion of Christ, and then His glorious Resurrection: for He never leaves us without hope. On Palm Sunday we stand before the gates of Jerusalem and join the crowd which, 2000 years ago, shouted "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." What a glorious and uplifting hymn! With that hymn, we welcome our Lord and Savior into the inner city of Jerusalem, which for us is our hearts and our minds. Just like the faithful of old who threw down palm branches before the feet of the Master, we, too, will bend our heads and knees, and many even bow down their whole bodies/lives be- fore Christ our God. However, some present that day did not join in the glorious hymn, bend down in ado- ration, nor throw palm branches before the King of Kings. They were the ones who cried out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him” after His glo- rious entry and tried to persuade others to do the same. However, those who cried out in joyful expectation could not be turned away from their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. These faithful people were deeply convinced that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, and how could they not be after all they had seen and heard, after all they may have personally ex- perienced? Standing before the gates of Jeru- salem on Palm Sunday, hopefully, we too are like those of old who were convinced that Je- sus is Lord and cannot be persuaded to “deny Christ.” My Friends, let us not on Palm Sunday (or any other day) proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives and the next day be persuaded to join those who cry out "Crucify Him, cruci- fy Him?" Let us not be easily persuaded to change our Christian point of view by our political leaders, the messages from our tele- vision sets, the music that we listen to, our computers and phones – from the so-called information that we receive from the internet. Let us not one day call ourselves Orthodox Christians and the next day abandon what those words truly mean. Entering into Jerusalem with Jesus, let us not be persuaded to turn our backs on our Lord and Savior when the going gets tough. Enter- ing into Jerusalem, let us always stand close to Christ. Or, more importantly, let Christ always stand close to us. Whenwe are “down and out,” possibly questioning our faith or hurting, let us not ask ourselves why God did this or that to me/us. For St. Paul reminds us from Palm Sunday’s Epistle that our God is the "God of peace." Therefore, how can the God of peace be the author of pain, sorrow, or suffering? He cannot. So, let us not hold Him accountable for the corruption and negation that exists in this world and possibly in our lives. My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, St. Paul also reminds us to "rejoice in the Lord always... and to have no anxiety about anything." So, as we approach the festive day of Palm Sun- day, a day of triumph, let us be reminded that Orthodox Christianity is a joyous way of life, one that He wants us to live “abundantly” (John 10:10). Yes, at times, it may be difficult to rejoice and celebrate our lives and we may even be called upon to give of ourselves be- yond measure, but we must take care not to place the blame on our God, who is the God of peace and love. To be sure, He is not the one who places misery, despair, or discomfort at our feet, but is the One who will help us get continues 2