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2 THE SHEPHERD • MAY 2020 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Χριστός Ανέστη! As we celebrate the resur- rection, we continue to struggle with the new world arising out of the COVID-19 pandem- ic. Like so many, I nd myself in a restless state longing to return to normalcy but nd myself locked in place. e global pandem- ic has put us in a betwixt and between space standing in the doorway between “what was” and “what is next.” e pandemic has put us into a virtual world and has precluded us from physically gathering in worship and fellowship. We are uncertain and the lack of control is making us feel very vulnerable. I want to assure everyone that Father An- drew and the Parish Council are working very hard on how to deal with the impacts of current and future restrictions and are look- ing for ways for us to stay connected. Right now, it is uncertain when the o cials will li or loosen the current restriction which preclude gatherings of more than 10 people. Even when we are able to open the Sanctu- ary, social distancing guidelines will likely remain in place and will restrict the number of people we can safely accommodate. Based upon the anticipated guidelines, we will be required to implement protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention and health experts. We will likely be required to wear masks and other protective gear. We will be required to welcome each other from a distance of six feet and check everyone’s temperature before allowing them to enter the Sanctuary. Once in the Sanctu- ary, everyone will have to adhere to the six- foot distancing and no physical touching will be permitted. ese restrictions will severe- ly limit the number of persons who will be able to attend church on any given Sunday. As you can imagine, all of these requirement raise numerous logistical issues that we are working to address so that we are ready when the time comes. Our main objective is to continue to protect the health, safety and well-being of our parishioners. I want to close with what won’t change, our conviction to our faith and community. Helping Father Andrew with the service on Holy Saturday was bittersweet. I was present to receive the light and celebrate the resur- rection in an empty church. rough Zoom, I got to see many of you celebrating in your homes which brought joy and tears at the same time. e experience reinforced how important our connections to one another truly is and I long for the time when we can all gather together again. If you would like to join us, we continue to say a group prayer for the pandemic everyday (Monday-Saturday) at Noon. I hope you will join us on FreeCon- ference Call: Dial-In Number 605-313-6214 [Pass Code 845590]. Please Be Safe. Many Blessings, Jim Gilpin Parish Council President Yes, the storage dungeon is fewweeknights and aweeken adjacent to the Kitchen. Reno anddisposalofallcabinetsand walls were prepped and RFP open, and brighter room via u lighting, aswell as heavy duty have a few finishing touches t nextcoupleofweeks. Special thanks for theirhardwo somewell-deserved breaks) fo JimLeventis,CoreyLeventis, a request forall topleasemakea cleanandorganized,whilealso that youmay“forget”behind. Πιστεύουμε ότι θα σας αρέσε στην Κουζίνα. Όλη η ομάδα π διατηρήσουμε και μελλοντικά καθαριότητα αυτού τού χώρο μας! Regards, Vlassiand theTeam FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT WOMEN WORD OF THE Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! We hope that everyone had a most blessed and holy Pascha. We are done for this year with our study of the Epistles of Peter, James, and John, but we’re never done reading our Holy Scriptures on our own. In our Ortho- dox Church there are Epistle and Gospel readings for every day of the year. So, many of us still try to keep this discipline of daily Scripture reading all year long. Although there are a number of resources for this – the Daily Reading app for our smart phones or the goarch.org website – one of the best resources that we have is the Ortho- dox Study Bible which has a number of extra Study Articles that use speci c Scripture pas- sages to explain important concepts in our faith such as Ancestral Sin, Christ Our Pass- over, the Eucharist, Healing, Marriage, and so much more. Another reason the Orthodox Study Bible is such a good resource is the very helpful section at the back, “For Study, Reading, and Prayer,” that includes an illuminating article by Bishop Kallistos on “How to Read the Bible.” And best of all, throughout are the footnotes – a wealth of not only information but inspiration all based on the understand- ings of our holy Church Fathers – St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Clem- ent, and St. John Cassian among others. ese footnotes work to draw us ever deeper into a spiritual understanding of the Word. So, for example, in the Gospel reading for May 4 about Christ healing a nobleman’s son, the man pleads “Sir, come down before my son dies!” and Jesus responds, “Go your way; your son lives.”(Jn. 4:46-54). e foot- note for this passage says, “Having revealed He can see into the hearts of people from a distance (from the previous passage about the Samaritan woman at the well), the Lord now demonstrates He can heal from a distance.” What a comfort and assurance of His great mercy and power especially for these chal- lenging times that we live in now! Over the next few months we will work on our planning for next year, and prepare for our Opportunity Drawing and Signups in the summer. If you would like to know more about our group, please contact Susan Mi- serlis at 619-243-9864 (call or text) or email susanmiserlis@gmail.com . With Love in Our Risen Lord, + e Women of the Word Bible Study Group Our Seniors o er us so much. ey are our Papous and Yiayias, our Mothers and Fa- thers, our teachers, storytellers, and the true foundation of our church. Some of our Se- niors are experiencing unique needs and challenges as a result of the coronavirus. ese can lead to overwhelming anxiety. In their time of need, we can support them, from a distance, in these ways: O er trusted assistance in navigating new online activities, like connecting them to St. Spyridon’s livestream services, helping them set up virtual doctor appointments, online shopping, banking, etc. Be available to talk them through tips and tricks of accomplish- ing these daily needs on the computer or by phone call. Do simple errands, grocery shopping, or o er needed supplies. Be sure to remember proper sanitation guidelines when delivering items. Make time for phone calls. Many Seniors are more comfortable talking on the phone than they are texting or emailing. A friendly voice of a real person on the other end of the phone line can be a calming in uence. Use the phone to update Seniors about de- veloping church activities, like daily prayers or zoom meetings, as many of them do not rely on texts and emails for information. Staying connected is the key. You can help our church stay strong by keep- ing our Seniors safe while still keeping them in touch with our community. While we move forward in recovery, our Seniors will experience longer periods in isolation than the general public and will need our help. If you have any questions about what you can do or know of a Senior that needs assistance, please contact Sophia Mellos at 619-855- 2991. HOW CANWE HELP OUR SENIORS DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS?