TSN0521

1 THE SHEPHERD • MAY 2021 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW www.theshepherdnews.com The Shepherd Newsletter My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ανέστη! With these three simple but profound words we will greet each other for the next forty days; until the feast day of the Ascension ( urs- day, June 10th). Why are these words so im- portant that we will repeat them over and over again and what do they mean? Within these simple but profound words is found the most important understanding and article of our Greek Orthodox Christian faith – that ultimately, through the saving work of our Lord and Savior rising from the dead, those who believe in these words and in that reality, they too will “rise with Christ.” We may physically experience death but the soul, the spiritual element of our being given to us by God Himself (Genesis 2:7) will live on forever “in the presence of God.” Because we have been Baptized with Christ and have “put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27) and thus become the “body of Christ on earth” (I Cor. 12:12,12) and through our participa- tion in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: “the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ” (John 6 53,54) we too (our souls) will live on in eter- nal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has conquered death by death and has “ransomed” us (Mark 10:45) from that ulti- mate insult. Believing and expressing these three simple yet profound words - Christ is Risen - St. Paul reminds us that he “would not have us ignorant concerning those who have fall- en asleep, that you may not grieve like those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep” (I ess. 4:13-15). No other man, no other “god,” no other philosopher has promised life a er death because none other has tram- pled death by death and has risen from the dead, except for one – Jesus Christ who is at the same time both human and divine. He who St. Athanasios said early in the fourth century “God became man so that man can become like God,” which for us means that yes, for now our physical bodies die but our souls are immortal and through these simple and yet profound words, will live on eternal- ly in the presence of God within the King- dom and not in a “foreign land.” Christ is Risen – Truly He has Risen! Now let us live in that joyous reality not just for the next forty days but forever, amen. +A IN THIS ISSUE FR. ANDREW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD, SUNDAY SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2 DIVINE SERVICES, NEWS FROM THE LOFT, 40-DAY BLESSINGS, DEATHS, MEMORIALS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3 PHILOPTOCHOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL, STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . p. 5 PARISH CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 6 CONTACT INFORMATION. . . . . . . . . . . p. 8 Christ is Risen! The Shepherd The official newsletter publication for the parish of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego I S S U E 3 0 0 • MAY 2 0 2 1