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1 THE SHEPHERD • MAY 2023 • 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, Χριστός Ανέστη! / Christ Is Risen! I greet you once again with these three simple and yet profound words; simple because they are only three; profound because they are at the center of our Orthodox Christian faith: … For those who have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Alleluia… for if I have been Baptized with Christ then I shall also rise with Christ, Alleluia (Romans 6:3-11; I Cor. 3-11; Gal. 3:26-27; I Thess. 4:13-18). Yes, as Scripture instructs us, Christ is our Healer, our Provider, our Protector but first and foremost He is our Forgiver and most importantly, our Resurrection. During this past Lenten season, we heard on three sep- arate occasions as Jesus tried to instruct and prepare His Apostles and Disciples, “We are going to Jerusalem” and at first you, and the people will be glad. But that gladness will turn bitter and out of His deep love He pre- dicted, “He will suffer at the hands of sinful men.” As an innocent man He willingly went to experience the awfulness of His mock trial, and all that followed; His Passion and Cruci- fixion and His earthly death. But, thank God this is not the end of the story. He is resur- rected (Christ is Risen!), spends time (Forty Days) revealing Himself (again) to His Disci- ples and others, and Ascends to once again be with the Father, who will send the Holy Spir- it as “Comforter” as was already mentioned early on by Jesus. Thank God the Crucifixion is not the end of the story, or even His Resurrection, or even the sending of the Holy Spirit. The end (or really the beginning) is when we say “yes” to God. We acknowledge and accept what- ever it is we are going through in our lives, the good and the not so good; the blessings and the challenges; knowing that we don’t go through them alone, neither the blessings nor the challenges. Thus, because we have been Baptized into Christ , He is right there beside us throughout every step of our lives. One of our tasks is to recognize it and acknowledge that reality, and one very simple way we do that is by offering the Christ is Risen! with its response Truly He is Risen! throughout these forty days. So, the end of the story is still being played out in each of our lives but we are not alone. We are surrounded by the love and guidance of the Holy Spirit and we express that reali- ty whenever we mention the name of Jesus, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, or in the three simple words of this Paschal sea- son “Christ is Risen.” I rejoice in that reality in my life and hopefully in your life as well, that through our Baptisms we not only share in His Suffering but more importantly, in His Glorious Resurrection as well, and for that we say thank God! +A. IN THIS ISSUE FR. ANDREW ............................................. p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD, STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE .............................................. p. 2 NEWS FROM THE LOFT, DIVINE SERVICES, HOLY SACRAMENTS, MEMORIALS, SENIORS, BOOKSTORE ...........................p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL ................ p. 5 PHILOPTOCHOS, AHEPA ........................ p. 6 GREEK FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIPS ....... p. 7 HOLY WEEK PHOTOS ............................. p. 9 PARISH CALENDAR.................................. p. 10 GREEK FESTIVAL ...................................... p. 11 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 12 The Shepherd The official newsletter publication for the parish of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego I S S U E 3 2 4 • MAY 2 0 2 3