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2 THE SHEPHERD • MAY 2024 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO By the time you read this we will be exchang- ing the words “Christos Anesti . . . Alithos Anesti!” We will have passed through an- other Lent with its lesson and calls for us to reflect and change. I read that at the end of Lent we should spend some time reflecting on what really changed in our hearts and souls during our 40 days in the desert. What did we learn about ourselves; what things drew us clos- er to Him; and are we inspired to continue our walk each day or will we rest and wait until next year to take up our cross again? I confess that as Lent be- gan my mind was amiss filled with distracting thoughts. But midway through the journey, I stumbled onto the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syr- ian which is recited: Throughout Great Lent that really helped me and I thought I would share it with you. The three short sentences have been de- scribed as a check list for our spiritual lives. In the first sentence, St. Ephraim identifies the things that are distracting us from Him. We are all tempted by laziness, by a desire to inject ourselves into things, to control things, and to talk about foolish things. Although each of the sins seem trivial at first they ulti- mately set us on a path away from Him. The prayer is plea to Him to not let these things come into us and separate us from Him. The second passage is a call to Him to give us the strength to respond to the World as He has taught us, with a spirit of prudence, humility, patience, and love. The passage rings to mind St. Paul’s description of love. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” Imagine if we approached each other out of love, with kindness, without envy, without arrogance, with- out seeking or provok- ing, but rejoicing in the beauty God sees in each of us. Simple in word, difficult in deed. The last passage asks for the power to see our- selves in the mirror. It left me reflecting on the log in my eye instead of looking for the speck in my neighbor’s eye. Through reflection we can see our faults and we are humbled. Through our humility we can see our neighbors without judgment of condemna- tion. The prayer is a remind- er that through Him all things are possible. Tra- ditionally, as each phrase of the prayer was offered, the clergy and faithful did a great metanoia, dropping to their knees, placing their hands on the floor and bowing their heads to the floor. Thinking of the metanoia reminds us of the importance of changing our physical orientation, falling to our knees, to change our perspective and see things in a different light. I pray that you too have emerged from Lent with a renewed spirit. We have much hap- pening in the community over the coming month. Our Festival is on June 8th and 9th, and on June 30th through July 5th, San Di- ego will be hosting the National Clergy Laity Congress. Call the office is you are interested in helping Many Blessings, Jim Gilpin, Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT continues 3 Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! At every Divine Liturgy, we hear “Through the cross joy has come into the world.” As we have just recently come through Christ’s passion and suffering of Holy Week, His Extreme Humility and the Crucifixion into the light and joy of the Resurrection, we ponder this seeming contradiction of “charmolypi” – joyful sorrow. And wonder how is this possible to draw joy out of suf- fering? How are we to understand what St. Paul says in 1Corinthians 1:18, “the message of the cross to us who are being saved…is the power of God?” How does this power work to transform suffering into joy? In the narthex of our Church stamped into the sand of the candlestand is a cross with the letters IC XC NI KA – Jesus Christ Con- quers . This same sign of the cross with the same letters appears carved into the front of the altar representing our belief that Jesus Christ conquers through the cross. What does Christ promise us that He has con- quered? We hear the answer in the Paschal hymn, “by death trampling down death.” He offers us everlasting life, but nowhere in Holy Scripture does He say, I have taken suffering out of the world or now you will not suffer. So why the Crucifixion? Why does Christ suffer for us? Through the cross what He offers us is a new pathway back to Paradise. In The Cru- cifixion of the King of Glory, Pres. Eugenia writes, “The crucifixion is an example to be imitated…It is the paradigm par excellence of profound humility and unspeakable love…it compels us to examine our own lives and be- havior.” (p.331) Christ died on the cross to show us a new way through suffering and death that defies logic and social norms. If Christ is using the cross to show us the way, how do we get there? One of the places where the answer lies is in the very special Psalm 50 which is part of our daily morning prayers, in the Compline, chanted at the Orthros while the people venerate the Holy Gospel, and in the Divine Liturgy recited by the priest while he censes before the Great Entrance. It is a great teacher for how we are to make our way – for example, in v.10 “You shall make me hear joy and gladness. My bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice.” And continues in v.19 “A contrite and humbled heart God will not de- spise.” It is through our repentance, humility, and obedience that God allows us to conquer suffering and death. Christ shows us the way WOMEN WORD OF THE “O Lord and Master of my life, do not permit the spirit of laziness and meddling, the lust for power and idle talk to come into me. Instead, grant me, Your servant, the spirit of prudence, humility, pa- tience, and love. Yes, Lord and King, give me the power to see my own faults and not to judge my brother. For You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.” GREEK FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! sign up today at sdgreekfestival.com/volunteer We need the support of all families within our community. Please sign up for as many shifts as you can! Contact Katherine Anastopulos at kga1999@gmail.com or 619.846.3989