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1 THE SHEPHERD • AUGUST 2024 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW On Thursday, August 15th, the Church will remember, honor, and celebrate one of the Twelve Major Feast Days of the Church – The Falling Asleep of the Holy Theotokos. The prescribed two-week fast will end and a celebration will begin; a celebration that marks a new beginning, a new γέννησις − a new birth. In the Orthodox tradition, the death of a Christian is revered more than his birthday . For Orthodox Chris- tians, earthly death is viewed as a birthday – a new spiritual beginning. Like our birthday marks the beginning of our earthly existence in this world, death marks the beginning of our spiritual existence beyond the grave. Therefore, on the fifteenth of August, we will celebrate the Falling Asleep of the Holy The- otokos with a Divine Liturgy in her honor. We are encouraged at least four times during the Divine Liturgy to emulate the life of the Theotokos. During the Divine Liturgy, we hear over and over again these simple yet beautiful words: Remembering our most holy, pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, theTheotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. The fathers of the Church placed these words throughout the Divine Liturgy to remind us of the steadfast and profound commitment the Theotokos made unto God, and to encourage us to do the same. With her willful consent, the Theotokos agreed to bring forth the Savior of the world. As we recall, His birth was going to be an unusual one, a birth that would radically change things forever. From the beginning, the Theotokos would be faced with diffi- cult challenges. Knowing that Joseph would question this unusual conception, the ques- tion of how a single mom can raise the child all by herself had to have crossed her mind. Given her situation, the very real possibility existed that Mary would be “put out” from the Jewish community, and in those days, that could have meant a very difficult exis- tence and even death. From Matthew chapter two we read about some of the trials and tribulations that the Theotokos experienced because of her com- mitment to God. As part of her obligation, the Theotokos left her friends and family, and in the isolation of a cave gave birth to the “King of kings.” Shortly after giving birth the Holy Theotokos with the Christ child in her arms mounted a camel and fled Bethlehem heading toward Egypt. We do not hear much more about the Theotokos until we find her at the foot of the Cross with her Son. From cradle to grave, the Theotokos was there, dil- igently fulfilling her commitment to God. When we stop to ponder the commitment of the Theotokos we cannot ignore what an awesome commitment it was. She truly com- mitted herself and her whole life to Christ our God and that is one major reason why the Church holds her in such high esteem and prays through her. She was told early on by Simeon that ...a sword will pierce through your soul also... Luke 2:35. Simeon was wait- ing in the temple ...looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him... Luke 2:25. From the beginning, as the angel of the Lord made its announcement, Mary knew something extraordinary and even great was about to happen, but she was also being told (by Simeon) that a life of sacrifice would be required from her, a sacrifice she was ready and willing to make. From the cradle to the grave, the Theotokos was there, diligently fulfilling her commitment to God. continues 11 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 3 9 • AU G U S T 2 0 2 4 IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE DESK OF FR. ANDREW ...... p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF WORD .................................. p. 2 NEWS FROM THE LOFT, DIVINE SERVICES, HOLY SACRAMENTS, DEATHS, MEMORIALS .............................................p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 47TH NATIONAL CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS ................................................. p. 6 AHEPA, BOOKSTORE ............................... p. 8 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS .......................... p. 9 PARISH CALENDAR ................................. p. 10 YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS ................. p.11 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 12