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2 THE SHEPHERD • OCTOBER 2022 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO is month forgiveness has been heavy on my mind. I’ve re ected on the parables we’ve heard in the Scriptures: of the wheat and weeds and of the servant who begged his master for forgiveness but was unwilling to forgive his fellow servant. I’ve been thinking of my mother-in-law, who was such a forgiv- ing woman. She had so many sayings that were simple and pure. One of my favorites was when she would say “Honey, overlook!” Several weeks ago I went home to Wyoming for a gathering of college friends. Nearly for- ty years ago, I had a falling out with one of those friends. I can’t even remember what the issue was, but neither of us had forgiven the other. Over the years, I had thought of reaching out but never did. But on this trip, I decided that if I saw him I was going to apol- ogize. As things went, I bumped into him on the rst evening. In an awkward moment, we exchanged pleasantries but walked away without making amends. e rest of the weekend I was plagued by regret. en, at the nal event of the weekend, we bumped into each other again and my friend imme- diately reached out his hand and asked me to forgive him. I responded by asking him for forgiveness. In that moment, a seed that had festered for years was removed from both of us. I can’t express what a freeing feeling came from that long overdue moment. e message is always present, each Sunday we recite the Lord’s Prayer “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In Matthew 6:14, we are remind- ed that if we do not forgive our trespassers, He will not forgive us. While we know God’s forgiveness is in nite and that all we have to do is show the same forgiveness to our neigh- bors, we are plagued by our own unwilling- ness to forgive. Despite the clear message, we refuse to forgive a neighbor who trespasses against us for whatever reason. Yet, ultimate- ly, we know in our hearts that the only way to salvation is through forgiveness and love. It has been said that there is a season for all things. I pray that we can nd this a season of forgiveness and that we can all experience the freeing feeling of removing a festering seed from our hearts. I also pray that you will nd it in your hearts to forgive me for what- ever I have done to you in thought, word, or deed. Many Blessings, Jim Gilpin Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT Warmest thanks to everyone who attended our Annual Munchies, Mimosas & More event in the Hall following Liturgy on Octo- ber 2nd – a beautiful beginning to our new Ecclesiastical Year! It was a joy to share the good works of Philoptochos and our An- thousa Chapter, and to welcome new and re- turning members. Special thanks to Melanie Anastopulos and Kelly Samouris who once again chaired what has become a wonderful annual tradition for our parish. We are busy planning these special events in the next couple of months – we look forward to gathering with our community members in fellowship and celebration. PLEASE SAVE THESE DATES! Sun. Nov. 13: Annual Community anksgiving Luncheon Sun. Dec. 4: Philoptochos Christmas Luncheon Sun. Dec. 18: Christmas Bake Sale SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP We hope you will consider sponsoring a Sun- day Fellowship Hour with friends and family by providing simple refreshments (donuts or bagels, fruit and juice) to honor family mem- bers or celebrate special occasions. Please contact Anne Zouvas at (619) 248-6644 to sign up. ICON ADORNMENT St. Spyridon Philoptochos invites you and your family to commemorate a special Feast Day by o ering a donation toward the cost of a beautifully decorated icon displayed in the church Narthex for all to venerate. is o ering, a oral adornment surrounding the blessed icon, is a perfect way to honor your family member(s) as well as to honor an important day in the life of the Church. roughout the liturgical year, there are many opportunities to select a special Saint or feast day to commemorate. Please reserve your dates now by contacting the church of- ce at: (619) 297-4165 or email at: o ce@ stspyridon.org . e suggested donation ($75 payable to St. Spyridon Philoptochos) will be greatly appreciated. Please join us as we continue to put faith into action through our Philoptochos Ministry. Our work provides many gratifying oppor- tunities to serve your parish and community, make new friends, and embrace and pro- mote the faith of our mothers and fathers in our Orthodox beliefs. We welcome and en- courage your membership and participation. Yours in Christ, So a Samouris, Anthousa Chapter President 619.518.4537 | ssamouris22@gmail.com PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS VOLUNTEERISM: A GREAT WAY TO GROW AND THRIVE We are incredibly fortunate to have a vibrant community where we can live and grow to- gether in Christ. And while we enjoy all that our parish life has to o er, it is important to remember that it doesn’t just happen on its own. At the core of each of our parish min- istries are volunteers who generously o er their time and talent. Some volunteer to nd purpose, to build relationships, to in uence the future, to improves themselves, or may- be to change a life. Some may volunteer for their own salvation, but regardless of the rea- son, volunteering is an amazing way to ful ll the law of Christ, by bearing the burdens of others (Galatians 6:2). For most of us, there are no barriers to being a volunteer. ere are hundreds of ways to give life to our community and most of them only require your time, a humble heart, and a desire to make a di erence. If you want to be a servant leader, join the Parish Council. If you want to support and guide our youth, reach out to our Youth Ministries Director and nd out how you can help. If you are interested in scripture, o er to host a Bible study and if you don’t know where your pas- sions lie, try something new each month un- til you nd the right t. If you aren’t able to volunteer, consider increasing your annual stewardship to nancially support the activi- ties of our ministries. Giving back is an essential part of our spir- itual walk. It takes so little, but the rewards are boundless. Please make a commitment to reach out to one of our ministries and vol- unteer in support of our parish community.