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12 THE SHEPHERD • DECEMBER 2023 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Ever notice how life’s treasures are some- times hiding right under your nose? Appar- ently that $2.00 bill tucked in your drawer your Dad gave you in 1986 could be worth $2,000 today. We’ve unearthed some treasures of our own in the Dance and Choral School this month. Thanks to the sweat labor of Nikitas Papada- kis and Andreas Capetanakis , they found a new way to organize our costume room and we ended up with much more storage space and room to roam. The effort exposed some beautiful costumes we didn’t even know ex- isted. Lovely imported treasures of embroi- dery in the most amazing fabrics and colors. Another treasure brought to us of late came by way of our new Dance and Choral School Director, Perry Gadinas . Hidden in plain sight in the tenor section of our church choir, Perry joined our dance school last month and has seamlessly fit right in. Originally from Portland, Oregon and a member of the FDF Management Committee, Perry has danced for over 10 years and teaches private piano lessons when he isn’t busy practicing with our kids and getting them ready for FDF. Speaking of FDF, we are very excited about a fundraiser we have planned at the beginning of 2024. For one night only, on Friday, Janu- ary 19th St. Spyridon will host Greek-Amer- ican comedian Basile live at The Cypress Room. Tickets are on sale now, for this lim- ited seating event which will be the first time Basile has performed in San Diego in over 10 years! Doors open at 7:00 p.m. The event will include the show, music, a free appetizer bar, and cocktails and beverages for purchase – for only $60/person, and a special student price of $40/student with valid school ID. (Please note, this is a PG-13 show, and ap- propriate as a church-hosted event). Corpo- rate sponsorship opportunities are available. Please see our advertisement in the bulletin for more information and buy your tickets early as this is sure to sell out! Remember, our dance groups are available to perform at weddings, baptisms, corpo- rate events, fundraisers, and as outreach for charitable organizations; so if you would like to have them perform, please reach out to stspyridondance@gmail.com or call 714- 931-2431. DANCE & CHORAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE Dear Fellow Sojourner in the Lord: Recently on Sunday, November 12th, Deacon Michael spoke about The Good Samaritan and its importance to us as Orthodox Christians: it moves us from the “self ” to the “other” and their needs. Thus, it is an opportunity for spiritual growth. Ironically, the following Monday morning, I was taking my usual jog in the neighborhood at 6 AM. A Tesla drove towards me and parked some distance in front of me. To my surprise, the driver got out and approached me and offered a reflective vest, and stated “… I would like to give you this vest. I lost a friend who jogged and was hit by a car.” I took it, thanked this “neighbor” and kept moving. What a surprise! A true “good neighbor.” Remember the quote from St. John Climacus I shared with you after that same Sunday’s sermon by Deacon Michael that we, the common folk in the pews, should do as many good deeds as possible and not start (“trigger”) any controversies. Your opportunity “to do good” within the church community is to make an honorable stewardship pledge to the church and to support the thirty-nine ministries that actively serve us and our friends and families in their moment of need. So, we respectfully ask that you complete your 2024 pledge card that has already been sent to your homes; and after thoughtful meditation, discussion and prayer, please mail it to the church office today. You may do this online at www. stspyridon.org or call the office at 619-297- 4165. As Father Andrew has reminded us over the last 17 years, “Everything flows from the Divine Liturgy.” Your support of your parish’s Stewardship efforts allows us to robustly provide this sacred blessing to you and your family and helps to support the thirty-nine ministries of the church. Thanking you in advance on behalf of the Stewardship Committee, John Kalas, Chairperson 1 FR. ANDREW responded to the call to follow the Star to- ward the manger and to rejoice, will take place on Christmas Day (Monday, Decem- ber 25th). Following the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church, which states that a priest cannot serve two Divine Liturgies on the same day (twenty-four hours) and on the same holy altar, we will offer the Orthros/ Preparatory service at 9:00 a.m. with the cel- ebration of the Divine Liturgy to follow. Like the Biblical shepherds, we too have much going on in our busy lives: parties, childcare, last-minute shopping, work, fami- ly responsibilities, etc. However, they recog- nized that this extraordinary event was upon them and appropriately responded to God’s Gift of forgiveness and salvation, which came in the person and presence of Jesus Christ lying in an assuming manger. Once again, as inheritors and heirs of our blessed and ancient Orthodox Christian Faith, hope- fully, you too will respond positively by be- ing prepared and present to receive the Gift of our salvation found in the presence of the Eucharist: the holy Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the time of His Nativity, Amen. +A FROM THE PUBLISHER In order to facilitate the handling of the content submitted for publication, mini- mize the chance of any omissions, errors, and keep our newsletter timely & beau- tiful, the Church office and myself would like to ask you for your attention in the following matters: 1. Always submit your submission by the posted newsletter deadline found in the calendar for the follow- ing month. 2. Always forward your content to the Church Office , whether you choose to also send it to me or not. The office needs to be aware of and ap- prove all submissions beforehand. 3. Make sure that any photos you sub- mit are of decent quality for publi- cation and always send them at FULL SIZE as they were taken by your camera. Make sure your email device does not reduce their size when sending. And ask yourself: “Does this photo tell a good story? Are the composition and the lighting good and are the faces recognizable?“ Thank you for your cooperation. Nektarios Tradas