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2 THE SHEPHERD • DECEMBER 2024 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO This past month my wife and I saw the mov- ie “Conclave” which is about the behind the scene struggles of the Cardinals as they seek to select a new Pope. In the movie, Cardi- nal Lawrence gives a moving speech about doubt saying, in part, “If there was only cer- tainty and no doubt, there would be no mys- tery and therefore no need for faith.” It has been said that God often uses others to help us grow where we need it most. Have you ever met someone and wondered why that person came into your life? I have a person who appeared in my life. We are in very dif- ferent stages in our lives, but I have grown very fond of him. He is a highly educated man and, as our relationship has grown, I see a person whose acts reflect true Chris- tian values. He is a kind man, he is a gener- ous man, and he cares deeply for people in his life, especially his children. But he always reminds me, in his own words, that he is not a “pious” man. On occasion he asks me, “You really believe; don’t you?” It’s not a statement, but more of a question. The encounters are never uncom- fortable and he is never rude, just inquisitive. I have come to wonder if God put him in my path or whether God put me in his path. Was I meant to help him find faith before it’s too late, or was he meant to help me grow in my faith? I believe it is both; out of his questions, my faith has grown and I pray that out of our encounters that the seed of faith I know is already in him will grow. One big challenge to faith, and indeed to life, is doubt. In our lives, there is always tension between ordinary life and our life in faith. We don’t doubt things we can see or things we can understand. Faith addresses things that we cannot know or understand. It requires us to believe in something bigger than our- selves, in things we cannot fully comprehend but in our heart know. We are reminded of this in Christ’s words to Thomas: “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have yet believed.” (John 20:29) My friends, if we truly listen, we will hear Him knocking at our door; and if we open the door, He will come in and eat with us. (Revelation 3:20) Please join us this month as we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Spyridon with Vespers on December 11th and Divine Liturgy on December 12th . His Eminence Metropoli- tan Gerasimos will be with us and we will be hosting a lunch after Divine Liturgy. Many Blessings, Jim Gilpin Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT Being Small Sometimes we have heard Father Andrew say, “Though we are few, we are many.” Our Women of the Word group has found that to be true, as our group has been quite small this new liturgical year. Though there have been only a few of us each time, we have found strength, comfort, and power in our reading of the Epistle and Gospel passage of the day and applying it to our hearts and lives. Our society often considers worth and suc- cess in terms of numbers. This makes us ponder the nature of smallness. We invite you to take a few moments to enjoy these passages where Christ reveals the worth and value of small things: • The widow’s mite. Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41–44 • The parable of mustard seed. Matthew 13:31-21, Mark 4:30-32, and Luke 13:18-1 • The five small loaves and fishes. Matthew 15:32–39 and Mark 8:1–9 • The parable of the leaven in the measure of wheat. Matthew 13:33 As we make our journey to the Nativity, these passages remind us not to be discour- aged and remember that even the smallest of offerings can bring forth great fruit. In light of this wisdom, the Women of the Word will continue to ask the Lord to bless the offering of our small group, devoting one hour each week to His Word, to His will, to His kingdom, and to our fellowship with one another to the Glory of His name. We encourage you to join us whenever you can in the coming year on Wednesdays from 12 noon to 1PM. Come early for a little coffee and fellowship. We would love to see you! Wishing everyone a most blessed fast and a joyful Christmas and Theophany. WOMEN WORD OF THE BOOKSTORE During this “season of giving”, Memorial do- nation gifts have been received by the Book- store in memory of Demi (Toula) Mourafetis from Christiann Arapostathis Siatras and Alex & Christine Cremidan. We would like to give a heartfelt thank YOU to our donors for their generous Memorial donations. The Church gifts to us the blessed Nativity season. During this season we have entered a rich time in our lives as Orthodox Chris- tians. Advent brings to us a reminder of “spiritual renewal”, a time to grow in our Or- thodox faith and to share it with others. Why not share an Orthodox Christian gift to give this Christmas season? Please take a peek and browse our Christ- mas book display table inside the Bookstore. We have a wonderful selection of Christmas books for children of all ages. Additionally we will be selling beautiful Orthodox orna- ments from the Ukraine, along with Nativ- ity icon ornaments for your Christmas tree. Come see our unique Orthodox wooden items hand made by, A Carpenter’s Son. For those in need of Byzantine women’s crosses, we have an assortment of gold-plated crosses from Greece. Lastly, we have Nativity theme icons and lots of stocking stuffer items. We thank each of you for supporting our St Spyridon Bookstore. We wish all of our pa- rishioners and friends a blessed Christmas season, and a healthy New Year! Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Stephanie Mourafetis, Mary Mastorakos, Pat Tsopanoglou, and Francesca Captain Χρόνια πολλά και καλά σε όλους τους Νίκους, Νικολίτσες, Σπύρους, Σπυριδούλες, Χρήστους, και Χριστίνες της κοινότητάς μας. Best wishes to everyone in our community who celebrate their name day this month!