Synaxarion Daily Saints

Glory to God, the Synaxarion of the Holy Orthodox Church is available online and includes, on many days, the recorded homily on the assigned Gospel reading. https://msoe.gr/min-martios/martiou-5h

This effort is incredible! For years, the individual Troparia or Kontakia hymns for the Saints of each day have been available, and is therefore NOT included at the below website: TAKE A LOOK however - this resource is invaluable ! The Synaxarion is read daily and can be incorporated into your daily prayer rule.

Dwelling Place for Christmas

The Nativity lenten season has begun...
will God find an available "dwelling place" to be born?
Will there be room at our inn?

When He comes, as He did then to the city of Bethlehem, to knock on our doors....will there be room in our homes, in our hearts, and in the sometimes darkness of our lives for Panagia to lay and give birth to the giver of ever-lasting peace? What state will He find our caves in? Ready, asleep, or full to capacity with other things?

You see, the cave is not only a physical place of historical importance, but a spiritual metaphor for each one of us. Isn't it also interesting that so many monks/nuns in our Orthodox tradition took up residence in an actual cave, where they decorated it with icons and burning vigil lamps living their lives in complete concentration and stillness. Hence, the "Light was born into darkness." Literally, and symbolically.

How, might we ask, could God who is grander in size than any other "fit into" the smallness of our bodies and hearts? If He wanted to, couldn't He force out the things in His way to make room? Sure, He could, but He wouldn't. Instead, He invites us to do this work because it encourages a cooperation with Him. In fact, He asks that we do so, to put forth some effort.

You see, the greatest of man's sins and the true opposite of love is not hate, but actually "indifference."  We simply ignore Him everyday, and pretend He's not there. Like when we pass someone poor, in need on the street, and pretend we don't see them, even though our hearts feel differently.

If you choose and are willing try the following:

• Give Him the greatest of gifts - your time and your attention. We do this by isolating ourselves in prayer, with the door shut behind us, and the television off. Eliminate all distractions.
• Physically clean out space in your souls through fasting and confession. Even at the last hour if you have not yet done so, it is well worth it.
• Lastly, shut out the consumerism and over commercialization of these holy days and fight to remain focused and available to Him. This has to be a conscientious choice.

Any other suggestions? Please leave a comment!

Wishing you and your families a truly joyful preparation this year of Christmas ~ 2014.

Great Lent for Kids Worksheets

Download these two curriculum worksheets here for your students to learn more about Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian Church. The graphics in this lesson include Lady Sarakosti with her poem in Greek and English as well as a Lenten word search and calendar of the weeks to follow the main themes towards Pascha. Kids will be engaged to color, cut and glue as they grow in their faith.

These files are also recommended for our Orthodox Kids Journal Project located here.
This is a free ongoing activity that follows the Church year. A description of the project and photos can be found here

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me.

Canon of St Andrew for Kids

If you are feeling that the Great Fast snuck up on you this year, and you are hoping to get into the "zone" rather quickly give the Canon of St Andrew of Crete a try this week! Over the course of the first four days of the Great Fast, Great Compline is read in the evenings with a portion of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.  


The Canon is also read in its entirety on Wednesday evening of the 5th week so that we may approach the conclusion of the Great Fast again with a proper spirit.

You can access and download an overview handout on The Canon of St Andrew of Crete here  or for each days portion visit this link.

St. Andrew of Crete (c. 660-740) was born in Damascus. He became a monk at Mar Saba and served later at the Holy Sepulchre. Around 685, he was ordained a deacon at Hagia Sophia. He also ran a refuge that took in orphans and cared for the elderly. He ended his days as Archbishop of Gortyna, a position to which he was elevated in 692, on the island of Crete. He wrote homilies that display great oratorical skill, as well as formal public speeches later used in written form of the saints.


Wishing you and your loved ones the true spirit of repentance and forgiveness. 

Uprooting Passions in Children

"Do not neglect to uproot from the hearts of children the tares of sins, impure, evil and blasphemous thoughts, sinful habits, inclinations and passions; the enemy and the sinful flesh do not spare even children; the seeds of all sins are to be found in children too; show them the danger of sin on the path of life; do not hide sins from them lest through ignorance and want of comprehension they should be confirmed in sinful habits and attachments, which grow stronger and stronger and bring forth corresponding fruits when the children grow up." - St. John of Kronstadt

As parents and youth workers we face a common task to raise the children that God gave us in a holy manner. But correcting bad behaviors, and offering discipline is one of the areas most difficult, especially when we ourselves are struggling with our own passions like anger, lack of compassion, and little patience.

The good news is that every child created in His image has His grace, which acts as a checks and balance system within the conscience. However, children who grow up without confirmation from parents or other adults can become very confused. They test the waters, but cannot swim in the deep end of the pool without sinking, often without the spiritual tools to stay afloat.

Elder Porphyrios taught that, "Our religion wants children to learn the truth from an early age." He stated, "You must tell the truth for a person to learn it. Otherwise you sustain him in ignorance... so to a child you must tell the truth and scold it so that it knows what it is doing is not good."
He offers these suggestions as well, "The medicine and great secret for children's progress is humility... The children who come from humble parents do not get angry when their error is pointed out, but rather they try to correct it and pray that God may help them not to become egoists...Children should learn to seek God's help in everything."
_________________________________________________________

For further reading, check out these 6 (edited) steps listed by St Tikhon in more depth at http://fr-d-serfes.org/orthodox/parents.htm


1. Remind them often of holy Baptism and that at that time they promised God to live decently and steadfastly, to serve Him with faith and righteousness, and to keep away from every evil and sin.

2. Repeat to them that we live not for this temporal life, for honor, glory, and riches in this world.

3. Let them understand Who is the God of Christians, and what He requires of us, that He hates evil and loves good...and to do what is pleasing to Him.

4. Enlighten their inward eyes as to Who Christ is and to our own sinfulness.

5. Teach them the Law of God, and tell them what the Law demands of us: That is, that we should love God and every man; and truly repent and correct ourselves for the day of Judgment.

6. Set before them the last things: death, Christ's judgment, eternal life, and eternal torment, that the fear of God may so abide in them and preserve them from every evil. Pour these and other things like milk into their young hearts, that they may mature in piety.
_________________________________________________________

"Lord Jesus Christ, give Your light to my children. I entrust them to You. You gave them to me, but I am weak and unable to guide them, so, please illuminate them." - Prayer by Elder Porphyrios

The Way We Worship

Introduce to your children an activity illustrating  the way we worship and more importantly, why we worship the way we do in the Orthodox Church. Below are some talking points for the lesson, as well as a coordinating activity or craft.

1. When we enter the Church, we try to leave behind the cares of the world. School, Homework, Chores, Tomorrow, What's for dinner....etc. Beginning in the Nave (like a boat in the "Navy") we travel closer and closer to God during the service, moving towards Paradise, which is represented by the Holy Altar, ultimately receiving the Eucharist just at Paradise's doors.

2. Each week, we worship the same way and celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom from the 5th century. The word "liturgia" literally means "work of the people." By attending the Divine Liturgy, we are choosing to give back this time to God.  This is our "work." We offer our gifts to Him - our time, our attention, our prayers, our voices. and more tangibly the wine and bread, made with our own hands from the very gifts that God has given us - grapes and wheat. We become co-workers in God's activity.

3. Everyone in the "Ekklesia" is united by a common Orthdoox baptism and confession of faith. We are one created family, surrounded with the Angels and Saints in heaven. Those in the world, the Church militant or army in spiritual battle, mirror the same actions in heaven by the Church Triumphant, the Saints who have already passed the test of life on Earth! We worship God in the Orthodox Church with all of our senses in order to fully participate with our mind, body and soul.

This "ascesis" or spiritual way of life is our path to sanctification (becoming holy through His holiness)

Activity - Ask the children to correctly match the ways we worship God with our senses- if possible, they can make the drawings themselves on colored paper, or you can cut and paste from pictures

• Ears - We hear the word of God in the Gospel and Epistles readings 
• Voices - We chant the praises of the angels 
• Hands- We form the sign of the life-giving Cross 
• Nose - We smell the incense as an offering of our prayer rising to heaven 
• Body - We bow our heads, bend to the ground and kneel to worship God 
• Eyes - We see the light of Christ in every candle and focus our prayers to the windows of heaven, the icons.
• Mouth - We taste the very Body and Blood of Christ, the blessed five loaves of artoclasia, wine & oil, the blessed boiled wheat kollyva, and/or the blessed antidoro or dismissal bread, and blessed grapes at the feast of the Transfiguration.

4. Lastly, let us not forget that the Divine Liturgy is for the whole world, and through this special service, God helps and saves His creation. We not only say prayers for the weather, for our food and crops, for our protection from danger and for a faithful life, but we pray for the "peace of the whole world." Although our local Church may not offer a Divine Liturgy everyday, don't forget that in monasteries around the world, the Divine Liturgy is being offered daily, without stop, as a constant prayer to God.

"A Russian priest was speaking with a minister of another denomination one day. The later spoke at great length about all the wonderful things that his church did for the poor and the environment through service projects, soup kitchens, volunteering, and the likes. Then he asked the Russian priest what the Orthodox people do? And the Russian priest paused quietly for a moment, and simply responded, we offer the Divine Liturgy on behalf of the whole world."    

Canon for a Sick Child & Understanding Sickness

As parents and youth workers, this small Orthodox Canon empowers us 

by giving us the words to offer to our Lord during trials of sickness. I wish I could make the whole things available online for free, especially during recent viruses. Here's a sample, and I encourage you to purchase it from any of the several vendors online. (It is published by St. Paisios Monastery in Arizona with the blessing of the Serbian Hierarch.) 

++++++++   Canticle One  +++++++++

O Lord, show the power of Thy mercy!

O Lord, Thou Who arranges all for the salvation of mankind, receive my humble prayer for this child (name) who is being tried by illness and heal him (her), for Thou dost know his (her) sufferings. Permit him (her) not to suffer, O Lord, but raise him (her) quickly from this illness,
for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.

O Lord, show the power of Thy mercy!

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, how great is the multitude of those whom Thou hast healed. The blind have obtained their sight, the deaf have received their hearing, the dumb have begun to speak, the lame have walked. Who has run to Thy help and not received healing?
We pray unto Thee: O Lord, heal this child who is suffering.

(http://www.stnectariospress.com/canon-to-the-lord-for-a-sick-child/)

Theophany / Epiphany Coloring

Kali Fotisi / Καλή φώτιση
~ Wishes to you for a "Good Enlightenment" on the holy Feast of Theophany, or Ephiphany. If you are looking for a lesson, try splitting apart the icon, and using it as a beginning. We color and create puppets to retell the story of Christ, St John the Baptist, the Angels, another for the waters, and especially the Dove or Holy Spirit.  Here are some talking points:

• In this feast, we find each person of the Holy Trinity fully present and our God is revealed to us. Can you find the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? (The Father's voice is heard, the Son is seen as perfect man, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is witnessed as a fluttering light, much like that which resembles a dove) The light has appeared to all men!

• We learn that baptism is not only necessary for the cleansing of our sins, but for the regeneration of our souls and for a life in communion with the fullness of the Holy Trinity. We are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and clothed in Christ, becoming sons/daughters/heirs to the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father. Why? Remember, we fast because Christ fasted; we are baptized, because Christ was baptized; we confess the "Our Father" prayer because Christ taught us this prayer; word for word. Therefore, we embody the hymn "As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, alleluia."

•  Water has always been crucial for life. In this feast, the water is sanctified and offered to drink for the healing of body & soul. Remember the living water that Christ offers the woman Photini at the well, so that we may not thirst again. (John 4:10, John 7:38)
  
• A short prayer that we can begin memorizing as we make the sign of the cross is:
  "My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, glory to be to Thee."

Here is a video showing the miracle that occurs each year at the Jordan River, which begins flowing in an opposite direction from the power of the Holy Cross.

Jordan River Video

"Today the nature of water is sanctified. Jordan is divided in two, and turns back the stream of its waters, beholding the Master being baptized."

Greek Prayer Worksheets

Download and print these very simple worksheets to practice special phrases of our Orthodox prayer life! They are intended to assist our children and teens with reading and writing the Greek alphabet. Some handouts have the text in place to practice tracing, and others are blank for a tougher challenge. The "Our Father" prayer would be the most difficult of course. 

One need not be of Greek nationality to try these! 

This first page includes "Christ is Born, Glorify Him!"  and "Most Holy Theotokos, Intercede to Save us!" The second page has "Holy Saint Nektarios pray for us!" and "Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me." Lastly, the third page lists the full "Our Father" prayer.

How We Pray at Home with Children

It can sometimes be a very frustrating task, getting kids to cooperate at daily prayer times..beyond just meals that is. I'm
sharing the bare bones of our morning/evening routine with you, so that we might encourage each other in the daily struggle to teach our kids to pray with their whole  mind, body and soul: to learn that communicating with God is an ongoing relationship and gift of love that requires effort, attentiveness and sacrifice. Here is what we do....please comment and post your tips for others. May God strengthen and illumine us as parents!

MORNING PRAYERS - before breakfast and school

• Stand and make the sign of the Cross or bows to begin
• Light individual candles at vigil lamp (vigil lamp is constant flame in our home in front of our icons using olive oil as our continuous offering to God for His presence and blessing. A big void is noticed if this light goes out. Try it for a month and see!)
• "Through the prayers of the holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen... (ADULT)
• Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.....3x    (ROTATE HAVING KIDS SAY THIS)
• All Holy Trinity, have mercy on us, ....(ANOTHER KID)
• Glory to the Father, Son, Holy Spirit...   (ANOTHER KID)
• Our Father...etc   (Another KID)
• Through the prayers of holy fathers.... (ADULT)
• THEOS KURIOS   (We all chant this "God is the Lord, and has revealed Himself to us, blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord" with verses from Orthros)
• (One) Morning Prayer (Having risen from sleep, we thank you o Christ our God....)
• TIN TIN ME O TERA (We all chant "You are honored more than the Cherubim" with verses and one kid incenses icons and us)
• Prayer for School  (I can post this if you want - we kneel for this )
• 3 full body Prostrations saying Jesus prayer aloud. (We end every prayer time with this)
• Through the prayers of holy fathers...."  (ADULT)
• Venerate icons
• Anoint foreheads with holy oil in a cross
• Eat piece of dried antidoron 
• Blow out candles

EVENING PRAYERS - much harder and abbreviated often because of bedtime behavior/silliness. Sometimes children listen to the prayers from their beds if unruly

• Light candle at vigil lamp
• Through the prayers of holy fathers.... (ADULT)
• Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy Immortal.....3x    (ROTATE HAVING KIDS SAY THIS)
• All Holy Trinity, have mercy on us, ....(ANOTHER KID)
• Glory to the Father, Son, Holy Spirit   (ANOTHER KID)
• Our Father...etc   (Another KID)
• Through the prayers of holy fathers.... (ADULT)
• FOS ILARON  (We chant "O Blessed Light" from Vespers)
• Evening Prokeimenon  (changes for each day from Vespers)
• "Grant Lord, to keep up this night without sin..."  (prayer from Vespers)
• "Lord our God, if during this day, I have sinned...." (prayer while kneeling)
• 3 full body prostrations saying Jesus Prayer aloud
• Venerate icons
• Lights out - sometimes adult reads life of Saint or Bible to fall asleep

TIPS
Consider asking the kids to chant "Lord Have mercy (3x)" as a good break from Mom or Dad reading all the time. Lastly, consider quiet time for specific "Prayer Rope"to be said. Provide one for each child on car rides, or afterschool walks....praying for people by name. On the drive to Liturgy, read the Epistle/Gospel in your language, or share a feastday lesson. Listen to chanting or lives of Saints.

Of course there are several prayerbooks with prayer rules and prayers for specific needs, the six hours of daily prayer, unceasing Jesus prayer, etc. I simply only wish to offer an abbreviated version of what works in our family at this time.

 What do you do?

A Heavy Load

One small way of making the Sacrament of Confession real for kids, is by having them feel the weight of our own sinfulness! (This was tested on teens and proved to be powerful). Without giving away the punchline, ask your kids to pair up (girls with girls, boys with boys)having one hold the other in a piggy-back fashion. Read out loud together a spiritual text on Confession or story from a Saint's life for approx. 5-10 minutes. Check in often with the child bearing the weight- ask him/her how they're feeling....how much longer do they think they can go on.... is the weight getting lighter or heavier as they get tired?

(For younger children, use a backpack and heavy items that are labeled with example sins. Discuss each sin as it is placed inside)

Finally, read out loud the "Prayer of Absolution" that the priest reads at the end of the Sacrament of Confession, and allow the kids to take their seats...thus releasing their burden. Introduce the idea that the weight we carry around can be our sins. What does it mean to be a sinner? What are examples of sins? (To keep a secret, lie or steal, or by doing something wrong without apologizing, to disobey our parents, use profanity, or speak bad about others)

Remember, only Christ was without sin - Discuss the medicine that the Church offers to all who desire to be healed through the Sacrament of Confession. Go one step further to ask if anyone has been to Confession and can share their experience... Lastly, schedule a time for each child/teen to confess.

Ten Spiritual Tools for Confession

1. Tune in by sitting alone with God.

2. Still yourself in silence and clear your thoughts from any daily tasks.

3. Read the prayers to warm up your attention to God.
I have sinned, Lord, forgive me. +God, be gracious to me a sinner.

4. Ask God to open your heart and reveal to you the things to confess.

5. Honesty takes courage. Approach with boldness in Christ.

6. Resist any embarrassment during the Sacrament.

7. Don't let shame get in the way from receiving God’s love.
Run to Him.

8. Don't be sorry that you are a sinner.
This should be of no surprise to you.

9. If you have sadness, be sorry that you have hurt God.

10. Seek to sin no more, not because you expect perfection from
yourself, but rather because you no longer desire to hurt yourself or God.

After Confession Prayer
+Almighty and merciful God, I truly thank you for the forgiveness of my sins; bless me, Lord, and help me always, that I may ever do that which is pleasing to you, and sin no more. Amen.”

Geronda Paisios

Below are 3 recordings of the Blessed Elder, Paisios of Mt. Athos, with English subtitles. It is the actual voice of this Saint.

Elder Paisios - recording in his cell part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkV9r2vuMr8&feature=related

Elder Paisios - recording in his cell part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vJRVPzn6R0&NR=1

Elder Paisios - recording in his cell part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-a9i8ZmS8o&feature=related

Monthly Curriculum: Orthodox Girls

This year, our parish has designated separate classes for boys and girls ages 10-16.  I thought I'd share our program with you, as it seems to be well received so far. The idea of splitting the genders has  truly allowed us to concentrate on specific issues related to their challenges while also eliminating much of the chatter and drama! We do not have a text per say, but rather a structure that gives us
flexibility yet predictability.

Every month our girls follow this schedule:

• 1st Sunday: Koumboskinia/Prayer Ropes (Craft & Theology)
• 2nd Sunday: Chanting (Theology & Hymns from the Divine Liturgy or Feast)
• 3rd Sunday: Diakonima (The girls can bake, assist, serve, & clean-up at the coffee fellowship- the boys tend to the altar and candles)
• 4th Sunday: Journaling from the Lives of the Female Saints

Today, as an example, the girls were asked to walk around the church after the Divine Litrugy,
and to write the names of the female Saints that they found on the walls. Afterward, we discussed our vocation to be like these holy women who remind us weekly of virtue and our potential. Our plan is to create small journals that the girls will read a life of a female Saint in, then draw out a few inspiring details from the short story that impacted them. We will be sure to include the patron Saints of the girls in the class so that each can learn her story and share with the others.


If you have other ideas, please share~ It's truly a great blessing to walk along side these pure souls!

Here is the book I assembled at Shutterfly:
 http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0BatWTZozbs3Gw

A Parent's Place to Hide

I usually avoid sharing anything personal on this blog - but this post might just relate to other Orthodox parents out there, so here goes.

As a mother of three small children, the day passes fast. With diapers and meals, I just about manage to say their prayers with them, in front of their iconostasis'. Each room it seems has its' share of breathtaking and inspiring icons, but something was missing I felt. Or was I simply making excuses for skipping out on my prayers? To be honest, a space just for me was the perfect solution.
So here it is. Our glorious utility closet. That's right...and it's perfect. The kids don't even know it exists!

Sure, you might say I'm surrounded by buckets and tennis rackets, ironing boards and boxes, but these are the items of our daily life. There is nothing 'unholy' there, and I sort of feel the presence of God and His Saints sanctifying even this space!

It has reminded me that despite singing spiritual songs with our children, reading Bible stories, and quietly saying the Jesus Prayer, nothing can replace the one-on-one time we need with God. A place to shut the door, empty our hearts and be faithful at any hour of the night, without anyone knowing we're there (well of course except you now! Shhhh, don't tell my kids!)

Infant Martyrs

A Prayer to  Jesus to deliver us from the sin of abortion

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who – at the 6^th hour of the day – didst shed Thy precious Blood upon the Cross for the salvation of all mankind: receive the souls of all the innocent pre-born babies, who have been, are being, or will be slaughtered today in the hospitals and abortion chambers throughout our Nation.  And as their untimely deaths have prevented them from receiving the grace of Holy Baptism, I entreat Thee to accept their innocent blood as their Baptism (as Thou didst with the early Martyrs); so that they can share eternity with Thee.

To the doctors, nurses, parents and hosts of accomplices responsible for this infanticide, grant tears of repentance; so that they can run to Thee for forgiveness and healing, and thus avoid the eternal death of their souls.  I believe that all things are possible with Thee, O Lord.  Therefore, I entreat Thee on this day – through Thy divine grace – to convince at least one mother in every state to cancel her abortion and bring her child to full term; and to convince one doctor in every state to repent of his actions, and never again kill a child in the womb.

Receive my prayer, O Lord, even though it is offered to Thee from such a sinful and unworthy servant; and unite my entreaty with those of all the other brothers and sisters that are crying out today on behalf of all Thy little ones, who are now being formed in the wombs of their mothers. Deliver us and our Nation, O Lord, from this shedding of innocent blood!  Forgive us!  Heal us!  Save us! Amen.

Learning to Pray

What are the things you do daily without thinking twice? We brush our teeth, we put on clothes, and we never leave the house to begin our day without a pair of shoes on our feet to equip us for the road ahead.

In the same way, we can strive to see prayer as an essential part of our day, for the benefits are greater than fresh breath or comfortable feet! Let us teach our children to start small, with an icon of Christ and just five minutes, but strive for consistency. The goal is to remember, thank, and glorify God each and every day by coming to meet Him face to face. By doing this, we grow to rely on Christ and He becomes the center of our lives.

Remember, when we pray, we open the communication between us and God in a very personal way. There’s no one who knows us better than our Lord. He is with us each step of the way, and He knows exactly what we need. The Blessed Elder, IERONYMOS of Aegina +1966 encourages us in his writings "Do not leave off prayer. No matter how tired you are, you can pray for half an hour. Feed your body as if you were going to live a hundred years, but feed your soul as if she were going to die tomorrow."

In the Orthodox Church, we learn how to pray from the Saints who are illumined by God and who share in His glory. When we use their prayers that were written and passed on to us, we become like them and follow them into union with God. Certainly, we can also speak from the heart, but to rely on the words of the Saints for help is the most accurate way of reaching our Lord – for not every ship that sets sails reaches it’s destination.

Here are some prayers available online:

Print Your Own Pocket Prayer Book! Click Here

Transfiguration Orthodox Prayer Book
Orthodox Prayers
Orthodox Christian Prayers

Here are some of my favorite prayer books for children & teens:

Potamitis Prayer Book
Guardian Angel Prayer Book
Children's Prayer Book

Prayer is the greatest weapon we can equip our kids with!

The Jesus Prayer

I am convinced that our kids and teens need to hear this prayer more than any other. It's called the Jesus Prayer and whenever we use it, we call upon Christ as the Holy Scripture says, keeping Him on our minds, in our hearts, and on our lips with every minute of the day. This short but powerful prayer sanctifies whatever task we are doing!

Fold the laundry ... and say this prayer

Drive to the grocery store ... and say this prayer

Say it in any language, say it in short or long form...

but whatever you do, keep praying and let your kids hear you!

The Jesus Prayer has even been put to a simple melody in order to sing it. I have heard it in two different forms, and love both! It's great to use on long car trips, because everyone can participate. Take turns offering the first name of someone you'd like to sing the Jesus Prayer for, then complete the song on their behalf.

We say, "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on ______, your servant."

Sometimes we include all the poor, the hungry, the orphaned, the priests, all monks and nuns, those with a handicap, etc. Before you know it, you and your family will have prayed for the sanctification of the whole world!

"Indeed, our true task is always the same and is always accomplished in the same way: to call upon our Lord Jesus Christ with a burning heart so that His holy name intercedes for us." -

-Hesychios the Priest: On Personal Holiness

Praying for Our Kids

My husband and I came across this most beautiful "Akathist to the Mother of God,
Nurturer of Children" compiled by Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes which I highly suggest printing. It has added a dimension to my prayer life with words that seem to encompass all my thoughts and feelings! And who better suited to intercede for our kids than Panagia, the Mother of God. Here's a small sample...and the link to the full text which just takes a few minutes to pray.

Ikos 3

Having received my children from God, I do not desire to behold them dwelling in eternal torment, but rather to see them written in the Book of Life and made inheritors of eternal life. For Thy sake, O Most Pure Virgin, incline Thine ear to my supplication, as I cry to Thee:

Raise my children to flee eternal torment.
Raise my children to inherit life eternal.
Raise my children to pass the course of their life in Repentance.
Raise my children to labor to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Raise my children to exert effort to attaint the Kingdom of Heaven.
Raise my children to be written in the Book of Life.
Raise my children (names), O Lady, to be made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven and make them heirs of eternal blessings.

http://fr-d-serfes.org/orthodox/NuturerofChildren.htm


At the end of this webpage, you can also find these additional prayers:

* Prayer of Parents to the Mother of God
* Prayer to the Guardian Angel
* Prayer for Children Who Have Difficulty Learning
* Prayer for Unborn Infants

These are also adaptable for Godparents and Grandparents. Enjoy~

Prayer Warriors

"The person who belongs to Christ turns everything into prayer" - Elder Porphyrios

The question of today's post is:

How can we form our children to become Prayer Warriors?

Elder Porphyrios approaches the subject by saying, "The children should learn to pray. And in order for children to pray they must have in them the blood of praying parents... It is not sufficient for the parents to be devout. They mustn't oppress the children to make them good by force. We may repel our children from Christ when we pursue the things of our religion with egotism... The secret is to be good and saintly and to inspire and radiate. The life of the children seems to be affected by the radiation of their parents."

I've found these 3 things can make a big difference-

1. Be consistent with prayer times
2. Get the kids involved
3. Show them first, then allow them to imitate you

Also, a project that can be very meaningful is to try a "Family Prayer List" which will offer the children the opportunity to pray for others. This could be as simple as a piece of paper, or you could enjoy decorating and creating something more elaborate with small icons and symbols. Each evening ask the children to add first names only of the people they want to pray for. As Orthodox, you can even include the souls who have reposed on a separate list.

Through this small gesture, we allow God the room to work in their hearts so that our kids come to understand the importance of praying for others more than for themselves. The power of prayer is great, very great, especially when done by many together. Do you remember the freeing of St Peter the Apostle from prison when prayer was made by the Church without ceasing? (Acts 12:5)

Elder Porphyrios said "it is preferable for us to help people from a distance with prayer, because in this way, we help them in the best and most perfect manner."

This post was prompted by the current conflicts in Georgia, Russia, and Serbia where Orthodox Christians, Churches, and Monasteries are being destroyed. Although we may be geographically far from these countries, they must be included on our family prayer lists!

Please don't hesitate to share other ideas for developing "Prayer Warriors"