Our Greatest Weapon

This September, for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, I share with you this image of the largest fragment of the True Cross of Christ in existence. It is a special treasure of the Xeropotamou Monastery on Mount Athos, in Greece.*

In honor of the feast, let's ask our kids, why the Cross is so very important to us as Christians?Why do the enemies of Christ, the demons, cringe at this sign?

After reading a bit from Elder Cleopa, I am reminded of an event in the Old Testament...Read out loud together Numbers chapter 21. "The LORD said to Moses, 'Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.' So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived." Numbers 21:8-9

The faithful of that generation were offered a sign of hope, and for us today as Christians, we too are given a means for our salvation. For the New Testament fulfillment of this event, read John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

Imagine a real, tangible sign, sanctified by God for us who are in the world amidst so many visuals that tempt our eyes. Ask your kids how they feel when they see the sign of the Cross in public somewhere?

If you are a Christian, you are strengthened,you rejoice, and think of God who offers us the ultimate gift of eternal life. But if you are against Christ, you cringe. To give you a few examples, in the country of Turkey, the Red Cross must be called the "Red Crescent" to avoid any relation to Christianity. Elder Paisios, if I'm not mistaken, said that other countries have banned planes from flying over their lands because of the shadow they cast on the earth below: a cross.

Why? Because this sign is the symbol of the power and the victory of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:18

For Orthodox Christians, the Cross brings forth joyfulness and regeneration to all who carry it, wear it, or exalt it. May you and your families be filled with encouragement this September as the Cross is processed and we chant, "O Lord Save Your People through the Power of Your Cross."

*A smaller fragment of the True Cross of Christ can also be found at the Greek Orthodox Seminary Holy Cross in Boston, MA.

The "Orthodox Kids Journal Project"

NEW: Introducing a free weekly curriculum to create Orthodox Christian Kids Journals about our  faith! Each week, come back to this website and download the handout to print yourselves.

The handouts cover a topic from the Church year including quotes, miracle stories, maps, troparions, icons and Orthodox art.

As we discuss the components of the lesson, students are actively listening while they color, cut, and glue a memorable resource to keep for the rest of their lives! Often, students contribute stories they have heard, or if they have that particular Saints' icon at home, or if they have ever venerated a relic, traveled to that country etc. This method proves to be a wonderful tool to create lasting beauty as students develop a greater understanding for the Orthodox Church year in the midst of open dialogue.

Join with us and share! CLICK HERE

Here are the files currently available to follow the Church year from September to May:

• Journal Curriculum Calendar
• Journal Intro page handout 
• Journal Lesson on the Cross 
• Journal Lesson on Saint Euphrosynos and Humility
• Journal Lesson on Prayer & the Komboskini 
• Journal Lesson Called to Holiness 
• Journal Lesson on OXI Day Protection of the Theotokos
• Journal Lesson on St Demetrios & Martyrdom
• Journal Lesson on Angels 
• Journal Lesson on Saint Nektarios 
• Journal Lesson on Saint Katherine (Aikaterini) 
• Journal Lesson on Saint Nicholas 
• Journal Lesson on Christmas, the Incarnation and Nativity of Christ 
• Journal Lesson on Theophany, the Baptism of Christ 
• Journal Lesson on Saint Andonios the Great 
• Journal Lesson for Holy Unction in the Orthodox Church 
• Journal Lesson on the Three Hierarchs 
• Journal Lesson on St John Baptist
• Journal Lesson on St Photini Samaritan Woman at the Well 
• Journal Lesson on Great Lent
• Journal Lesson on The Annunciation 
• Journal Lesson of St Mary of Egypt
• Journal Lesson on Holy Week
• Journal Lesson on Pascha & the Holy Fire in Jersualem
• Journal Lesson on the Ascension

Exaltation of Cross Skit

 

For the feast of the Cross on September 14, our classes have enjoyed putting on a skit re-enacting how St Helen found the Cross of Christ. It does not need much planning ahead of time, and most items you have at home!

You'll need:

• An icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Dark blanket for the earth/dirt
• Three large crosses cut from cardboard
• One shovel or more, plastic from sandbox will do
• A crown for St Helen, colored paper taped round
• If you choose, second crown for St Konstantine
• A Bishops' garment -drape a cloth around the neck and pin
• Fresh basil, found at site of buried crosses
• Extra: a cardboard coffin / tomb

Assign the parts:

• St Helen and her entourage on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem...those who will dig!
  St Konstantine, her son the King, who was not present actually, but part of history
• Jude, the secret Jewish man, who helped find the way to Golgotha
• A child for the corpse in funeral passing by
• Bishop Makarios, Archbishop of Jerusalem, who will exalt the Cross and lead the procession
• The rest of the class are the faithful believers following the procession!

I narrate and pause for the kids to enact what I state from the story which can be found in many places online (here) or (here)  or (here).


Main points:

• St Helen begins pilgrimage
• Stops to ask Jude for directions
• Finds Golgotha, where crosses are hidden under basil & blanket
• Begin digging
• Finds first cross
• Finds second cross
• Finds third cross
• Places Crosses over corpse of passing funeral. Nothing happens at first two.
• Third cross raises the corpse back to life!
• Bishop exalts the Cross, begins procession to Jerusalem, get everyone walking! Journey to another part of your parish into the Sanctuary if you can!
• All involved chant and venerate the Cross.

 The story varies a bit on who actually was healed on the third cross, we enact the corpse passing by in a funeral. At the end, we all chant together "Son son Kurie" or the Troparian for the feasts. We also, naturally, venerate the Cross, and discuss/identify the icon.


**Note: this feast is always a strict fast day**

Holy Week Kids Orthodox Chart

Download for free and print this helpful lesson in chart format HERE to remind your students about each day of Holy Week in the Orthodox Church. The PDF file is filled with icons and a short description that is easily understood to enrich your experience to Pascha!

The second page includes my original Pascha Poem, along with
the Greek text to Xristos Anesti.

Holy Monday- Joseph
Holy Tuesday- Ten Virgins
Holy Weds - Betrayal of Judas
Holy Thurs - Mystical Supper
Holy Friday- Crucifixion
Holy Saturday- Empty Tomb
Holy Sunday - Resurrection of Christ

Join our Orthodox Kids Journal Project. All files are located here.

Wishing you and your families a blessed Pascha 2019!

Pascha Basket

If you are looking for ways to keep "Christ" in your celebration of Easter, consider making an Orthodox Pascha Basket instead of the typical egg & candy overload! Each of the following traditional foods has a symbolic and spiritual significance.

We focus on saying "Pascha" which encompasses our spiritual journey to the Resurrection of Christ, and is our "passage" from the Hebrew "pesche, or passover from death to life." 

 Each year, the Church follows the same sequence of events - and one can't happen without the next. I encourage you not to skip right to the Resurrection without going thru the Cross. Living each component in correct Orthodox theology is truly "Orthobiosi"  

...Christ raising Lazarus, Christ's Entry to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), Christ's arrival to those anticipating Him (Bridegroom) the Passover (Christ's Mystical Last Supper on Holy Thursday and His washing of the disciples feet) His betrayal by Judas arrest and judgement, the Crucifixion, burial and tomb, all culminating at the glorious Resurrection of our Lord.

Finally..........Our eggs are red for a reason! (click for info)

FAMILY BASKET INGREDIENTS: 
Many parishes will bless the baskets all together after the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning. Ask your local priest to try this custom!

• a yeast bread,
• a bitter herb
• wine, 
• cheese, meat, butter, salt, and a red egg. 
• Sweet bread is always included, leavened with yeast. This is a symbol of the New Covenant; the Jews made unleavened bread, and we, the children of the new covenant, make leavened bread. Kulich is the traditional Russian bread, and Tsourekia is the traditional Greek braided bread. The braided form of this bread is a display of the Trinity  - 3 in 1. 
• The bitter herb, often horseradish or garlic, serves as a reminder of the first Passover (horseradish is eaten as a traditional part of the original Passover meal) and of the bitter sufferings which Christ endured for our sake. Sometimes the herb is colored red with beets, symbolizing the Blood of Christ. The bitter herb is also to bring to mind the Jews’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, or our 40 days of the fast. 
• Wine, cheese, and butter are figurative of all the good things of life, and remind us of the earthly gifts that come from God. Meat is included in remembrance of the sacrifice of the Old Testament Passover, which has been replaced by Christ, the New Passover and Lamb of God. (slim jims, beef jerky, salami can be fun finger food) 
• Salt serves as a reminder to us that we are “the salt of the earth.” 
• The red egg, which we crack,  is likened to the tomb from which Christ arose. This is because of the miracle of new life which comes from the egg, just as Christ miraculously came forth from the tomb, shattering the bonds of sin. Of course, red for His blood shed for us, and the miracle from St Maria Magdalane when the egg in her hand miraculously turned red as she proclaimed "Christ is Risen" to the non-believing Emperor.

Many Orthodox Christians also cover their basket with a Pascha basket cover.

Here and here  are some more links on Pascha Baskets.

Read here for information concerning how the Orthodox Christian tradition of  Pascha baskets got started.http://www.iarelative.com/easter/bcover.htm

Theotokos: Her Life in Mosaics

Did you know that in the history and tradition of the Orthodox Church we have more scenes depicted from the life of the Theotokos than anyone else? You might be surprised to learn that there are over 16 different mosaics to teach us about Panagia's life at the Church of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Camii) in Constantinople, Turkey.

This Church was once part of a monastery, but is now Museum, and has one of the best-preserved collections of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. Here are just a few of the scenes depicted:

**A PDF of most of the Mosaics with short descriptions has been posted here on our Scribd Orthodox Group. Please take a look - it is a valuable teaching tool**

1. Joachim's offerings at the Temple
2. Annunciation of Saint Anne (the angel of the Lord announcing to Anne that her prayer for a child has been heard)
3. Meeting of Joachim and Anne
4. Birth of the Virgin Mary
5. First seven steps of the Virgin
6. The Virgin given affection by her parents
7. The Virgin blessed by the priests
8. Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
9. The Virgin receiving bread from an Angel
10. The Virgin receiving purple wool to weave the curtain for the Temple
11. the High Priest Zechariah praying
12. Zechariah calling widowers together to place their staffs on the altar, praying for a sign showing who the Virgin should be entrusted to
13. The Virgin entrusted to Joseph
14. Joseph taking the Virgin to his house
15. Annunciation of the Virgin
16. Joseph departing the Virgin for a trip; when he returns, she is pregnant

A Year to Remember

Since September marks the beginning of the new Ecclesiastical Year, or cycle of the Church calendar, here's an activity to gear up our youth for another year - the catch is that this time we're going to try and make the 12 Great Feasts memorable. Together you'll be creating a giant calendar and the kids or teens will have the chance to fill it with all sorts of things.

Get started with 12 poster boards and assign small groups /or individuals to work on a month, depending on how many kids you're working with. Ask them to be creative and decorate around the month uniquely. Next, tape these up on the wall, and as the leader, use a highlighter to color-in the days of the 12 Great Feasts of the Church for 2008-09, but leave them unlabelled and call them *BONUS* days.

* September 8: The Nativity of the Theotokos
* September 14: The Exaltation of the Cross
* November 21: The Entrance Into the Temple of the Theotokos
* December 25: The Nativity of Christ
* January 6: The Feast of Epiphany
* February 2: The Presentation of Christ
* March 25: The Annunciation
* April 19: Great & Holy Pascha
* May 28: The Ascension of Christ
* June 7: Holy Pentecost
* August 6: The Transfiguration of Christ
* August 15: The Dormition of the Theotokos

Then begin month by month to ask the group all together for meaningful events to add. When a person suggests something, have them post it to the calendar. Be sure to include everyone's birthday (preferably Nameday's too!) school breaks, secular holidays, etc.

Lastly, introduce your *BONUS* bag, which hopefully will include 12 small paper icons of the 12 Great Feasts inside. Ask for volunteers to draw from the bag, and as a group, try to figure out where on the calendar the Feast goes. Be sure to ask THEM for a short explanation of the feast, and maybe a tip for remembering where it falls in the year.

It's tough, but there are a few tricks to help and always rely on logic! From Christmas, count back 9 full months of Panagia's pregnancy for the Annunciation. Pentecost, coming from the Greek word for 50 happens that many days after Pascha...and Christ has to Ascend first (hint hint) How about the Presentations of both Panagia and Christ - ask the kids if they can figure out how old they may have been from the icons.

To wrap things up - ask the following:

* What do you notice about our calendar?
* Does anything coincide or fall on the same date?
* How about fasting periods with exams at school?

Have fun, and at the end, maybe your group's Secretary can copy the calendar to distribute to everyone, or as gifts, your parish could purchase the Orthodox Planner from www.orthodoxmarketplace.com. For more info on the Great Feasts, visit http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8713.asp I like these books on the Feasts: "Feasts of the Lord: An Introduction to the Twelve Feasts and Orthodox Christology" by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos and "Incarnate God: The Feasts of Jesus and the Virgin Mary Vol. 1 and 2"

Root of Jesse Tree: Christmas Activity

The sayings of the prophets are now fulfilled!

Use this study to learn the prophecies of the Old Testament with your children and teenagers. (Download the free printable PDF file here, in color or black/white.) All verses are weaved into the hymns of the Orthodox Church and chanted during the Christmas services. The richness and depth of the season is remarkable!
     Complete this "Root of Jesse Tree" by first gluing the Mother of God in place, and adding a prophet as you study them with the verses below. The tradition of this icon can often be found with an image of Jesse reclining at the bottom of the icon as the root - the Mother of God becomes the "rod" who springs forth the "fruit" who is Christ (2nd century Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons, St Ambrose of Milan, and 8th c St Cosmas)

Here are the memory verses:

• A shoot will come forth from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ( Isaiah 11:1)
• Her womb was foreshadowed by the burning bush that was not consumed  (Exodus 3:2)
• The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: A woman shall compass a man (Jeremiah 31:22)
•  Lord, the God of Israel has entered through the closed gate and it shall remain shut. (Ezekiel 44:2)
  
•  Zion is our mother. a man shall say; and such a man was born in her: and the Most High Himself hath established her. (Psalm 87:5 David)
• For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given (Isaiah 9:6)
  
• Therefore my Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the concealed one shall conceive and bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel (Isa 7:14)

Discuss the symbolism & titles of Mary in the items that each Prophet carries:

Jacob: the Ladder (Genesis 28:12)
King David: the Ark of salvation
Aaron: the Rod/staff that budded fruit
Isaiah:  the Staff/Whip (10:26, 36:6)
Daniel: the Mount (2:35, 2:45)
Gideon: the Rock (Judges 6:20)
Moses: the Burning bush
Soloman: the Veil of the Temple 
Ezekiel: Gate of Life (Ezekiel 44:3) expressed Four Gospels (explained)

Zachariah: the Lampstand (chapter 4)


Read more excellent quotes of the Fathers here: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Root_of_Jesse

Christmas Crossword

********REVISED**********

Click on the crossword puzzle
to the right for a little
Christmas trivia!
Located for free download here.

Hopefully, it will be challenging
for parents and kids of all ages.


"Make ready, O Bethlehem:
let the manger be prepared,
let the cave show its welcome. The truth has come, the shadow has passed away..."

Sticheron at the Royal Hours
by St Sophronius of Jerusalem

Colors of Orthodoxy

Now is a good time of year to pay close attention to color in the Orthodox Church, and how it's used to underline the moods appropriate to the season or special feastday.

Many changes have probably already occurred in your local parishes to signify the Lenten season. This is a good opportunity to review the significance of the colors with your teens and children to enhance their experience and understanding. On evenings like Forgiveness Vespers and Holy Saturday, the change of color can be seen mid-service!

In the Orthodox Church, there are typically six liturgical colors used: white, green, purple, red, blue, and gold. (Later, black vestments also came into use, and in various regions scarlet orange or rust as well) Most typikons/rubrics for our Orthodox jurisdictions seem to specify either "dark" or "bright" colors according to what the priest or parish might have available, but there are some common practices for the major feasts we can look at.

Changes can be seen in the priest's vestments, Altar table cloth, chalice and disc covers, sometimes the curtain in the royal doors, as well as the glass votives in the hanging vigil lamps in front of the icons on the iconostasis.

* White is used for Pascha, Christmas, the Transfiguration and Theophany (color of purity and God's uncreated light)

* Purple/Black for Lent (color of mourning and repentance)

* Green for Pentecost and feasts of the Holy Cross (color of plants and new life, renewal)

* Blue for feasts of the Theotokos and Salutation services in Lent (color of humanity, and also the heavens as we call Panagia's womb "More Spacious than the Heavens")

* Red for feasts of Martyrs, the Nativity fast, and also Pascha in some regions (color of martyrs blood, also color of divinity and royalty)

* Gold as the default (color of virtue)

-Click the images to print and use as handouts in your lesson-

~ Helpful Links ~

Russian Link

Antiochian Link

Interview on Vestments with Krista West

Fr Jerry Hall recording

40 Days of Christmas Craft

Each year, we begin decorating our home on November 15, as we begin the 40 day fast for Christmas. It's beneficial for all to begin seeing the transformation around us and within us. 

Here are the 40 days in icons. We're aiming to cut them out, and create an ornament for each day until Christmas. If you follow the old calendar, I can post January as well.


Enhance this activity by chanting the troparion for each day, or paste a short story from the Saints' life on the backside of each ornament.

At this link, many Orthodox ornaments are sold, and you can get a few ideas: http://www.easterngiftshop.com/Category/CO

Paste each icon in the center of a star or snowflake if you wish!  gold star

After you're finished, that's forty ornaments! Plenty to fill a tree!

1. 
   

Dormition Crossword Activity

 

 Dormition icon from http://www.archangelicons.com 

For excellent photos of the Tomb of the Panagia click here!
A full story of the Dormition and Funeral procession can be found here.

Metamorphosis Transfiguration

.




.



Main Entry: meta·mor·pho·sis
Pronunciation: \ˌme-tə-ˈmȯr-fə-səs\
Function: noun
___________________________________________________

Etymology: Latin, from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun to transform, from meta- + morphē form. Date: 1533

1a: change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means

1b: a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances

2: a typically marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal (as a butterfly or a frog) occurring subsequent to birth or hatching
___________________________________________________

If you've ever put two and two together, today's feast which we call the Transfiguration in English, is called "H Metamorfosi" in Greek, and what true beauty lies within this word. Imagine, for a brief moment, what Saints Peter, James, and John had the opportunity to witness. Without expecting anything, suddenly before them, Christ possibly likened to the average looking caterpillar, is transformed into something glorious and radiant, like the butterfly, glowing in the light of the Holy Spirit. As the definition above barely does justice,
"a striking alteration in appearance" happens - unexplainable really, in human words.

Then a voice from within the cloud of light speaks - it is God, the Father bearing witness to His Son. With awe and fear the Apostles fall to the ground, unable to even maintain eye contact. Then as they turn again to look, Christ is transformed back into the caterpillar we know so well, as one of us.

Today, the Church calls our attention to the words of Saint Peter in his second epistle, first chapter, so that we don't think in today's terms, that maybe this didn't really happen but instead is some sort of parable. Rather, we read, "We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."

If we look deeper, we even find the path to our own "metamorphosis" spelled out...

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world..."

From the constraints of the cocoon, we can be set free, no longer as hostages, but rather as inheritors of eternal life in the perfect freedom of His love.

~ I wish you all a blessed feast! ~

Transfiguration Journey

UPDATE: WORKSHEETS & ICON available here for free download 

For this activity, you'll need a few blindfolds, a Bible, an icon of the Transfiguration, and a lot of trust! Our goal is to lead the children or teens on a journey to understanding God better. Remember, Peter, James, and John were still not able to identify Christ as God before the Transfiguration happened on Mt Tabor. We say that their eyes were yet to be illumined...

To begin, consider your surroundings: your home, a park, the Church? Where might you hide the icon of the Transfiguration, so that you can lead the children or teens to it? Can you climb up stairs, while holding hands blindfolded, to simulate ascending Mt Tabor? Can you convince them to trust you, while they are uncertain where you are going, and why? When you arrive at your destination, only then can the blindfolds be removed, hands let go, and the story revealed.

ASK: Who do you say I am?
ANSWER: Come with me, and you will see

Explain that God had a very important message for the disciples before His crucifixion, just like Moses who climbed Mt Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments. Like them, you have ascended to a high place to learn about who Christ is. How did it feel trusting the leader? Are they ready to see why they've taken this journey?



Ask one of the children to read out loud Matthew 17:1-9.

Next review the icon together and identify why each person was there: Moses, represents the Jewish Law, Elijah, represents the Prophets, Peter, James and John, represent all those alive in Christ. The Holy Trinity is also present. Can they identify how? The Father speaks, Christ is present both fully divine and human, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Light surrounding Christ.

Complete the discussion by asking the children to draw out the important lessons they have learned about God. What did He want to teach us?


* That Jesus is fully God and fully Man

* That Jesus is the bridge of the past, present, and future:
by having present Moses, Elijah, and the new disciples

* That God is the Holy Trinity

* That we too can become like Christ, transfigured and
radiant with the Holy Spirit

Along your journey back, chat with the kids/teens about the timing of this event in Christ's life and explain that the Transfiguration happened right before Jesus was to be crucified. For us today, we can feel equipped with the Truth and prepared for the trials ahead of us, as the disciples did entering the Lord's Passion.

Please e-mail eleniemarie@gmail.com if you would like to receive the Word Scramble handout on this lesson or the icon larger which includes the journey up the mountain together and back down.

Ascension Orthodox Worksheet

Download and print this worksheet for the upcoming feast of the Ascension of Christ.

We will discuss how Christ appeared for the forty day period after Pascha, but at different times in different ways. It is a great opportunity to also identify the Apostles with their names and countries to which they preached. This of course, if the post-Pascha story, where the disciples go out into the world as the WITNESSES of Christ and His Resurrection.

This worksheet is our 27th entry in our Orthodox Journal Project which can be found here along with all of the documents needed to participate!

Theophany Lesson Orthodox Journals

For the feast of Theophany, this free lesson and handout on Scribd or here at GoogleDocs for

Orthodox Christians reaches back to the well known story of the holy Prophet Noah and the ark to understand God's plan for our salvation.

You may ask your students to cut around the components of the icon to glue and create
their own festal icon with the blue Jordan river and barren desert as you read aloud the Gospel text.

The discussion for the lesson should lead to God's revelation of the Holy Trinity, 3-in-1 and 1-in-3. In fact, if our students only learn the Troparion or festal hymn for the feast of Theophany they will see that it encompasses the complete theology of the Church in that the Holy Trinity existed before all time!

Wishing your families and students a blessed illumination for 2021!

Pentecost Coloring Icon

The 12 disciples are seen in the icon of Pentecost gathered together waiting for the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit. The hymns of the Orthodox Church remind us that the Apostles are anticipating this moment with joy and gladness.  "I am with you, no one can be against you." (Kontakion of the feast of the holy Ascension)

Often, kids ask who is this man depicted in a crown, and what is he holding? He is the figure of the whole world, "O Kosmos"and he bears the twelve scrolls signifying the message of God's salvation that will go to all the lands through the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. Some of the Apostles will write the Gospel account. Find them with your children Sts Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the icon as they hold Gospel books. The other Apostles will write letters to be sent to the first Christian Churches, thereby holding scrolls in the icon.

Lastly, identify the symbolism of the Holy Spirit which descends as tongues of fire upon each head, granting the disciples the ability to speak in a language unknown to them for the benefit of those who heard the teaching. Remember, in Scripture we read how the sound came in like a rushing wind from heaven, uniting both what is above and what is on Earth!

The miracle of the feast of Pentecost was for a designated purpose. The Orthodox Christian Church does not believe in the belief of "speaking of tongues" in an unintelligible babbling that is practiced today in some communities, and sees this as possible demonic activity with another spirit, but not the Holy Spirit.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Pre-Christmas Parties

As Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Pre-Christmas parties are approaching with great popularity, for us, it is a frequent reminder to "stay the course" and focus on the calendar of the Church. We are Orthodox Christians living in secular societies, and although these conversations can be challenging with other PTA moms and co-workers, I thought I'd share how we at least try to respond. It's not worth it to get into debates about whether or not such activities have pagan roots, or if they are simply harmless celebrations of costumes and candy, of turkey, family and football. 

The only question to ask is:
Are we giving our children the best chance for a holy life?

We often go digging through trash to find a spark of something good to hang on to, especially, in order to justify our participation in events that our consciences speak otherwise about. This struggle can leave us troubled in our thoughts and souls, wondering if we did the right thing. I like to remove all doubt, and try to set up our kids for the best possible chance of success towards a holy life.

We can pay little attention to activities that we chose not to be part of. Giving more attention, subsequently, to the Church calendar and It's Saints. By doing this, we hope our children will grow to understand that as Orthodox Christians, we live out our faith without making exceptions here and there to fit in. We "fast" when others are "feasting", we look to the Saints as our super-hero's,  and celebrate the Divine Liturgy instead for the feasts below:
Oct 28 - Agia Skepi, Protection of the Theotokos
Nov 1st - Cosmas, Damianos, their Mother, also St. David of Euboia and St Eleni of Sinope
Nov 8 - St Nektarios
Nov. 9 - the Archangels
Nov 15 - Fast begins - Big day in our home!
We begin decorating and start our 40 Day Calendar
Nov 21 - Entrance of the Theotokos to the Temple
Nov 25 - St Katherine the Great
Nov 26 - St Stylianos, Patron of Children
Nov 30 - St Andrew the Apostle
December is full of great Saints up until Christmas and beyond...

I ask myself...who has time for everything else with so many truly "holy days" approaching!

Annunciation Orthodox Lesson

Use this free handout to learn the story of the great feastday of the Annunciation in the Orthodox Christian Church. The file can be downloaded for free here.

This worksheet is also the next entry in our Orthodox Kids Journals here progressing thru the Church year with glue, scissors and colors!

Crossword Answer Key:

1. Luke
2. Yes
3. Womb
4. Virgin
5.( Across) Gabriel
5. (Down) Generations
6. Rejoice
7. Obedience
8. Isaiah
9. Theotokos
10. Joseph

Presentation of Christ Activities - Ipapanti

As you and your families prepare
to celebrate the Presentation of Christ on February 2
I share with you the following activities.

Page 16 of 39 in this Orthodox coloring book
has the icon  to print & color

https://www.scribd.com/doc/14024263/Orthodox-Christian-Icon-Coloring-Book

Click, Print and Enjoy!