sade065

For the 'Apostles fast' in the Orthodox Church, and here's an activity to assemble the icon day by day until the feast on June 29/30. On the first day, the children will cut out and glue the icon of Christ in the center of the Tree, learning the memory verse, " I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." from John 15:5. Each day(s) to follow, focus on one Apostle at a time, reading their life, learning their experiences and placing them on the icon. Each has a troparion as well to chant! Click here to download the smaller icons Click here for the tree document.   Once the tree is colored by the children, it can be laminated, along with the icons.  We have placed velcro on the backsides, and the children re-attach the icons each year during the fasting period.   Saints Peter & Paul celebrated on June 29 (fast ends) Synaxis of the Twelve Holy Apostles, celebrated June 30 ...

This year, we painted on food coloring before baking. Give it a try!  POEM Lady Sarakosti, is a custom from long ago, Our yiayias (grandmothers) used to make her, out of flour and H 2 O. She wears a modest nun’s dress, with a cross upon her head, silently without a mouth she prays, to fast with fruits, nuts and bread. Her feet teach us how to count, the weeks of Lent are seven, we cut one off each Saturday, until Pascha and the Resurrection to heaven. **If you make a better translation of the original Greek poem, please share it! This is also my version of a more Monastic Lady Sarakosti drawing with a prayer rope in hand and head veil** Lady Sarakosti Recipe 2-2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup salt 2-2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon                              water (as much as needed)          ...

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...

Most Orthodox Christians are unaware that Adam & Eve were created and lived in virginity. Yes. That's right. "Be fruitful and multiply" was a command that was enacted upon after the fall. (Ch 4 of Genesis, St John Chrysostom teaches that Adam "knew" Eve after) There was no marriage in Paradise. There was no hetero-sex, nor homo-sex . They lived as angels. It can be shocking, but this is the teaching of St Chrysostom, St Gregory of Nyssa even though he was married, Saint Maximos, and St Gregory the Theologian to list a few. If we understood our own sexuality correctly, we could see the distortions today based on purely earthly indulgences. Saint Maximos teaches that God never intended for us to live as the animals, in passionate physical rage, uniting in a beastly way flesh to flesh. Flesh itself, was given after the Fall. Granted, God foresaw the fall of Adam & Eve and hence blessed the marriage bed between one woman and one man, however, this too has pe...

"Clean up - Clean up, everybody everywhere, Clean up - clean up, everybody do their share." The lyrics to this catchy Barney song might have more use to our Orthodox faith than we've considered before because if there's one concept kids understand, it's cleaning! Whether they are imitating our motion with a vacuum or grumbling about household chores, kids can distinguish dirt from sparkle! Let us use this opportunity then on "Clean Monday" to introduce our families to the idea that Lent is a period of cleansing, and everyone benefits from participating. Because Clean Monday is a strict fast day, it should be kept holy thru holy activities. I'd say, tidy up the house only in conjunction with a lesson about cleaning both the outside of the cup, as well as the inside. * A clean bedroom is inviting to the angels (tidy up your icons) * A clean body can be achieved through a clean belly (observe the fast) * A clean mind is able to think of God rather ...

Here's an excellent SHORT book in PDF format by Geronda Ephraim from 1991 - absolutely worth reading over and over again - (I had never seen it before it person ) If you don't have time for it all... scroll to the sections of interest to you personally! Call from the Holy Mountain