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Learning to Count: The Orthodox Numbers For children learning to count, or even teens who need a good challenge, this activity opens our eyes to the many ways our Lord sanctifies numbers. This idea was inspired by an Orthodox Saint who during his martyrdom, brought to mind something holy for each horrible act against him. While they cut off each toe or finger, he praised God according to the number, finding a way to glorify our Creator. Can anyone help me remember this Saint's name? Here's how the activity works: Begin by explaining that as the adult or leader, you will call one number at a time, and ask for your children/teens to respond with a correlating event from the Bible, a Saints life, or element from our faith. You can go in order, or be more spontaneous. However, don't move on until your group has thought of everything it can for that number! Here are a few examples... 1 - One God, One Church, One Faith, One Messiah, One leper healed who thanked God, Prayers of...

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

Here is another resource on: Baptism Eucharist or Communion  Chrismation Ordination Marriage Confession Unction http://orthodoxsundayschoolresources.tumblr.com/

If you haven't created your very own "Family Icon" consider doing so with your children or Sunday school classes.  First we printed out the tree design and colored it, then we trimmed and added our icons of the Patron Saints for each member of the family. We cut the icons out of old catalogs and calendars we had. An icon of Christ was centered in the trunk of the tree, as we added the words of Christ in Greek - "I am the true vine + Ye are the branches " below. We had a little too much fun with the glue and glitter, then mounted it on construction paper, with two holes and string at the top. It hangs as a sort of a tapestry in our home. If you'd like, you could also write at the top " God bless the _______ Family." For us, it has been a joy for our children to learn who they are named after. We have the habit of asking our kids, "Who has the name from Agios Vasilios? Who has the name from Panagia? From Saint Helen, and Saint Stefanos" ...

"The common thing that brings all of us together, is our love for _______, and our desire to offer her/him the best beginning. Think about all the things we do for the newest member of our family...we make a safe home, with a safe bed and a safe car seat for her/him. We take her/him to the doctor for vaccinations and care for her/him to the best of our abilities, without her/him ever asking for it, but just because we love her/him. This is exactly the reason why we bring her/him to the Church today. Today, we offer ______ the beginning of a life grounded in the principles of faith,  kindness to others, and love for herself/himself as God's most important creation. She/he will be able to grow up with the best medicines for her/his mind, body and soul because she/he will begin receiving the holy Sacraments. Today, she/he was sealed with the chrism of the Holy Spirit, her/his hair was cut as her/his first offering to God, and she/he was clothed in the armor of new baptismal cloth...

Ayios Vasilios bears a title that few Saints share with him. He is known as "Saint Basil the Great." Some attribute this title to him because he organized cenobitic monasticism, or because he was a warrior-bishop who preached thunderous sermons throughout Caesarea to defend Orthodoxy against the heresy of the Arians. Below, however, I share why he is considered "Great" in my mind. Two things convicted the heart of St Basil during his formative years. The first was when his younger brother  Naucratius, died, and then second was the influence of his elder sister Macrina, whose rock-like faith led her to join a community of religious women who served the poor, owned no personal items, slept on the ground, ate only enough to sustain them, and lived completely for God.  Saint Basil followed this example and experienced himself the ascetic life, before being ordained and recruited to defend the Church. He went on to address the rich "who let their wheat rot, while...