Week 2: Hope (color: Blue, November 25th)

This is also my goddaughters nameday (St. Catherine)! I will hopefully post more on that later. But will now restrict my post to the second Sunday in the Nativity Fast. That which begins the week of Hope.

Luke 1:29-33

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

For the little ones: A traditional Christian symbol of hope is the anchor (as St. Paul writes, "We have this [our faith in God] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul..." Hebrews 6:19). It ranks among one of the most common symbols in the catacombs. Moms, get thin pieces of cardboard and trace/draw an anchor onto it. Cut out the anchor shape so that a stencil remains. Buy/make some washable window paint in various colors and get some sponges. First, have your children help clean the window(s) they'll get to paint on. Then give each of your children a stencil and a sponge and help them to paint anchors onto your windows for decoration during Hope week (or the entire Nativity fast, if you wish!).

Another project is to do a science-like demonstration. Have your children help you make a toy boat. You can make one out of a clean Styrofoam meat tray (or a cut up take out container). Insert a straw into the tray for a mast and tape triangular sails (cut from construction paper) to the straw. Tie a string to the bottom of the straw and let hang. Fill your bathtub with water and place the boat in. Have your children help you make waves in the water through splashing with your hands (or do this demonstration during bath time!). Talk about how the boat moves all over the place and can't hold steady. Then tie a rock to the end of the string and show your children how it anchors the boat in place. Direct the conversation to talking about how our faith in God is an anchor that holds us in place as we struggle in this world.

The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Nov. 21)

According to the book of St. James, Mary entered the temple at age 3 and remained there for nine years. The priest Zacharias placed her in the Holy of Holies and the grace of God descended upon her. On this feast we celebrate that, like Mary, we too are the house and tabernacle of the Lord.

Readings: Hebrews 9:1-7; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28.

For the little ones: Get rolls of construction paper. Unroll and cut slightly longer than child's height. Have child lay down on paper and trace his/her body. Explain how our body's our temples for the holy spirit who dwells inside us. Draw/trace a dove in the middle of the body. Have your child color his body. Help the child to memorize

1 Corinthians 6:19, "...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you"

Week one: Faith (color: green, Sunday, Nov 18th)

Readings: Again, I suggest purchasing the book I mentioned in my previous post. It contains evening readings for the Sundays in Advent, suggested hymns to sing, special prayers and discussion topics pertinent to the readings.

For the Little Ones: Begin the season right and have your family make a Christmas gift for Jesus. Ask your children what they'd like to give Christ for Christmas. Make a list and spend the season preparing these gifts. Remember that all items, however silly they may seem (like a doll) would be appreciated by someone in need.

In the Orthodox Church, the Nicene Creed is often referred to as the symbol of our Faith. Help your children to learn the Nicene Creed (if they don't already know it). Talk about it with them. Help them to make a picture book with the words of different portions of the creed written on each page. I love the description of God as being 'Light of Light' in the creed. So, use this week to decorate candles and give a gift of 'light' to friends and family members. Include with the gift a copy of the creed. See here for a kid-friendly candle craft. And, remember, the point is to have fun...so let your kids go crazy and bring out those aprons to help manage the mess!

Advent Preparation List

I know it's crazy, but Advent is almost here! November 15th is a short two weeks away. Assuming your life is a least half as crazy as mine (3 kids 3 and under), then you will need at least two weeks to start getting ready.

First things first, I recommend that everyone buys Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home by Anthony Coniaris. I've found this to be a great resource. It gives good ideas for discussion topics for families regarding feasting, fasting and other various Christian topics (death, sex ed, etc.). It also has a great Advent section telling how to make an Orthodox Advent wreath and my favorite part (which I will not be printing on this blog...hence your need to buy the book) is that for every Sunday of Advent, this book lists readings, prayers, hymns to sing and discussion topics pertinent to the day.

The first big project for us all is to purchase the necessary craft material for Advent. I will spend the next couple of weeks listing the various projects I've planned out for Advent and the materials needed. I will also include directions for making an Advent Wreath adapted for the Orthodox Christian family. Please feel free to leave any suggestions you have to help present Advent to little children!

Advent Wreath materials:
A large styrofoam wreath (space will be needed for seven candles)
Evergreen branches (fake or real)
Colored candles (at least one each dependent on whether you think you'll be lighting candles every night): green, blue, gold, white, purple and red. Michael's carries candles in these colors. If you can't find colored candles, you may purchase white candles and the appropriatedly colored ribbons to tie around.
A paschal candle (one remaining from Pascha or another one similar too. Or just a plain white one.)

Directions: Place candles in the styrofoam wreath in the order listed above. Now, my preference is to place a large, white 'paschal' candle in the middle, but you may also include it in the ring. Lay evergreen branches around candles to cover styrofoam. Another option would be to by a large evergreen wreath and 6-7 candle holders. Place the candles in the holders and arrange in the wreath.

Advent paper chain:
Construction paper in the various colors corresponding to the candles (for gold paper, you might need to use wrapping paper. That or you can substitute yellow or orange.) Cut the paper into strips. Tape strips into a ring, interlocking them as you go. Due to the timing of Advent this year, you'll need the following number of strips for each color and place them in the following order, taking them off one by one on each evening in Advent. Now, I like the idea of hanging the chain from a star that will remain for Christmas Day but you may do as you please. (:

Green--10 strips (because Nov 15th isn't a Sunday, you will have extra strips of this color)
Blue--7 strips
Gold--7 strips
White--7 strips
Purple--7 strips
Red--2 strips

**If you have readers, you can use your computer and print out a bible verse on each strip to be read each night when taken off.

More to follow soon!

Exaltation or Elevation of the Cross (September 14th)

On this day we celebrate St. Helen's finding of the Cross that Christ died upon. One fun fact is that the term "knock on wood" derived from ancient Christians touching relics of the cross (often worn around the neck) during times of trouble.

Readings: I Corinthians 1:18-24; John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35

For the Little Ones: After talking with your children about the meaning of the feast, spend time practicing making the sign of the cross if your children don't already know how to make it properly. Explain to them why Orthodox Christians make the sign of the cross. You can check this page for help in explaining it.

Tradition holds that sweet basil was found growing where the cross was found. Make a dinner using basil (like spaghetti) and explain to your children why the plant is special. Bring in a basil plant (you can buy them anywhere real cheap) and keep it in your icon corner for the day. Or if you grow basil, cut some stems and make a basil bouquet by holding them together and tying a ribbon around. Follow dinner with a cake made into the shape of a cross or make hot cross buns for breakfast.

For an art project, buy small wooden crosses at a local arts and crafts store (like Michael's). Preferably buy ones that can be used to make necklaces. Have your children decorate their crosses with paint or paint markers. Then they can have their own little crosses to 'knock on wood' with!

Nativity of the Theotokos (Sept 8)

The feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos is one of the first feasts in the church year (Orthodox Church Year begins September 1st). On this feast day, we celebrate the birth of the most holy Mother of God who was born to Joachim and Anna in their old age. I like how Goarch.org words the significance of this feast:

"The icon and the feast also acknowledge a transition from barrenness to life. This was but another foreshadowing of what would be offered through Christ, the transformation from death to eternal life."

Readings: Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28.

For the Little Ones: Let us use this feast to reinforce to our children the need to offer thanks to God. Help your children to make a little prayer book. Make a little book by stapling together folded pages of blank paper. Moms: choose two to three prayers that you say regularly with your children. Open the prayer book. On the left, write down one of these prayers. On the right, help your children to draw and color an image that will help them to remember/recognize the prayer. You can free hand draw an image or have them color in a black and white icon that you have printed and paste it into the book. Then, each day say these prayers with your children letting them use their very own prayer book. I suggest choosing a cover for their books that matches the cover of your very own prayer book. With my own daughters, I have started a routine of laying them in their beds for quiet time/naps and saying prayers with them to help calm them down. If you have a similar routine in your household, then would be a very good time to utilize the use of their prayer books. Also, remember to tag onto your prayer times a time of thankfulness. Ask your children what they are thankful for and who they would like to prayer for. It is important at an early age to involve your children in prayers and help them to participate.

Dormition of the Theotokos

Sorry for my tardiness...a newborn and a brief vacation have made blogging rarely accessible.

In brief, the Feast of the Dormition commemorates the death and assumption into heaven of the Theotokos.

Readings: Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

For the Little Ones: Look at an icon of the dormition with your children and discuss the figures depicted and tell them the story that the church teaches regarding her death and assumption. It is the custom in some parishes to bring flowers to be blessed at this feast. Take your children to a florist and let them pick some fresh cut flowers. Bring them home and help your kids to make bouquets to take to the church and be blessed. Make at least two...one to leave at church and another to bring home to your icon corner (where you should have an icon depicting the virgin with her child). Have your children give any extra blessed bouquets to your neighbors and tell them that it is in honor of this feast.

The Transfiguration of our Lord

On August 6th, we celebrate when Christ revealed his divinity to the disciples Peter, James and John. This feast is called the Transfiguration. This event has manifold significance in Orthodox theology being seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's second coming and also as representing the transformed state in which Christians will some day appear.

Readings: II Peter 1:10-19; Matthew 17:1-9.

For the Little Ones: Fruits are traditionally blessed on this day, particularly grapes and other soft fruits. Why grapes? They show physical transformation and represent a religious transformation (i.e. wine). So, take plenty of grapes with you and your children to liturgy to be blessed. Prior to attending the liturgy, read a toddlers/children's version of the story of the transfiguration to your children and color a picture together, talking about it in light of the story you read together. Upon returning from the liturgy, light some candles and place them on the table to symbolize the light of Christ and enjoy the blessed fruits with your family while having a discussion of the significance of the fruit in light of the feast of the Transfiguration.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul

June 29th marks yet another important feast in the Orthodox liturgical year. The feast marks the end of a fast period that begins after All Saints Day and commemorates the lives of these great saints, the Apostles Peter and Paul, who contributed so much to the early church.

Readings: 2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9, Matthew 16:13-19.

For the Little Ones: First off, my apologies. I am at the very end of my pregnancy and my brain is not functioning normally (though what is normal when you chase around two toddlers everyday!). Anyhow, maybe next year I'll have better ideas for this feast! Please feel free to contribute any ideas you have.

The liturgy for the feast is usually conducted in the morning after matins. After the liturgy, come home and read bible stories about Peter and Paul from a children's bible (where the stories are paraphrased). Or, tell them on your one and act them out for your kids' amusement. One kid favorite is when Peter walks on water. And for story time...have a snack:

Now, it is a Ukrainian custom to eat Mandryky (meaning 'to wander')on this feast day due to a legend that Peter and Paul were sustained by these rolls while traveling for missions. If you are energetic, you can make them. If you're lazy (like me!), go ahead and buy some yummy rolls that resemble Mandryky (as much as is possible) to eat while telling the stories.

Lastly, for a fun summer activity, make some sidewalk paint and after story time, go out with your children and paint the sidewalks with stories of Peter and Paul serving as the basis.

All Saints Day

John 12:24 "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

In the Orthodox Tradition, All Saints Day is not celebrated the day after Halloween, but the Sunday after Pentecost. I'm honestly not sure exactly why this particular date was chosen, but it does preempt the Western Christian date of Nov. 1st. It brings a beautiful close to the Easter season, a reminder of the purpose of Christ's life.

Readings: Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30,Hebrews 11:33-12:2

For the Little Ones: Traditionally, the Orthodox bring Kaliva (a boiled wheat dish) to commemoration services for the dead. Have your little ones help you make it at home and have a special memorial service for the dead that evening. Pray particularly for family members and friends you know who have passed away. You can find a recipe for Kaliva here.

***A quick bit of history found here. Phyllis Onest explains that the origin of this tradition: "On the first Saturday of the Great Fast we remember the miracle of St. Theodore of Tyre in 362 AD with koliva. The Emperor, Julian the Apostate, had the food in the market sprinkled with the blood of animals sacrificed to pagan gods in order to defile the first week of the Great Fast. Patriarch Aphdoxios of Constantinople appeared to the saint in a dream warning him of the emperor's scheme. St. Theodore told the people to cook the wheat they had at home rather than grinding all of it into flour. Thus, they did not buy anything in the market and avoided the tainted food."