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Christmas Orthodox Craft Ornaments

November 12, 2014, 10:01 am
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Just wanted to share our small craft that we'll be doing with kids ages 3-12 for Christmas. We've ordered these very reasonably priced wooden photo frames, which includes a latch backing and clear photo protector. The children will decorate with glitter paint, markers, pencil, beads, crayon,sparkle stars and more...and we will insert an icon of their choice from the Nativity selection. 


Here is the site to order the ornament frames and other craft goodies
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=15805&keyword=ornaments&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=

We're either considering printing various icons ourselves, to ensure the proper size, or we may even have the children color their icon first.


If you are also planning a craft idea or lesson, please do share!
The beginning of our fast begins before you know it. How time flies~
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Christmas Crossword

November 13, 2014, 3:52 am
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********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
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Saint Andrew - First Patriarch of Constantinople

November 15, 2014, 5:20 am
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With the feast of Saint Andrew approaching on November 30, I figured this would be as great of a time as any, to introduce our young people to our Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the once glorious city of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople. Especially considering that most people today only know it as Istanbul. Here you'll find a coloring icon of Saint Andrew, links to nice video footage, and a map of the Saints missionary travels.

As an Apostle of Christ, Saint Andrew was tasked to preach the Gospel in Asia Minor (Now Turkey), Macedonia, Romania and even as far as Russia. He is considered the founder of the Christian Church in Constantinople, as each and every ordination of a Patriarch, a Bishop, a Priest or Deacon can be traced back to the original Apostle Andrew. The liturgical act of laying on of hands in the Orthodox Church with the grace of the Holy Spirit is the transfer of the original Christ-given authority to the Apostles.We call this Apostolic Succession. Because of this lineage, we can truthfully say that the Orthodox Church is the Ancient Christian Church, over 2000+ years old.


Please visit www.patriarchate.org to learn more and view photos.

Here is a nice interactive timeline http://www.patriarchate.org/patriarchate/timeline

The program "60 Minutes" on CBS broadcast a series on the Pariarchate:
Visit these links to watch:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6754652n

On Cappadocia
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6001620n&tag=segementExtraScroller;housing

Question and Answer page on the Patriarchate
http://www.patriarchate.org/patriarchate/faq

Here is my personal photo of the relic of the "X" cross that St Andrew was martyred on, which can be venerated along with the Saint's skull at this giant cathedral in the port city of Patras, Greece on the Ionian Sea.
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Christmas Worksheet

November 16, 2014, 12:08 am
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Here is an Orthodox Christian Worksheet and Lesson on the Nativity that includes a bit of theology we often overlook. Although it might be for older ones, I hope it offers details that the younger ones can comprehend as well.

Click here for the PDF Lesson available at the Orthodox Christian Scribd Group.


Wishing you and your families a blessed Nativity and Twelve Days of Christmas beginning with the birth of our Lord. 
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40 Days of Christmas Saints

November 17, 2014, 10:40 am
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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!



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Root of Jesse Tree: Christmas Activity

November 22, 2014, 8:00 am
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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
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Saint Katherine / Agia Aikaterini

November 23, 2014, 8:33 pm
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The life and example of Saint Katherine (Agia Aikaterini /Katerina)is truly a unique witness for all youth, and especially handmaidens of Christ. If you do not know her story, take a moment to be inspired for her feastday on Tuesday, Nov 25 and color the icon. Especially for all girls involved in speech & debate!

Watch the life of St Katherine here for children on You Tube

Watch video footage of Sinai and the Icon collection at he Getty Museum here

Another video for children on her


As a young woman of great beauty and intelligence, she came of age to be married, but her focus was elsewhere. She only agreed if a suitor was found that surpassed her own knowledge, wisdom and talent. What earthly man could compare? Her mother took her to meet a holy ascetic, outside the city, dwelling in a cave. He gave her an icon of Panagia and her son, to begin praying to meet such a worthy "man;" who else, but Christ Himself. But when the Mother of God appeared to her in a dream, Christ would not look at Saint Katherine, as she had not yet renounced her life to accept the Christian faith. She returned to the elder for catechesis, and baptism, then received a ring of betrothal to Christ as His handmaiden, for only He was worthy of her devotion. She preserved her body in virginity and soul until martyrdom.

You see, she gave up a perfectly easy life.

Later, she refuted the rhetoric from 150 of the King's wisest scholars and proclaimed the one true God, as Jesus Christ. For this, many miracles came to be. The wheel she was to be tortured on, was broken. The Queen and soldiers visited her in prison, and accepted Christianity. Lastly, when beheaded, her body flowed with milk rather than blood and was escorted by angels to the mountain of the great Prophet Moses of the 10 Commandments in the Sinai desert, where a remarkable Orthodox monastery lies today.

If you are fortunate enough, to be named after her, may you be blessed with such wisdom & courage! Xronia Polla~
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Saint Nicholas of Myra

December 1, 2014, 1:45 pm
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(Initially posted in 2009)

Here is a small book compiled on the life and miracles of Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra. It is my first attempt to extract scenes from "vita" icons of the Church's beloved Saints in order to bring them to life with simple stories for children and teens. I hope this idea can extend into a series, maybe one day even a published collection, to build our libraries with illustrated books for years to come ~ May it be of some small use to you and your families.

A PDF file can be downloaded
from the Scribd.com Orthodox Education Collection here.
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Christmas Bible Verse Craft

December 7, 2014, 7:47 pm
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  1. God is with us(Matthew 1:23)
  2. All the Earth worships Thee (Psalm 66:4)
  3.  His name shall endure forever (Psalm 72: 17)
  4. He is our God, the God of salvation (Psalm 68:20)
  5. There shall come a Star out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17)
  6. He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21)
  7. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given(Isaiah 9:6)
  8. He said, “Thou art My Son; on this day have I begotten Thee” (Psalm 2:7)
  9. We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him (Matthew 2:2)
  10. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger(Luke 2:12)
  11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11)
  12. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)
  13. The Angels cried out, Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:14) 
  14. He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6)
  15.  Amen.

Print these 15 versus from the Bible out on different colors of paper, or at a minimal on green construction paper. Cut them into strips with a paper cutter, trim the lengths, and ask your children or teens to glue them into the Christmas story tree to white or blue paper. If you have younger ones, you could always number the phrases, but even if the order gets rearranged, it still works. Have fun learning holy scripture! To download the PDF file, click here:
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Candy Cane Hunt

December 8, 2014, 6:56 am
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Try a "Candy Cane Hunt" with your families, friends, or parishes on the Sunday before Christmas, Dec 21st. You can print out tags to wrap around each cane if you like with a short spiritual poem. It's a great way to get out energy after the Divine Liturgy!


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Colors of Orthodoxy

January 2, 2015, 1:59 am
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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
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Theophany Activities

January 3, 2015, 9:49 am
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Theophany / Epiphany Coloring

January 6, 2015, 3:43 pm
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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 showingthe miraclethat 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."


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Orthodox Jeopardy

January 18, 2015, 12:22 pm
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Gather Orthodox Christians of all ages for a fun and interactive game of Orthodox Jeopardy. Created in Microsoft Powerpoint, you'll sing along to the familiar theme songs of the television gameshow while testing your knowledge of the faith. Create teams or play individually. Even set up a laptop and projector screen to host this game at Youth Night or Retreats with popcorn and sleeping bags!
The questions range in difficulty and topics include: The Saints, Art & Architecture, Music & Hymnology, The Bible, Faith & Traditions, Miracles...plus more!

    Click here to download this file from our Orthodox Scribd Group or better yet please e-mail eleniemarie@gmail.com for the most accurate Powerpoint Layout since it's distorting quite a bit thru the web. Best results have been had by downloading and opening it in Powerpoint itself.

    This activity is also very customizable for local traditions, languages, levels of difficulty, etc. Hope you enjoy it~
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    Publican & Pharisee

    January 30, 2015, 11:40 am
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    This year for the Publican and Pharisee Sunday lesson, here's an idea to get your kids and teens active. Meet outside and introduce the story with two balls. Make your kids observe them, feel them, and throw them around to each other in a circle facing each other.

    Ask them to articulate just how different these two balls are. The beach ball is puffed up, displaying an array of colors in a fancy design for all to see. It is like eye-candy. When attempting to fly, especially upwards to heavens, it is tossed to and fro by the waves of air, pushing it in several directions without ever arriving at the destination. It is weightless. It is too plastic, and possibly too perfect. Worse yet, when the air is let out and deflated......there's nothing left. (A balloon also works great and can be blown up gradually in front of the kids as you give "prideful" examples, being the best soccer player, the faster runner, the best singer, first at spelling bee, etc)

    The tennis ball is used, worn, abused and been through the dirt. It does have character, in fact, too much. It's scarred, maybe damaged. Might not be very good at playing the sport of tennis anymore, but when you throw it, it's like a rock. It streams through the air, landing just as far as you've thrown it. Its' destination is more reliable even if it arrives not as pretty, at least you know where it's going. It might unravel, but there's substance inside.

    Now read the story from the Sunday Gospel: Luke 18:10-14
    http://lent.goarch.org/dailyreadings/lectionary.php?type=gospel&code=272&event=1150&DL=EN

    Discussion questions: Ask
    WHO is the beach ball/balloon? (The Pharisee)
    WHO is the tennis ball from the story?  (The tax collector or Publican)
    What are the the characteristics you found in each person.
    How we are like the beach ball?  (maybe desiring the praise at school /at home, feeling overly proud and better than others, when we talk but don't follow up with action )
     
    Which would you rather be? 


    Which does God desire us to be like?      A prideful person is a big turn off, to others and to God!

    Lastly, this parable teaches us "how to pray."In our holy Orthodox faith, we first recognize and confess ourselves as sinners who have fallen short of perfection, and in need of God's great mercy. thus crying out "Lord have mercy!" Only through humility can we attract God and grow closer to Him. Often times, God tries to deflate our over-inflated balloons in order to teach us humility. For some people, the spiritual life is a constant repeat of this, superficial inflation and divine deflation!

    Lastly, include the story from one mother of a modern Saint. She advised St Paisios "it is better to let others win, and keep your friends"  than to strive to be first all the time. This thinking promotes humility as the key to Paradise!



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    Lady Sarakosti Poem & Coloring for Great Lent

    February 1, 2015, 6:50 pm
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    Quiet Lady Sarakosti, is a custom from long ago,
    Our grandmothers used to make her, out of flour and H2O.

    She wears a simple nun’s dress, with a cross upon her head, her hands in prayer without a mouth, to keep the fast with mostly bread.

    Her feet teach us how to count, the weeks of Lent are seven, we cut one off each Saturday, until Pascha and the new 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)        
    * Not to be eaten! *

    Combine flour, salt and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl and gradually add enough water to form a stiff, but flexible dough. Roll dough out to 1/2" thickness. With a sharp knife cut out the figure as shown above. Cut out two long narrow strips for arms and join at shoulders (wet surface to which arms will be applied). Make slits in dough for fingers.  Mark closed eyelids and noise with pointed object. Wipe entire figure down with a lightly dampened cloth to make shiny. Bake in moderate oven until golden.

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    Presentation of Christ Activities - Ipapanti

    February 2, 2015, 10:47 am
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    Triodion Online

    February 4, 2015, 12:49 am
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    ** We have available to us the holy words from the Lenten Triodion online in English.** What sweetness to pierce our souls! Visit this link to copy and paste the canons for use in your personal daily prayers.
    Triodion Online

    Keep this link as well for many liturgical texts
    Anastasis.org

    Made possible by the
    ** Community of the Holy Myrrhbearers **
    R.D. 2, Box 188,
    Otego, New York, 13825
    (607) 432-3179
    MRaphaela@aol.com

    Mother Raphaela has given her blessing to distribute the texts for personal and church use but not for any kind of commercial use.

    Parts of the Triodion are available in book form:
    The Lenten Triodion by Mother Mary and Archimandrite Kallistos Ware Faber and Faber, London 1978

    Sold many places One Link to Purchase It

    The Lord consecrated and sanctified these
    Forty Days of the Fast by fasting Himself for forty days.
    Having entered into them, brethren, let us cry aloud: Blessing and exalting Christ forever!
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    Lent Word Search Activity

    February 4, 2015, 3:22 am
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    Click on the image to view and print this month's activity
    Search horizontal, vertical, and diagonal to find all the words related to Great Lent and Holy Pascha. ~ Enjoy ~
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    4th Sunday of Great Lent Curriculum

    February 4, 2015, 11:30 am
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    This is an example of how I will compile our lessons from the Sundays of Great Lent. I regret not doing it sooner, but so many ideas came forth from actually teaching.
    Click here to download the PDF for free: 4th Sunday of Great Lent Curriculum
    May it be of some assistance to you next year! 

    Please see the corresponding Great Lent Curriculum Chart and Great Lent Workbook containing the coloring icons.

    Your comments and suggestions are always welcome,
    E-mail me if you prefer.
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