I wanted to create an overview of the various Feast Days or special Liturgical Days coming up this month. As a parent, I know what a difficult task it can be to stay ahead of the Liturgical calendar, particularly during a busy season like this one, so I hope to help other parents by providing timely reminders and age appropriate resources to help share the Faith with their children. I want to provide ways to more easily engage/connect our Liturgical lives, not only with our participation in the life of the church, but in our homes as well. In this guide you will find an overview of each day mentioned above, and some fun ways to participate using what you have at home, or what you can easily gather or print, book recommendations, and I’ve included links to additional resources I’ve found. I pray that together we can raise up the next generation of Christians who love God with all their hearts and minds!

May 5 - Great Martyr Irene

Great Martyr Irene was born in Persia during the fourth century. She was the daughter of the pagan king, and her parents named her Penelope. She was very beautiful, and her father kept her isolated in a high tower from the time she was six so that she would not be exposed to Christianity. He also placed 13 young maidens in the tower with her and an old tutor by the name of Apellian was assigned to give her the best possible education. Apellian was a Christian, and during her lessons, he taught her about Jesus, and the Christian Faith, and Christian virtues. 

Penelope decided to dedicate herself to Christ and not marry, and she refused to marry any of the suitors her father had chosen for her. She chose to be baptized and took on the Christian name Irene. She even urged her own parents to become Christians and destroyed all her father’s idols. When King Licinius learned that his daughter refused to worship the pagan gods, he was furious. He attempted to turn her from Christ by having her tortured. She was tied up and thrown beneath the hooves of wild horses so that they might trample her to death, but the horses remained motionless. Instead of harming her, one of the horses charged her father, seized his right hand, and tore it from his arm. The horse then knocked him down and began to trample him. St. Irene demanded to be untied, and through her prayers, her father was unharmed with his hand still intact. 

Seeing such a miracle, her father and mother, and over 3,000 others professed Christ and turned from the pagan gods. Resigning his administrative duties, he devoted himself to the service of the Lord. St. Irene lived in the house of her teacher and began to preach Christ among the pagans, converting them to the path of salvation. 

When Sedecius, the new chief officer of the city, heard of this miracle, he summoned Apellian (the teacher) and questioned him about Irene’s life. Apellian replied that Irene, like other Christians, lived in strict temperance, devoting herself to constant prayer and reading holy books. Sedecius summoned Irene, urged her to stop preaching about Christ, and attempted to force her to sacrifice to the idols. St. Irene staunchly confessed her faith before him, not fearing his wrath, and prepared to suffer for Christ. Sedecius ordered she was thrown into a pit filled with vipers and serpents. St. Irene spent ten days in the pit and remained unharmed, with an angel of the Lord protecting her and bringing her food. Sedecius ascribed this miracle to sorcery, and subjected St. Irene to many other tortures. However, she remained unharmed. Under the influence of her preaching and miracles even more people were converted to Christ and turned away from the worship of idols. 

Soon, Sedecius was overthrown by his son, Savorus, who persecuted Christians with an even greater zeal than his father. St. Irene traveled to her hometown of Magedon in Persia to meet Savorus and his army to ask him to end the persecutions. When he refused, St. Irene prayed and the entire army was blinded. She prayed again and they received their sight once more. In spite of this, Savorus refused to recognize the power of God. Because of his insolence, he was struck and killed by a bolt of lightning. 

Later, St. Irene traveled to the city of Callinicum (on the Euphrates River in Syria). King Numerian, the son of Sebastian, was the ruler. When St. Irene began to teach about Christ, she was arrested and tortured by the pagan authorities. She was placed into three bronze ovens which were heated by fire. She was transferred from one to another, but miraculously remained uninjured. Thousands of idolaters embraced Christianity as a result of this wondrous event. King Numerian instructed his men to continue torturing the saint in order to force her to sacrifice to idols. Once again, the tortures were ineffective, and many people turned to Christ. 

St. Irene then traveled to the city of Constantina, forty miles northeast of Edessa. By 330, Persian King Sapor II had heard of St Irene’s great miracles. To prevent her from winning more people to Christ, Sapor ordered that she be arrested, beheaded, and then buried. However, God sent an angel to raise her up again, and she then traveled to the city of Mesembria. After seeing her alive and hearing her preach, the local king was baptized along with many of his subjects. Wishing to convert even more pagans to Christianity, St. Irene traveled to Ephesus, where she taught and performed many miracles. At this place, the Lord revealed to her that the end of her life was approaching. St. Irene left the city accompanied by six people, including her former teacher, Apellian. On the outskirts of the town, she found a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried. After making the Sign of the Cross, she went inside, directing her companions to close the entrance to the cave with a large stone. When Christians visited the cave four days later, the body of St. Irene was nowhere to be found. 

May 7 - Sunday of the Paralytic

Sunday of the Paralytic- On the 3rd Sunday after Pascha, we commemorate the Paralytic man who Jesus healed in John 5:1-9, and we celebrate this miracle! To recount the story for you: Jesus went up to Jerusalem and there was a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, that had five porches. In these porches lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed... All of these people were waiting for the moving of the water to be healed. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, he was made well of whatever disease he had.

Now a certain man was there who was unable to walk and was waiting for 38 years to be healed. When Jesus saw him lying there, he knew he had been in that condition a long time, and He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

Synaxarion: This event is placed here, because Christ worked this miracle at the time of the Hebrew Pentecost. For, having gone up to Jerusalem for the Feast, He went to the pool with five porches, which Solomon had built and which was called the Sheep’s Pool, because it was there that they used to wash the entrails of the sheep that had been slaughtered in the Temple for sacrifice; the first person to enter in, when the water was stirred by an Angel once a year, was made well. Christ found in that place a man who had been ill for 38 years and who lay there, despairing of finding anyone to place him in the water; from this we learn how beneficial endurance and patience are; and that since He was going to grant is Baptism, which cleanses every sin, God provided that miracles should be wrought in Old Testament through water, so that, when Baptism was bestowed, it might be accepted. Jesus came to this paralytic, who was called Jarus, and questioned him. Christ, knowing that he has been wasting away with illness for so long a time, said: “Rise, take up thy bed and walk.” At once, he became well, and taking his bed upon his shoulders, lest the event should seem illusory, he walked to his house. Since it was the Sabbath, he was forbinned by the Jews to walk. He explained that the One Who had healed him told him to walk on the Sabbath, thought he did not know Who He was; for when a crowd had gathered in that place, the Gospel says, Jesus secretly departed.

After this, Jesus found him in the Temple and said to him: “Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee.” Some say- though incorrectly- that Jesus spoke these words, because this man would later smite Him when He stood before Caiaphas, the High Priest and would, as a result, be granted a worse trial than paralysis, that of being tormented in the eternal fire, not just for 38 years, but for ever; rather, the Lord showed that the illness of paralysis befell him because of his sins. However not all illness comes from sins, but in some cases it comes from physical causes, from gluttony, indifference, and many other factors. The paralytic, knowing that it was Jesus Who had healed him, made this known to the Jews; they, goaded into defending themselves, sought to kill Christ, because He had supposedly broken the Sabbath. Christ said much to them about this, maintaining that it is right to do good on the Sabbath; and that it was He Who, being equal to the Father, had said that one should keep the Sabbath; and just as His Father had worked, so did He work.

It should be known that this paralytic is different from the paralytic in St Matthew’s gospel; for the healing of the latter took place in a house, with men assisting him, and he was told; “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” This man was healed at the Porchases, and he had no man to help him, as the Holy Gospel says; but, like the other paralytic, he did take up his bed. It is celebrated now, because it occurred during the season of Pentecost, as did the wonders involving the Samaritan woman and the blind man. We celebrate St Thomas and Myrrh-Bearers in assurance of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead; but we celebrate the other wonders leading up to the Ascension, because they were done at different times in the season of the Hebrew Pentecost, and because St John, whose Gospel is read during this period, is the only Evangelist to mention them.

Activities:

Re-Enact the Story of Jesus healing the lame man (via Holy Trinity ) :

• Place a blue blanket or cloth on the floor for the “pool.”

• Put an old, broken stuffed toy or doll on a pillow “pallet” next to you, to represent the paralyzed man.

• Call children from their rooms and ask them to each bring a stuffed toy or a doll. Have each child sit with their toy around the pool.

• Read the first part of the Gospel, up until it introduces the paralyzed man.

• Shake the “water” and have the children pick up their toys and put them in the water. The first toy to touch the water is “healed”; the rest have to sit back down and wait for the angel to trouble the water again.

• Continue reading & acting out the Gospel, conducting the conversation between Jesus, the paralyzed man (old, broken toy), and the Jews. Make sure the healed toy picks up his pallet and walks away. Ask the children what should happen to the people (toys) that haven’t been healed yet? (Ask Jesus to heal them too, wait for the angel to come again, etc.)

• Wrap up by reminding children that there are two parts of this story: Remembering that Jesus healed the paralyzed man is the easy part, but Jesus also told him to “go and sin no more,” to live the rest of his life in a good way. And now all of the healed toys need to “go and sin no more,” in this case, by being put away.

• Color the Icon of the Story

• Light a candle and pray for those who are sick and suffering; those who are needy; those who are well; and your family and church family.

May 10 - Mid-Pentecost

Synaxarion - The fifty days following Pascha until the Feast of Pentecost are known as the period of the Pentecostarion in the Orthodox Church. At the mid-point between these great feasts of Pascha and Pentecost, on the 25 day which is always a Wedneday, is one of the most beloved feasts for the most devout Orthodox Christians known quit simply as Mid-Pentecost. Mid-Pentecost is to the Pentecostarion what the Third Sunday of Great Lent which honors the Holy Cross is to the period of Great Lent. It is a day which helps us focus on the central theme of the entire period. Whereas the mid-point of Great Lent reminds us to bear up the Cross of Christ bravely so that we may daily die with Christ in order to experience the Resurrection of our Lord, so also the mid-point of the Pentecostarion enlightens us regarding the theme of the fifty days following Pascha - which is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit poured out as a gift upon all the faithful who partake of the living water which is Christ Himself.

The central theme woven throughout the period of the Pentecostarion therefore is water. This becomes the central theme of the period because it is the central theme of the Gospel of John which we read in its entirety during the Pentecostarion and which naturally flows into the Acts of the Apostles which is also read during this period in its entirety. This theme appears for the first time on Pascha itself in the joyous Canon of the Feast of Feasts written by Saint John the Damascene when he invites us to "drink a new drink," not "brought forth from a barren rock," as in the Old Testament under Moses, but which rather "springeth forth from the grave of Christ." Then during the Paschal Divine Liturgy the priest processes with the Gospel and chants loudly from Psalm 67:27 saying: "In the congregations bless ye God, the Lord from the well-springs of Israel."

Understanding the Icon: Most icons showing biblical events from the traditional accounts of the life of Jesus make obvious sense in relation to the church year, however this icon, does not make obvious sense, in spite of the fact that it is an easily recognized scene. It depicts the event called recorded in Luke 2:41-49 “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.  And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.  And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it…And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.  And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed.”

It is rather odd that the image of the young Jesus among the elders became used for Mid-Pentecost, because the biblical text that connects the Mid-Pentecost icon type with that festival, and is sometimes used as the title of the icon, actually refers to a different (but similar) event supposedly later in the life of Jesus, as written in John 7:14: “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, How knows this man letters, having never learned?  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”

The icon is inscribed: “In the Middle of the Feast Jesus Entered into the Temple…” That excerpt originally referred to the adult Jesus and to the Jewish feast, but The Orthodox Church made use of that “middle of the feast” notion to apply the image instead to Mid-Pentecost.  In any case, it shows us how intimately icons are connected with the liturgical calendar of The Eastern Orthodox Church.

Source: Russian Icons

Fun Fact: In Russia, Mid-Pentecost is traditionally a time when both the fields and water are ritually blessed.

Activities :

• Listen to the Troparion for the Feast (track 25) by Gigi Baba HERE

In the middle of the feast, fill my thirsty soul with the waters of piety, as to all, Savior, you cried: Let the thirsty come to me and drink. Fountain of our life, Christ God, glory to you.

May 14 - Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

Synaxarion- Since on this Sunday Christ openly confesses Himself to be the Messiah, which means “Christ” or “the anointed one” (for messa is the Hebrew word for oil), for this reason, the present feast is placed in the week of Mid-Pentecost; and also because, on the previous Sunday, Christ wrought a miracle at the Sheep’s Pool. On this Sunday, He works a miracle at Jacob’s well, which Jacob himself dug and bestowed upon his son Joseph.

Jesus came to Sichar and sat down at about the sixth hour of the day. A certain woman came from the city to draw water, the Disciples having gone to purchase food. Jesus asked her for water, but she excused herself by saying that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (St. John 4:9); for she knew who He was, both by His accent and by His apparel. Jesus raised their conversation to a higher level by introducing the idea of spiritual water, which connotes abundance and cleansing power, since the Spirit is always likened to water and fire. The woman was sure, from the fact that He had not brought a bucket, that He did not have such water, and added that the well was deep. She then went on to talk about their forefather Jacob, saying that he had dug the well and that he and his children had drunk from it, commending the rich resources of the well, and also its usefulness and the coolness of its water. Christ, however, did not say that He was greater than Jacob, so as not to frighten the woman, but again He spoke about the water, thus proving His superiority; for one who drank from that water, He said, would in no wise be thirsty.

The woman asked for this water, but He told her to call her husband, since His words needed to be more firmly understood. She denied that she had a husband. Jesus, knowing all things, replied: “Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands,” which the Law forbiddeth, and the sixth whom thou now hast, since thou livest with him unlawfully, “is not thy husband” (St. John 4:17-18). The woman replied to Him, calling Him a Prophet. The woman then said: “We have heard from the Scriptures that the Messiah cometh Who is the Christ” (St. John 4:25). Jesus, foreknowing the woman’s gratitude, said: “I am He.” The Samaritans, too, knew about the Messiah from the books of Moses, especially from the verse, “The Lord God shall raise up a Prophet for you” (Deuteronomy 18:15), and many others. At the conclusion of this conversation, the Disciples returned and were amazed at Christ’s extreme condescension in talking with a woman. In the meantime, they besought Him to eat, both because of His weariness and on account of the heat of the day. But He spoke to them about eternal food, namely, the salvation of mankind and how they needed to harvest the labors of the Prophets.

St Photini- Preserved in Holy Tradition, we know that the woman in question was the Samaritan woman, who was subsequently named Photine by Christ, and who, along with her seven sons, received the crown of martyrdom in the reign of Nero, after much hardship, in the course of which her flesh was scraped, her breasts were cut off, her hands were crushed, fine reeds were inserted under her fingernails, she was forced to swallow molten lead, and suffered countless other torments.

Activities:

• Listen to the story told for kids by Let Us Attend (4 minutes long)

• Listen to the Song about St Photini by Gigi Baba Shadid (4 mins)

• Color the Icon of the Story + Explanation of the Icon by Antiochian Archdiocese

Book Recommendations:

• Christina’s True Heroes by Maria Khoury which includes a chapter titled Saint Photini

• Read the story from the Bible (John 4:5-42)

May 21 - St Constantine and St Helen

Saint Helen- St Helen was the mother of St Constantine the Great, the Emperor. All her life she longed to go to the Holy Land to venerate the places dear to every Christian: the places where Jesus taught, the places where He was born, where He taught, where He was crucified and resurrected. Saint Helen wanted to find the Holy Cross upon which Jesus was crucified. This was a difficult task since it had been 300 years since the crucifixion. Also, the Romans turned the crucifixion site on Golgotha into ruins. In the year 326 AD, the Empress, St Helen and the Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem searched for the cross. They determined the likely location and the site was cleared. They noticed an unusual and aromatic herb growing all around. Saint Helen named it Basilico (or basil as it it now known), meaning “King” or “Royal” in Greek. Buried in the ground beneath the basil were 3 crosses. No one knew which of the crosses were the Life-Giving Cross of Jesus. So Saint Helen and the Patriarch prayed. There was a funeral procession passing by, so they took the women who had recently died and had her come in contact with each of the crosses. Nothing happened with the first two crosses. When he touched her with the third cross, she was healed immediately. Thus, the True Cross of Christ was identified much to the amazement of those who witnessed it. Saint Helen gave the Holy Cross to the Patriarch to be lifted high for all the faithful to see and venerate. In 335, on September 14Th, the building of the Temple of the Resurrection began. The Patriarch once again exalted the Life-Giving-Cross for veneration. Since then, every year on September 14th we celebrate the feast of we call the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. After this, Saint Helen, in her zeal to glorify Christ, erected churches in Jerusalem at the sites in Bethlehem at the cave where our Saviour was born, another on the Mount of Olives whence He ascended into Heaven, establishing many others throughout the Holy Land, Cyprus, and elsewhere.

St Constantine - St Constantine was born in 272 AD in modern day Serbia. He was the emperor of a large part of the Roman Empire. His Mother, St Helen, taught him about Christ and his commandments. When he was young, he was kidnapped and taken hostage by Galerius, the persecutor of Christians. After living in his palace for many years, one day he managed to escape and return to his homeland and his family. Years later, a man named Maxentius declared war against Rome, destroying and conquering many cities on his way to Constantine. One the eve of battle, while Constantine was discussing his battle plan with his generals, a sign appeared in the sky. It was a shiny cross with the inscription “In this, conquer”. In a dream later that night, Jesus appeared to him and instructed him to make a banner with a cross. With this sign, He said, he would be victorious in every battle. Constantine gave orders for this banner to be made and the soldiers carried it to the frontline, along with their shields that they painted crosses on. They were victorious in battle against Maxentius and his army and they fled. Over time, Constantine granted rights to the Christians who had been living in fear and danger, and now they could freely build churches and gather for liturgies and prayer and practice their faith. In 313 he founded Constantinople which was the capital city of the Greek Orthodox Empire until 1453.

Activities:

• Paper Puppets and Lesson on the Discovery of the Holy Cross by Orthodox Pebbles - In this FREE download, you will find printable paper puppets to recreate the story of the discovery of the Holy Cross HERE

• Decorate/Adorn The Cross - Why not take the story of St Helen’s discovery of the cross and beautify and adorn your own cross! You can create a wooden cross using two wooden craft sticks glued together in the shape of a cross or a store bought wooden cross (places like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby or the Dollar Tree have these in the craft section). Decorate it using colored tissue paper or markers or whatever else you have on hand. You could even put real flowers and basil on top as well, and display it on your home altar to remind you of the life-giving cross!

• Bury and Discover the True Cross - Using 3 wooden crosses you create out of craft sticks, find a place in your yard or garden to dig and hide 3 crosses! I gave my kids the crosses to bury a few days before the feast. Then after you tell them the story, give your kids shovels or using their hands, send them out to dig up and find the crosses! Make it extra fun by adding a marking on the “true cross” so they can recreate the discovery of the cross (even using the printable paper puppets fro the Orthodox pebbles materials (linked above and HERE).

• Searching for the Cross Sensory Bin (featured in October 2020 Orthodox Children’s Calendar)

  • NEED: 1 Gallon sized plastic bag

  • 3 Cups rice

  • 10-20 drops of green food coloring

  • 1 TBSP vingar

  • Fresh Basil

  • 3 crosses (any crosses you have - or make out of craft sticks)

  • Baking dish and baking tray

    • DIRECTIONS Pour rice, food coloring (10-20 drops of green), and vinegar into a gallon sized plastic bag. Seal tightly and have your kids shake, squeeze, and toss the bag for a few minutes until the rice is evenly coated with the food coloring and looks like your desired color. Then pour rice onto a cookie tray and leave it to dry for at least an hour. You can store it in a plastic bag for later. Once dry, place it in a 9X13 dish with the basil and bury 3 crosses (any crosses you have - or make out of craft sticks) under the rice and basil. Have your kids dig down like Saint Helen did to find the crosses. They can also take turns finding the crosses!

• Listen to the Song “Finding the Cross” by Gigi Baba Shadid on Amazon Music - in this fun song meant for children, you can learn more about the discovery of the Holy Cross by St Helen in a way that is fun and engaging for young children! It’s catchy and easy for kids to remember and sing along!

• Coloring Page By Draw Near Designs, featured in the Royal Saints Coloring Book

Book Recommendations:

• Saint Constantine the Great “In This Conquer” Paterikon for Kids Series book by Potamitis Publishing

• Saint Helen and the Finding of the Holy Cross Paterikon for Kids Series book by Potamitis Publishing

• My Warrior Saints (Hardcover) (St Constantine on page 43) By Potamitis Publishing

• Heaven Meets Earth : Celebrating Pascha and the Twelve Feasts (Elevation of the Cross page 10) by Ancient Faith Publishing (also Available on Amazon)

• The Great Feasts by Exaltation Press (Exaltation of the Holy Cross page 30)

May 25 - Ascension of Christ

Ascension is the name that marks the event when Jesus ascended into Heaven. In the Gospel, 40 days after Jesus’ Resurrection, while blessing his disciples, Jesus is received into heaven, taking His place at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19). Ascension is always celebrated 40 days after Pascha (Jesus’ resurrection) so this is why this feast always falls on a Thursday. The Ascension is one of the 12 Great Feasts in the Orthodox Church.

Synaxarion - After His Resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days, appearing to His Disciples in various places. He ate, drank and conversed with them, verifying and assuring His Resurrection. On the fortieth day after Pascha, Jesus appeared to His Disciples in Jerusalem. He gave them His last commandment, to go forth and preach in His Name to all the nations. At the same time, He told them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait until they were clothed with the power from on high by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them. Having said this, Jesus led His Disciples to the Mount of Olives. Then He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And as He was speaking to them with words of fatherly blessing, Jesus departed from them and ascended into Heaven, being received by a shining cloud, indicating His divine majesty. He gradually disappeared from the sight of the Disciples as they gazed at Him. And as they stood thus, two angels in brilliant white robes appeared to them in the form of men and said to them: Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, Who is taken from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven. In these words is fulfilled and defined the doctrine concerning the Son of God and His Word, in the Confession of Faith. After our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all His great dispensation for us, He ascended in glory into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God the Father. His Disciples returned from Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, rejoicing in the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Fun Fact: In many Jurisdictions, a general fasting dispensation has been given from fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays from Pascha until Ascension (40 days).

Activity Ideas :

• Attend Divine Liturgy - As I often say, the best way to celebrate a feast day is by attending a Divine Liturgy. This is an important way to connect our lives at home with our lives in the church. Check with your local Church to see when the service is being offered.

• Listen to a Song about Ascension (track 8)- Celebrate the Feasts, by Gigi Baba Shadid : a song for kids that easily engages and reminds kids of the elements of the story of Ascension in song form.

• Make Popovers! Who doesn’t like a fun symbolic recipe to help us remember a Holy Day? These popovers remind us of the Ascension because they rise, or “ascend”, toward heaven! Check out this delicious recipe by Geraldine + Virginia (Orthodox Food Blogger) with a great recipe that will not only help your kids remember the details of this day, but one that is also super delicious!

• Listen to this Podcast Under the Grapevine podcast which explains the Ascension to children

• Color an Icon of the Ascension

• Check out this Ascension Craft you can easily make at home using a cup and string and free printables by April Homemaking Blog

Book Recommendations :

• The Ascension of Our Lord (The Twelve Great Feasts for Children) by Mother Melania Salem

• Heaven Meets Earth: Celebrating Pascha and the Twelve Great Feasts by Ancient Faith Publishing

• The Great Feasts by Exaltation Press

• The Life of Christ in Icons by Marina Paliaki

• For Biblical Stories, we love to read them directly from the source! Read the story of the days Jesus spent with His disciples after the resurrection in Mark 16:14-19, in Luke 24:50-51, or in Acts 1:9-12.

Be sure to check out the May Orthodox Liturgical Printable available for download now!

What to Expect in the Future:

If you follow along with me on Instagram , you’ll find more Feast Day resources and timely reminders each week! I’m most active in stories, re-sharing the information in this blog in an easy and digestible fashion. My hope is to give bite sized pieces of information to help parents learn about the feasts or saint and be able to easily re-share the story with their kids. And I’m sure you know, I am learning about each of these feasts as I go, so I’m sharing what I find along the way. So no prior knowledge is required when teaching our kids about our faith. We can learn and grow right along side them!

Also, consider subscribing below to receive updates on future guides and resources. Here is what I have in store for the coming year:

• Monthly Printables for each month to help you live liturgically in a sustainable way

• Each month I’ll share a heads up on what feast days/liturgical events are happening that month so you can begin to think/plan/prepare for what’s ahead. I’ll also include simple activities and book recommendations

• Feast Day Guides for Individual feast days (i.e. Ascension and Pentecost) with more details on how to participate

Thank you for all your support and for checking out my latest Feast Day guide. Good strength, dear friends!

-Khouria Destinie