Archive for the ‘Lent’ Category

• Spend Great and Holy Friday with Us

  Date: 2010.04.02 | Category: Bunky, Cooking, Faith, Family, Food, Health, Holy Week, Hubby, Orthodoxy, Punky, Spunky, mama | Response: 12

  Our day started with our early riser (Spunky) waking up long before the sun began to peak over the horizon. I brought her into our bedroom and attempted to sleep a little bit longer. Shortly after her arrival, Punky came into our room and Bunky began to cry in his crib. So, we made our way downstairs and let Daddy sleep in.

  I made a batch of Kulich (Russian Pascha/Easter Bread), but, with my terrible luck, my bread did not rise… at all.  So I baked a small loaf to see how it would turn out.  Since it turned out fine, I decided to make braided loaves with that dough and I will try again tomorrow with the Kulich.
  (Any tips on how to make my bread rise?)

  While I was mixing up the dough, I sat the kiddos down at the table with a few coloring pages of Great and Holy Friday.  Punky even drew blood on Christ’s hands (look closely at the photo).  He is all about the small details.

  

  Later that day, we headed to church for the Entombment Vespers, where Christ is literally taken down from the cross and placed into the tomb.  It is a wonderful service for children to see what happened when Christ died.  It also made them both very excited for Sunday morning!  Spunky kept asking, “Is Jesus in the soup?” She didn’t understand the word tomb, so I had to explain that to her.

  Speaking of which, Punky and I had a really wonderful talk last night about dying:  He asked me if God was in the sun, and I told him that God made the sun, but he was in Heaven.  Then I explained how after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into Heaven, etc.  They he asked me how we could go and see God in Heaven. I told him that when we die, we’ll see Him.  Then he started asking questions about why people die.  It was a very insightful conversation that I had with my four year old. I am very proud of him.

  

  Later this evening, as I was carrying Bunky in his carseat, I tripped in our garage.  Rather than throwing the carseat with my baby boy in it, I tried to land without hurting him.  But, of course, I hurt myself.  I somehow managed to lose both of my shoes, scrape up my toes and some of my nail polish and…
  I broke my toe!

  

  Just my luck! My mom always jokes that I have a “little black cloud that follows me”, but it really seems true. I just can’t catch a break recently.

  Thank you for all your prayers for the sickness in our family.
  We are all feeling much better.

  Unfortunately, my husband also hurt himself this week: he was carrying a large amount of carpet down the steps at our former home, and he fell down the concrete stairs.  Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt too badly, but his knees are very sore.

  I hope everyone had a blessed Good Friday.
  We are looking forward to celebrating our Savior’s resurrection!

• The Twelve Passion Gospels

  Date: 2010.04.01 | Category: Faith, Holy Week, Orthodoxy | Response: 3

  This evening, we read the Twelve Passion Gospels.

  

  Today he who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon a Tree,
  He who is King of the Angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns.
  He who wraps the heaven in clouds is wrapped in mocking purple.
  He who freed Adam in the Jordan receives a blow on the face.
  The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails.
  The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a lance.

  Show us also your glorious Resurrection.

• Struggling With Sickness Once Again

  Date: 2010.03.31 | Category: Bunky, Family, Health, Holy Week, Hubby, Leo, Pascha, Punky, Spunky, mama | Response: 8

  Our family has been sick on and off, mostly on, since mid-summer.  Right now, everyone in our home, including the dog, is under the weather.

  Bunky has been on antibiotics since last week, and, now, Punky is as well, after a trip to the doctor this afternoon.  They have ear infections in both ears.  Punky’s fever spiked at 102.6 last night, but I am hoping that he will rest better tonight with some antibiotics and fever-reducing medicine in him.

  I was very sick over the weekend, and my loving husband helped me take the day off and rest in bed.  Bunky spent all morning and part of the afternoon in bed with me.  He is such a sweet bunkmate.  I love that little guy.  Even though he was sick as well, he was a pleasure to cuddle and play with.  I am still coughing a lot and having trouble sleeping at night, but propping up pillows does help a bit. I think all of my coughing has pushed the germies over to my hubby’s side of the bed, and he is now struggling with a slight cold as well.

  Spunky has had a cold for about a week, but it isn’t anything more than that.  She seems to be doing fine; although, she’s been acting a little bit “punkier” in the last few days, so I hope that wears off when the cold makes its way our of our home.

  I’ve opened the windows and tomorrow I plan to clean every inch of the house in the hopes that this sickness will end this week.  We have so much to look forward to in the coming days that I was everyone to feel well so that they can participate in all the wonderful services this weekend.

  If you wouldn’t mind, please say a prayer for our entire family.

• The Last Supper

  Date: 2010.03.31 | Category: Holy Week, Orthodoxy | Response: 0

  When the glorious disciples were enlightened
  at the washing of their feet before the supper,
  then the impious Judas was darkened, ailing with avarice.
  And to the lawless judges he betrays You, the righteous Judge.
  Behold, O lover of money,
  this man who because of money hanged himself.
  Flee from the greedy soul
  which dared such things against the Master.
  O Lord, who is good towards all men, glory to You!

• Palm Sunday

  Date: 2010.03.28 | Category: Faith, Feasts, Friends, Holy Week, Orthodoxy | Response: 3

  Entry into Jerusalem, 12th Century Mosaic
  (via my father in law)

  By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your passion,
  You did confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God!
  Like the children with the palms of victory,
  We cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death;
  Hosanna in the Highest!
  Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Today we had the joy of baptizing ten people at our parish!

  My husband and I are now the godparents of a wonderful little boy, the son of our friends and younger brother of one of Punky’s buddies.
  His patron saint is St. George.

  
  One of the baptisms and our little godson with his family

• Wordless Wednesday: Prayer of St. Ephrem

  Date: 2010.02.17 | Category: Lent, Orthodoxy | Response: 1

  more on the prayer of st. ephrem

• Lenten Lessons for Kids: Great Lent Poster

  Date: 2010.02.16 | Category: Blogs, Faith, Lent, Orthodoxy, Punky, Spunky | Response: 1

  
  idea from Sylvia at Adventures of an Orthodox Mom

• Lenten Lessons for Kids: Clean Monday

  Date: 2010.02.15 | Category: Faith, Lent, Orthodoxy, Punky | Response: 2

  In order to include the children in the Lenten season, I have put together a short lesson for each day to teach them about Lent and our faith.

  

  * A CLEAN BEDROOM IS INVITING TO THE ANGELS
  * A CLEAN BODY CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH A CLEAN BELLY (no sweets)
  * A CLEAN MIND IS ABLE TO THINK OF GOD (reading the Bible)
  * A CLEAN MOUTH IS FILLED WITH SWEET WORDS (“I love you”)
  * A CLEAN HAND IS ONE THAT HAS HELPED OTHERS
  * A CLEAN CONSCIENCE IS ACHIEVED BY SAYING “I’M SORRY” AND “I FORGIVE”
  * ONLY A CLEAN SOUL CAN BECOME A GOOD PLACE FOR OUR LORD TO LIVE

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Clean Monday (from orthodoxwiki.org) is the first day of the Orthodox Christian Great Lent, that occurs at the beginning of the 7th week before Pascha (Easter).  The common term for this day, “Clean Monday”, refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods.  The theme of Clean Monday is set by the Old Testament reading, which says in part:

  Wash yourselves and ye shall be clean; put away the wicked ways from your souls before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, consider the fatherless, and plead for the widow. Come then, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, I will make them white as wool.

• Understanding the Lenten Fast

  Date: 2010.02.15 | Category: Feasts, Lent, Orthodoxy | Response: 5

  Recently, I’ve heard/read lots of people discussing fasting for Lent.  The good, the bad and the ugly!

  I have a friend from college, who is an Evangelical Christian, and he has been considering fasting from something for Lent, so he posted about it Facebook.  The first person to comment said the following, “I think you should fast from lint for lent because it is just a stupid Catholic tradition.“  Ouch!

  Here are parts of a pastoral note regarding Lent from our local parish:

  For some people, the word “Lent” occasionally conjures up images of deprivation, guilt, and sadness. But if I may boldly borrow from St. Paul: “Brethren, this ought not to be so!” Too often in our times, Lent has been cast as merely a time of fasting and prayer. Indeed, Lent is impossible without these things, but Lent must never be reduced to these things. The real challenge for us today is to enter wholly into the spirit of Lent.

  To enter into the spirit of Lent is to follow the Lord in saying, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” To this end, the Church invites us to:

  Embrace fasting.

  Embrace a tougher prayer life.

  Embrace the rigor of offering our bodies physically in worship.

  Embrace others through almsgiving & service.

  Embrace the denial of television and other entertainments to focus on the “one thing needful.”

  Embrace the call to seek first the Kingdom of God.

  Embrace the joy of repentance each day and in Confession.

  Fasting is a gift God gives us for our salvation—to train and teach us.

  This year, for Orthodox Christians, the Lenten season begins today.  Those who are healthy and able do not eat dairy and meat until Easter, the Feast of Feasts.  In our family, we have somewhat of a different fast in that I am nursing a baby and should not fast from all these things all the time, and we have small children, who only eat Lenten meals all dinner time.  These are the reasons that I am striving to have a lifestyle change during Lent, because without that, Lent would just feel like any other time of the year.  But it is not any other time of the year, it is time for us to prepare for Christ’s death and resurrection!

  To better understand why Orthodox Christians fast the way that we do, please go here.

• Living Out Our Faith for Our Children

  Date: 2010.02.09 | Category: Big Move, Books, Faith, Family, Feasts, Holy Week, Hubby, Lent, Orthodoxy, Pascha, mama | Response: 5

  

  What saves and makes for good children is the life of the parents in the home. The parents need to devote themselves to the love of God. They need to become saints in their relation to their children through their mildness, patience and love. They need to make a new start every day, with a fresh outlook, renewed enthusiasm and love for their children. And the joy that will come to them, the holiness that will visit them, will shower grace on their children. Generally the parents are to blame for the bad behaviour of the children. And their behaviour is not improved by reprimands, disciplining, or strictness. If the parents do not pursue a life of holiness and if they don’t engage in spiritual struggle, they make great mistakes and transmit the faults they have within them. If the parents do not live a holy life and do not display love towards each other, the devil torments the parents with the reactions of the children. Love, harmony and understanding between the parents are what are required for the children. This provides a great sense of security and certainty.

  - Elder Porphyrios

  My husband and I were talking about this just this week.  I always find myself yelling at the children, when it is really a problem with myself and not them.  Yes, they can be infuriating at times, but I need to learn to be patient.  “Patience” and “mildness” are not words a person would connect with me.  Although, I do have “love”- lots of it!  I love my kids like crazy, sometimes too much because I spoil them and let them walk all over me.  I have found that when I am not doing my prayers like I should or reading the Scriptures, I tend to be a crankier person.  There is definitely a connection there.

  As Lent approaches, I am meditating on all of the things that I want to accomplish during this time of the year.  As I’ve already said, I want to get my life organized, and one of the most important parts of that is getting on a schedule.  I want to wake up in the mornings and pray as a family and read the Bible with the children.  I want to teach them about Lent and Pascha (Easter).  I also want to share stories of those who have gone before us, the saints, important people in the Bible, etc. I have ordered two books that I plan to read; although, one is 500 pages, so I am not sure if I’ll get all the way through it.  I want to say prayers at night, and not just the prayers that we do with the children.  I want to take time to prayer by myself before I go to bed.

  I know that paragraph is full of ‘wants”, but I feel like we completely missed Lent last year (with being sick from my pregnancy, moving, packing, etc) and I want to point my eyes toward Christ’s death and resurrection this year.  If I can make these things my desires, I will then be able to shift the focus on Christ.  Then I can be a better example to my children.  Our children do understand, as well as they can, Christ’s death and resurrection.  But it is just as important for them to see our faith lived out in the day to day.

  I hope this coming season is a blessed and fruitful one for all.

  Thanks, Emily, for the quote!