What do you do to get ready for Christmas? Do you buy or make presents? Do you help decorate? Do you go to Christmas parties? Do you make cookies? Do you get pictures taken with Santa Claus? This time of year, we have lots of things to do that help us get ready for the big holiday! Your parents are probably busy getting ready too.

Those things are fun, but sometimes we forget to get ready for Christmas in the right way. In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story
about the man who gave a big dinner party, but nobody came! Why? Because they were too busy. They had other things to do. They thought the other things were more important. They all made excuses, so they didn’t go to the party. This story is really about being ready for the coming of Christ.

SAINT MODESTOS OF JERUSALEM: PROTECTOR OF ANIMALS

We celebrate St. Modestos on Mon., December 16th (Dec. 29th OC).

Do you like animals? Do you have a pet that you play with? Or have you been to a farm with cows
and chickens and goats and sheep? When we have an animal, we always try to take care of them, because they are God’s creatures too!

We celebrate a saint who loved animals, and he knew they are part of God’s beautiful creation. Saint Modestos led the Christian church of Jerusalem as patriarch about 1,400 years ago.

Welcome to “The Children’s Word,” a weekly ministry of the Orthodox Christian Network. Each week, Presvytera Alexandra Houck writes this little newsletter for young parishioners! You will find age-appropriate articles, stories, and activities in every edition. The newsletter is provided in PDF format so that you can easily download and print it, and share it with your parish, church school, homeschool, family, and friends.

Each issue includes a message on the Sunday Gospel lesson and on one of the saints for the week. You’ll also find a coloring page and other activities. It is designed for a 8.5 x 14 page, so it can be printed and folded.

ABOUT THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK

Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) is a 501(c)3 and an official agency of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the United States of America .It is a recognized leader in the Orthodox Media field and has sustained consistent growth over twenty-two years. We have worked to create a community for both believers and non believers alike by sharing the timeless faith of Orthodoxy with the contemporary world through modern media. We are on a mission to inspire Orthodox Christians Worldwide. Click to signup to receive the OCN newsletter. 

Join us in our Media Ministry Missions! Help us bring the Orthodox Faith to the fingertips of Orthodox Christians worldwide! Your gift today will helps us produce and provide unlimited access to Orthodox faith-inspiring programming, services and community. Don’t wait. Share the Love of Orthodoxy Today!


avatar

Presvytera Alexandra Houck

Presvytera Alexandra Houck created The Children's Word bulletin so children will know they are not only welcome in church, but even more, an essential part of the Church family. She hopes the weekly bulletin will be just one more way we can make kids feel at home in church. Presvytera Alexandra is a graduate of Duke University and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Her husband, Fr. Jason Houck, is a priest at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, MN. Presvytera Alexandra and Fr. Jason have five small children: Lydia, Paul, Silas, Philip, and Sarah. Presvytera Alexandra grew up attending Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Asheville, North Carolina with her nine siblings.

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Avatar placeholder