Have you ever been afraid of the weather? Maybe a hurricane was supposed to come, or a tornado, or even just a bad thunderstorm. Bad weather can make us wonder what is going to happen!

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story about our Lord’s disciples, who were traveling in a boat to the other side of the big lake. Jesus came to meet them, walking on the water! St. Peter, you remember, asked Jesus if he could walk out to Him, and he did. But then St. Peter grew afraid of the weather.

The wind was so strong, and the waves were so high! But you remember what happened then. Jesus caught Peter, and He saved  him from sinking. The wind stopped when Jesus got into the boat. The wind stopped suddenly, because Jesus Christ is God, and God is more powerful
than anything! He is more powerful than the weather, for sure!

Sometimes we can be afraid of big things, like storms or sickness or even sadness. But God is more powerful than any of these things. We can turn to God, like St. Peter did. We can ask Him to help us! During our Divine Liturgy, we even pray to the Lord, “For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times.” Let’s always remember to turn to God and ask Him to help us!

SAINTS TIMOTHY, AGAPIOS, AND THEKLA. We celebrate these three saints on Monday, Aug. 19 (Sept. 1, OC).

We celebrate three saints who lived during the same time as this famous historian, Eusebius. Saint Timothy, Agapius, and Thekla lived in Palestine. They were Christians who lived when the emperors were really cruel and really hated Christians. These emperors did everything they could to totally wipe out the Christian faith. But remember, God is stronger than emperors!

And these three saints knew that. When the emperors had them arrested, they trusted in God. They trusted in God, even though they were going to be killed and hurt and even attacked by wild animals. These three saints knew they would soon be with their sweet Lord in heaven!

Click HERE to download your free copy of the Children’s Word. 

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 weekly 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