Do you go with your parents or your grandparents? Do you sometimes go with a friend or with your Godmother or Godfather?
Today is one of the 12 great feasts of our Church. We celebrate the day that Mary and Joseph brought the 40-day-old baby Jesus into the holy Temple. They brought Him there for the first time because they knew it was a special place to be close to God. This was a custom for Jewish families, and it is a custom in our Orthodox Church too. Have you seen a little baby being brought to the Church for the first time?
It’s a very special thing for parents (or grandparents or Godparents) to bring their children to church—not just that first time, but all the time!
Learn More. Click here to download and print your free copy of The Children’s Word.
SAINT PHOTIOS A GREAT LIGHT FOR THE CHURCH
Can you think of a “great” saint? We call St. Basil “the Great,” we have St. Katherine the Great Martyr, St. Makarios the Great, St. Euthemios the Great and lots more. What made them great? They did really great things for the Church! This week we celebrate another saint whom
we call “the Great.” Saint Photios the Great was a special saint who lived more than 1,200 years ago. He was a patriarch, the leader of the Church of Constantinople.
What made Saint Photios great? Well, St. Photios did some really great things for the Church. He sent missionaries (Saints Cyril and Methodios) to spread the Christian Church to the Slavic people. Today, there are millions of Orthodox Christians who are Slavic. Saint Photios is the patriarch who first made this happen. St. Photios did so much to keep the Church on the right path. He wrote lots of theological works so that bishops and priests and the faithful people would know what the Church teaches. He knew how important it was to keep the Church together, and teaching the truth. We have lots to thank Saint Photios for. His name, “Photios” means “light,” and he is still a great light for the Church, even today!
We celebrate St. Photios on Thursday, Feb. 6 (Feb. 19,
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!
0 Comments