I came across this great Lenten project for us to use. You can find it HERE on Etsy. It's called Lady Lent and each day of Lent has an item on the calendar...a sort of Lenten To Do list.
This is what it looks like. This is last year's version...but you get the idea. We purchased the file and then printed it out. I hung it on the refrigerator so we can all see it.
So far Lent is going well. Of course we are already tired of fasting foods. But, yes that's the point. We have enjoyed several of the extra services.
We are looking forward to Pascha as it will be different this year being in a new church. But, we still have a ways to go. As our protestant and Catholic friends and family celebrate Easter today we won't celebrate until May 1st this year. For an explanation on why we use a different calendar go HERE.
The good news for us is...
1. Easter candy and decor will be on closeout sale.
2. The weather has a better chance of being sunny.
This is what it looks like. This is last year's version...but you get the idea. We purchased the file and then printed it out. I hung it on the refrigerator so we can all see it.
So far the kids are excited each day to see what the calendar offers. Some of the day's activities so far have included, clean your icons (on Sunday of Orthodoxy, pray for the departed, attend 3 services this week, and memorize a specific prayer.
I was amazed when we sat down to gather a list of departed. The kids were able to come up with lots of people...some they knew well and some they've never met but heard about. Some are family and some are friends. Cam and I each added some names too.
Orthodox Christians pray for the departed. HERE is a good explanation of why.
It was fun on the day we cleaned our icons. It was touching to see my 12 yr. old happy to participate. I wondered if he would consider himself too old.
The kids carefully took their icons off the wall and lovingly cleaned them and returned them to their places. Since we venerate and kiss the front of the icons it is nice to get them clean.
We are all working on memorizing The Prayer of St. Ephraim. It's a beautiful prayer said during Lent...and really it's fitting all year 'round.
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.
So far Lent is going well. Of course we are already tired of fasting foods. But, yes that's the point. We have enjoyed several of the extra services.
We are looking forward to Pascha as it will be different this year being in a new church. But, we still have a ways to go. As our protestant and Catholic friends and family celebrate Easter today we won't celebrate until May 1st this year. For an explanation on why we use a different calendar go HERE.
The good news for us is...
1. Easter candy and decor will be on closeout sale.
2. The weather has a better chance of being sunny.
Yeah and yeah!! Bonus for us Orthodox and a late Pascha.
And so how do we spend our time now without electronics/TV. Well the kids have been building like crazy with Legos and spending time reading for hours and riding bikes outside. Yes! Why do we allow them any screen time the rest of the year?! It's a rhetorical question.
Your family represents the true loving and prayful spirit of your Orthodoxy. Wonderful to see your children reading, playing outside, making their chore list. Because I come from a large maternal family, and married into a big family, I have attended over 50 funeral-memorials in my life so far. And some of them need the prayers and others probably are still praying for a better world, for their families and friends, for compassion for the lost and/or strangers. Thank you for reminding us of the value and true spirit of your Orthodoxy.
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