September 2018

A special addition for the Baptism of my little girl!

Baptism by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

Saint Kassiani or Kassia

Saint Kassiani by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

September 7th

Kassiani, as we hear so much, was a pretty girl from a wealthy family. She was even chosen for the "beauty pageant" of young girls for the Emperor to choose a wife from! He saw Kassiani was very pretty and wanted to see if she was smart so he said, "From woman sin came into the world." She replied, "and from woman came salvation" (How did Christ come into the world to save us?). She was clever! Well, he didn't like that so picked someone else to marry and she eventually became Abbess at a monastery!

While she lived in the monastery, she had lots of time to write poems and hymns to God! Every year before Pascha, we sing a hymn written by her on Holy Wednesday. She is the earliest known woman composer with hymns still used! 

Nativity of the Theotokos

Nativity of Theotokos  by Sparks

September 8th

Joachim was a priest of God many years before Jesus was born. He worked in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He and his wife Anna were old and had no children. Many people thought that they had no children because God was punishing them. Sometimes Joachim wasn't allowed to offer the sacrifice to God because other priests worried that God wouldn't accept it from a man with no children! They were very sad and God heard their prayers and Anna had a baby. They named her Mary. Mary grew up to be the Theotokos, Jesus' Mother. These are Jesus' Grandparents!

Exaltation of the Holy Cross
By Empress Helen and her son Constantine

Holy Cross by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

September 14th

Emperor Constantine was an early Christian. He sent his Mom to Jerusalem to find the Cross that Jesus died on. As Emperor he had the power and money to send his Mom all the way there. She brought a priest with her. After listening to the stories of local Christians, they found 3 crosses that could have been the Cross that Jesus Christ died on. They asked a sick person to touch each cross. The cross that healed the person is the Holy Cross of Christ! She took it from the field of holy Basil, cleaned it off and brought it back to the Emperor! The priest took care of it.

For this celebration, our priest carries a cross through the Church singing.
Be ready to sing, "Lord have Mercy!"

See September 2017 for :

Moses the Godseer and Zachariahs the Prophet