SPARKS
FOR ORTHODOX TODDLERS
Written and Illustrated by
Casey Newman
The Feast of the Annunciation
March 25th
Enjoy coloring your very own icon!
Can you spot…
Mary- color her shirt blue and dress red to show she is the person who carried God in her tummy
The Angel Gabriel- color his wings yellow to show he is God’s messenger
The Story Today:
There was a little girl who lived in God’s Holy Temple, her name was Mary. One day the Angel Gabriel visited her. The angel told her that God had a special plan to show the world just how much He loved everyone. God wanted Mary to have an important job. The angel told her God wanted her to be the mother of His son, Jesus. Mary agreed to do God’s special job and that is why we call her the Theotokos, the Holy Mother of God.
Help the Angel Gabriel visit Mary
to share God’s good news!
Practice the special Hymn:
Holy Mary, Mother of our God and the Savior;
I ask you to deliver me from danger;
I run to you for protection, with both my soul and my mind.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit now and forever unto the ages of ages
AMEN
Adapted from the Service of Small Paraklesis to the Mother of God (Intercessory Prayers)
A is for angel,
Angels are God’s messengers.
Angels deliver God’s messages and worship Him without ever resting in the Heavenly Liturgy. Each of us has a guardian angel watching over us.
How many As can you find above? ____
Practice writing A
A A A A
Silly sentence:
Auntie Annie's angel always answers ambitious appeals
Prayer to Your Guardian Angel
O Angel of Christ,
holy guardian and protector of my soul and body,
forgive me of everything I have done to offend you every day,
and protect me from all influence and temptation of the evil one.
May I never offend God by my sin.
Pray for me to the Lord,
that He may make me worthy of the grace of the All-holy Trinity,
and of the Most Blessed Theotokos, and of all the Saints.
Amen.
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From orthodoxprayer.org
Saint Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland
Patrick was born in Wales but when he was sixteen pirates kidnapped him. After many years of hard work keeping sheep safe in the fields, an angel told him it was time to go home. The next day he started walking. He walked about two hundred miles to a boat bound for Britain. He must have walked for two weeks.
Patrick was so happy that he was home that he decided to thank God by doing His work as a priest. When he was done studying, an angel told him that it was time to return to Ireland. He and other missionaries worked very hard to start many churches for the Glory of God.
We remember Saint Patrick’s hard work by calling him the Enlightener of Ireland. To enlighten means to teach. It is all our job as Christians to enlighten the world and share God’s love with the people around us.
An Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light up your days
And warm up your heart
May good friends be with you
Wherever you go
May lasting peace bless your home
Forever,
Amen
Zach and Lizzy discover…
Zach and Lizzy were so hungry when they got home that they asked Mommy for hot dogs.
Mommy explained that LENT has started and they were not having hot dogs tonight.
During LENT we practice discipline by praying extra, eating different foods and going to church more often.
Tonight we are going to eat vegetable soup and toast before we go to church for special prayers.
The Triumph of Orthodoxy
Sunday, March 5th
Sunday, March 5th
For many years the Church was not allowed to use icons. There was persecution, that’s like adult bullying, and it was illegal to have icons. The arguing ended when the Empress Theodora stood up in the big Church, Hagia Sophia, (Holy Wisdom) and announced that it was legal again to have and venerate the Holy Icons. So every year we remember by having a special procession at church with lots of icons.
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