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! 

August 2018

See August 2017 for- John the Baptist, Dormition of Theotokos, and Transfiguration

August 5th

St Nonna By Sparks for Orthodox Kids

Saint Nonna is best known as mother of Saint Gregory the Theologian. She was a Christian woman who married a pagan man. She prayed and worked hard to convince her husband to stop worshiping animals and follow the true God. She was rewarded with a faithful husband who eventually became bishop. She worked just as hard to raise her children in Christian virtues. Three of her children are recognized saints! When her children were adults and had moved away, Nonna got sick and refused to eat. She ate bread brought to her in a vision by her son Gregory. She believed the vision so strongly that he body got stronger.

July 2018

July 1st

Unmercenaries Cosmas & Damian by Sparks

These brothers from Rome both became doctors. They grew up as Christians and their parents taught them to live piously so they didn't take money for healing people. They are called unmercenaries because mercenaries take money for fighting so these brothers are the opposite, they healed for free. It is said that God granted them with the gift of healing many illnesses as well as leading many people to Christianity with their examples of a strong spiritual path. 

July 8th

Saint Morwenna of Morwenstow by Sparks

Morwenna was an Irish princess who became a monk but decided to live in Wales atop a cliff in Cornwall. She carried stones from the bottom of the cliff to the top to build a church for the nearby village. A spring under the cliff marks the place she quarried her stones!

July 8th

Our lady of Sitka by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

This is a special icon of the Theotokos at a church in Alaska! It is said that the gaze of the Holy Mother in this icon can heal. It is a Russian style icon by Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky in the Church of Archangel Michael. 

July 13

Archangel Gabriel by Sparks

Gabriel is one of God's special messengers. It was his job to talk to Mary about being Jesus' mother!

May 2018

Athanasius the Great - May 2nd

Saint Athanasius the Great by Sparks for Orthodox kids

Color St Athanasius like a bishop. 

Leave his belt white, it represents holiness and Truth.

Have you ever pretended to Baptie someone or maybe a toy?

As a boy young Athanasius played "Baptism" at the river with some other boys. The Patriarch Alexander saw the kids doing such a good job that he called the boys and their parents to his house to explain that the baptism was done so well that he sealed the baptized boys with holy oil to complete the Baptism with a Chrismation. The Patriarch kept an eye on young Athanasius and ordained him into the clergy. Eventually Athanasius took over as Patriarch too.

Irene of Thessalonica - May 5th 

Greatmartyr Irene of Thessalonica by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

Color her dress in purple and blue

Who else wears these colors?

Irene's father was a pagan and kept Irene inside so that she would not hear about Jesus. Her teacher was a Christian who taught her about God and Jesus. As a teenager she had a dream that her teacher explained. A dove landed on her, representing her education. It had an olive branch for God's grace, flowers showed her future success. Then came a raven and snake showing hard times in her future.

For the rest of her life she was bullied by many people. She refused to get married, instead she worked to teach people about the Good News of Jesus Christ. She taught thousands of people join our Church family.

Saint Brendan the Navigator - May 16th 

Saint Brendan the Navigator by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

Color the monks in dark robes.

What color does Jesus wear?

Brendan lived in Ireland but sailed all over spreading the Word of God. He may have even sailed to America before Columbus. Old maps show an island called "St Brendan's" but we don't know what island that is. Brendan sailed by the Holy Spirit, they had no plan. They lived their life on the sea and shared the Word of God with people they met.

Ascension - 40 days after Pascha

Ascension by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

Jesus wears white and yellow (yellow)

What color is the circle He sits in?

Ascend means raise up. This is the day we remember Christ going up to Heaven to live with God the Father.

May 2017

SPARKS

FOR ORTHODOX TODDLERS

Written and Illustrated by

Casey Newman

Ascension by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

Hymn of

The Ascension

Thou hast ascended in glory O Christ our God, granting joy to Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through the blessing they were assured that Thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world!

Have Fun coloring your own Ascension Icon!

We celebrate the Ascension of Jesus Christ and this icon shows us that He was raised to Heaven in His body. Jesus should wear gold or white in this icon. We see Angels with Him representing His Glory and Heaven. They wear many colors like green, red, or blue. This is a good time to choose your favorite color! The circle around Jesus shows God the Father’s presence. It is dark blue.

Color the Holy Prophets we remember in May

The Holy Prophet Job

May 6th

He wears a red cloak and has gems on his clothes to show he was a rich man. He was a follower of God before Jesus lived. God blessed him with riches and many children. Job fell into a very hard time in life when his children died and he became very sick covered in painful rashes. It became his job to show everyone that even in these hard times you can be a strong believer in God and do what God wants you to do. And through God’s mercy his health and riches were restored.

The Holy Prophet Jeremiah

May 1st

He wears a green shirt and brown cloak. He lived about 600 years before Jesus was born. He spoke God’s messages to the Israelites for about 30 years. He is often called the Weeping Prophet because he lived in Jerusalem when it was destroyed and his people became slaves. It was his job to tell everyone to follow God’s laws.

The Holy Prophet Isaiah

May 9th

He wears a blue to show he is from a royal family. He was related to the Kings of Judah, almost 700 years before Jesus was born. He decided to follow God as a prophet when he saw a vision of God on His throne surrounded by angels! It was his job to tell everyone that God was going to have a Son. Powerful people were not happy with the messages that God gave Isaiah to tell and they had him killed.

Prophets of May by Sparks for Orthodox Kids

After reading the short stories about The Holy Prophets who we remember in May…

What is the job of a Holy Prophet?

The Holy Prophets _________ God’s messages to the people.

What in their stories are the same?

The Holy Prophets all ____________

What in their stories are different?

Job __________ but Jeremiah _____________ and Isaiah _______________

How did these stories make you feel, what words can you say about the Holy Prophets?

I felt__________ when we read the story because ______________

Can you think of people in the Church now that are like the Holy Prophets?

Happy Mother's Day

Tenderness by Sparks for Orthodox Kids