New Lady Lent Printable (Kyra Sarakosti)

I made a new Lady Lent printable for our elementary church school class. We have several families who have not observed Lent before, so I wanted to make sure her meaning was very clear. (I think she's super fun, but I know some people think she's just weird!) I made the example above to demonstrate for my class in case we don't have time to cut out the legs in class, and will perhaps demonstrate tearing off a leg. 

I made a few changes, including the poem, to make clear that Lady Lent personifies:

1) fasting  - in addition to having no mouth, we will decorate her skirt with foods the kids eat during Lent after an activity about fasting.

2) prayer - in addition to the crossed arms on her chest, I added the Jesus Prayer to the right side of the page to discuss in class. 

3) almsgiving -  I added the last stanza to the poem to include "good deeds." We will also glue an apron onto her skirt, creating a flap we can lift to write our secret almsgiving plans. I used to do an almsgiving planning activity with my kids, in which I asked them to think of at least one act of kindness they could do each week for different people. When they were finished, we talked about giving in secret, and folded the papers in half to keep their plans private. I thought we could simply incorporate that into our Lady Lent

Grab the jpg above, or the pdf printable is below. The second page includes extra aprons for classes, if needed. 

And here's my edited version of the poem:

Lady Lent, no mouth has she,
She little talks nor eats

Upon her chest, her crossed arms rest,
all day Christ she entreats.

And seven feet, no more, no less
she has to count the weeks.

Each Saturday we cut away

one of her seven feet.

She reminds us that we fast and pray
And try to do good deeds.

We do these throughout Lent

to get ready for the Feast.

[We'll still make a big one at home because my older kids don't want to be left out of our Lady Sarakosti tradition. We usually make ours out of construction paper, and we use most of a whole sheet for the skirt and body, plus the head and legs  - so that she ends up being about three sheets of paper tall.] 

Big List of Lent Printables

Here's a big list of my lenten printables, and a sneak peek at my new pascha basket cover design!

Great Lent Calendar and Lady Sarakosti

Great Lent Path

Lenten Memory Verse Garden

Lenten Memory Verse Tree

Simple Lenten Passports

Almsgiving Planning

Prayer of St. Ephrem

Great Canon of St. Andrew Coloring Pages

 Akathist Alphabet Printable

Life of St. Mary of Egypt Comic Coloring Page

Scriptures of Holy Week with Epitaphios (taking down from the cross) Coloring Page 

All the Holy Week Resources (with Holy Week Map, Holy Unction Scripture printable, 12 Gospels Orthros printable, Holy Friday coloring pages, Epitaphios Coloring page, and Easter Card printables)

New Holy Saturday Old Testament Readings

Scriptures of Holy Week for Reading at Home

We're all preparing to make the best of Holy Week at Home. May it be blessed! 

I am so grateful for this lovely resource for families from the Assembly of Bishops, and below is my contribution of a supplemental listing of the Scriptures for the services of Holy Week (and I couldn't resist putting in some hymns, too). Or a single page without the hymns below tha. This could be beneficial for reading with families or quietly alone.

Christ is in our midst, even in quarantine!

Holy Week Resources

I assembled a bunch of my Holy Week printables in one place. I appreciate Elissa Bjeletich's suggestions for celebrating this year on Raising Saints. We will be reading, singing, flowering, and processing as much as we can from home. Blessed Holy Week at home, dear ones!

Lazarakia Recipe

Bridegroom Services

15 Old Testament Readings of Holy Saturday

Printable Pascha Cards for mailing to friends and family: 

New Great Lent Calendar

I made a new Lenten calendar printable. Enjoy!

If you want to purchase a poster size for classrooms, go here.

Prayer of St. Ephraim Printable

I printed these for our sunday school class. The image is a little smaller than a full sheet of paper, so you can cut a piece of cardstock into fourths and glue these neatly onto the cardstock. 

Akathist Printable

We have the book "Rejoice, Panagia" which is a beautifully illustrated book about the Akathist. I do really love it, but the translation is different than what we use in church, and it uses the greek letters. Those things make it harder to explain the alphabet acronym to my kids. So, I've been meaning to put together a printable for several years, and finally got around to it. My kids will take it to the Akathist tonight to follow along, along with the pretty book. It uses the version of the Akathist from the Antiochian liturgical guide.

It fits on one page, front and back, and should be folded in half like a book. You can color the letters, but its mostly for readers who will be paying attention to how the verses follow the alphabet. Drag the jpgs to your desktop, or download or print the pdf embedded below.

5 Beautiful Things You Might Not Know About Lent

A few years ago, I wrote about why I love celebrating Lent and Easter. I focused on baskets and eggs and all the things that usually get called pagan. But those things are just the tip of the iceberg. Today I wanted to share 5 things you may not know about Lent, that I think make the season really beautiful (and still totally Christian).

1. Its not just about fasting.
Fasting gets a lot of attention, but it means nothing if not coupled with prayer and almsgiving. Together these three pillars of piety draw us into proper relationship with God (prayer), ourselves (fasting), and our neighbor (almsgiving). (Orthodoxwiki, The Theology of Giving)

And for the record, fasting isn't just about self-denial. Its an exercise. Exercise is hard and hurts in the beginning, but in the end it makes you stronger and sometimes even feels good. 

"What will fasting do for you? Don’t expect quick results, but over the years it will help get your ego out of the way. Fasting will help you gain control over the desires for self-will and immediate self-gratification. Fasting will unite you with Christ who sacrificed himself for you, with the many hungry people in the world, and with 250 million Orthodox Christians in every land with whom you are keeping the Fast." - Father Bill Olnhausen

2. The Prayer of St. Ephraim.
This beautiful prayer is added to our daily personal prayers and included in many of our Lenten services. It was written by a 4th century Syrian monk and poet, and is a summary of what we're working towards during Lent. It is said with prostrations in reverence before God, also reminding us of our baptism and that we fall and get up again. (Wikipedia, Prayer of St. Ephraim)

"O Lord and Master of my life, take from me a spirit of despondency, sloth, love of power, and idle talk. (prostration)

But give to me, your servant, a spirit of sober-mindedness, humility, patience, and love. (prostration)

Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother, since you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. (prostration)"

3. Almsgiving.
The fathers have a lot to say on almsgiving, especially during the fast. These are some of my favorite thoughts:

"When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor." - St. Basil the Great  

"Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works. If you see a poor man, take pity on him.If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him. Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful. Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip. Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers and sisters? May He who came to the world to save sinners strengthen us to complete the fast with humility, have mercy on us and save us." - St. John Chrysostom

Here are two worthwhile efforts to support this Lent. Our local Little Free Pantry distributes food for free to anyone with a need year round. And the Orthodox Mission in Kenya currently needs a new well for their orphanage.


4. Forgiveness Vespers
Orthodox Lent doesn't have an Ash Wednesday. For us, the beginning of Lent is the Vespers service for Clean Monday that includes the rite of Forgiveness. At the end of the service, we go through a kind of receiving line, in which each person in the parish bows and asks forgiveness of every other person, "Forgive me, a sinner." Each person replies with, "God forgives, and I forgive." It is both humbling and healing as you stand before your priest, your child, your best friend, and the person you had a disagreement with last week. With each person you realize what grudges you may beholding, or what offenses you might have caused - and then you forgive and are forgiven.

So we begin this season of repentance together with our loved ones, with a clean slate. The whole first week is sometimes called Clean Week. We clean out our pantries as we start the fast, we go to a lot of services (with a lot of prostrations), and we are forgiven. Its a really good way to start Lent.



5. St. Mary of Egypt

Towards the end of Lent, we have an evening service in which we read the Life of St. Mary of Egypt. St. Mary was a 6th century ascetic who lived a life of extreme repentance in the desert, and so we consider her example during Lent. Because she lived after bible times, most protestants will be unfamiliar with her life - but it is valuable for us to see the way the Gospel continues to sanctify people who turn to Christ beyond the book of Acts. We can't all flee to the desert for 47 years, but we can take comfort that God is close to the penitent. You can read the Life of St. Mary of Egypt here, or a summary here.  Click on the printable to the left for a kids comic version.

May this Lent lead you to the power of the cross and the joy of the open tomb. Blessed Fast!

Lenten Memory Verse Garden

I asked my kids what kind of Memory Verse project they wanted to do this year, and they chose the flower garden from years ago. But we decided that each child would make their own small garden this year instead of one big one, and I'm hoping that will mean less cutting that our window garden. If you want the bigger garden, follow the link above.

I shrunk the original pdf to fit on one page. It can be colored first, cut out as you go, and glued onto a clean sheet of paper to make a garden. There are notes on the paper to tell you what color to color each shape and what flower they make. The memory verses are the stems. Use the guide below to know which flower to use each week. The photo above might also be helpful. You can print a second page if you want extra flowers or leaves.

WEEKLY GUIDE 

1. Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: 1 red Poppy (color triangles yellow): “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” – Luke 18:13 

2. Sunday of the Prodigal Son: 2 yellow Blackeyed Susans: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” – Luke 15:18 

3. Sunday of the Last Judgment: 2 purple Crocus with 2 yellow centers: "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”- Matthew 25:40 

4. Forgiveness Sunday: 1 Phlox (purple oval with 12 small blue flowers glued on top) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21

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1. Sunday of Orthodoxy: 1 yellow Marigold : “Come and see.” – John 1:46 

2. Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas: 3 purple Asters with yellow centers: “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’” – Mark 2:5 

3. Sunday of the Cross: 2 Carnations (use green for bottom section of flower, pink for top): “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” – Mark 8:34 

4. St. John of the Ladder: 3 blue Morning Glories with white star centers and 1 bud (assemble along one stem to make it look like a vine): “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” – Mark 9:23 

5. Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt: 1 Rose (draw green tiny triangles for thorns): "Whoever would be first among you must be servant of all.” – Mark 10:44 

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1. Palm Sunday: 3 Ferns: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” – John 12:12 

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1. Great and Holy Pascha: 3 EASTER LILIES: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1: 4,5

I realize this guide started with the Triodion and so now we're behind, but we'll catch up, and, hey, its ready for the future.

Getting Ready for Lent

Lent begins on February 18 for Eastern Christians, and we are entering the three weeks of preparation for Lent. (Western Easter is April 1, while Eastern Pascha is April 8 this year.) Once again, I'm feeling a little daunted by the task ahead but anticipating the good things, too. Here's a quick round up of my Lenten printables if you need help getting organized.

• A look at the Christian origins of Lent and Pascha - If you're still thinking early Christians kept this feast because they secretly didn't want to give up their pagan traditions, you may want to check out that post. They had the greatest reason of all to celebrate this day with joy, and so do we - even with eggs and baskets!

• Printable calendars - we keep one of these on our fridge and color in the days as we go to mark our progress. Just grab and print on regular paper. The second page has extra stamps (for Akathists, Presanctified Liturgies, Canon of St. Andrew, Annunciation, Confession, and Soul Saturdays) that you can cut and paste onto your calendar to mark your parish's services. You can grab these jpgs, or find a pdf version here. I also have resources for the Great Canon during Clean Week, and St. Mary of Egypt, and Lazarus Saturday.

• Lenten Passport/Journal - This simple blank book can be used like a passport or journal to keep track of your lenten goals. It includes a memory verse from each of the Sunday's Gospels, and blank space to put in stamps or write almsgiving plans (I encourage the children to come up with one act of service per week). Print the pages front and back, and take out the page of stamps before stapling into a book. (The last page is blank because its the back of the stamps.) The pdf is embedded below, or use this link. 

• Memory Verse Printables - heck out our Memory Verse Tree and Memory Verse Garden printable, or just use this guide to do memory verses your own way. Last year we planted an actual garden, which was neat. 

• Lenten Centerpiece -  I don't think we'll have any gardens or trees this year, so I think we might make Lenten Centerpiece again with things to remind us to pray (candles/icons), fast (beans), and give alms (coin jar/flowers). I'll collect things and let the kids assemble it how they want, and we'll talk about what it reminds us of during meals. 
  
  
  

• Holy Week - Each day has a brief description of what is remembered on each day and a suggestion for simple, tangible ways to participate in the day. Last year, we printed this as a tri-fold pamphlet with our parish's service schedule on the outside. 

• Printable Pascha Cards - I've made a few different Pascha cards over the years. My favorite is below, but you can find more here, here, here, here, and here. They're fun to print and give to friends at the feast or mail to loved ones. I'm planning to make some new ones that the kids can color themselves before Pascha. 

Wishing you a good fast!

Christ is Risen! (New Egg and T-shirt Designs)

We're starting the 5th week of Lent, and I'm wearily looking forward to Pascha. I made some new printable cards for the kids to give or mail to friends for Pascha (check out all my Pascha cards). I also uploaded these new simps edesigns to Zazzle just for fun. Last year, I ordered myself a t-shirt with one of my red-egg designs, and I think I may get a new one this year. I was having fun playing with the designs and dazzle and made a ton of options. Printables and links below!

Greeting card-style Pascha cards: print at 100% on card stock,
cut apart along black line, and fold on gray line. Write notes on the inside.

Christ is Risen, Red Egg T-shirt
by orthojack

Christ is Risen, Red Egg Baby Shirt
by orthojack

Christ is Risen, Red Egg Tote
by orthojack

Lenten Clam Chowder

We listened to some of the Boxcar Children audio books during our summer vacation last year, and everyone was especially drawn to the descriptions of their yummy meals. We were delighted to find a Boxcar Children Cookbook, and tried some of our favorites over the next few months.

The clam chowder is my favorite, and I knew I needed to adapt it for Lent. It is a big hit. The instructions say serve immediately, but I have also made ahead and reheated in a crock pot for potluck with no problem. The original is in the image, but my adaptation is below!


Lenten Clam Chowder

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• optional: 1 celery stick and 1 carrot stick, diced
• 1 cup peeled/cubed potatoes
• 2 cups water (or clam juice)
• 1 6.5 oz can minced clams
• 2 cups coconut milk (1 can + enough water or clam juice to make 2 cups)
• 2 TBSPs coconut oil
• 2 TBSPs flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Melt coconut oil in large saucepan over low heat. 
2. Add onion (and optional celery/carrots), and cook until soft.
3. Carefully add potatoes and water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until potatoes are done, about 20 minutes.
4. Add clams and cook 2 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk and cook 5 minutes.
6. Melt coconut oil, and mix with flour, salt, and pepper. Add to chowder. Cook, stirring constantly until the chowder is thick and hot. Serve immediately. 

Clean Week Coloring Pages for the Great Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew

I just remembered I made these coloring pages last year in a bit of hurry, and I am digging them out again for tonight. Initially, I found coloring pages from other websites with stories mentioned in the canon, but then my daughter specifically asked for the words of the verses to help her identify the stories as we went through the canon. The first two pages include troparia from the canon on Monday night, the other pages are more general.

Also, I've created a page with all of my printable in one place (or at least linked to) for your/my convenience - so I can't find my coloring pages next year!

Canon of St. Andrew (Odes 1-5, Monday night)

Canon of St. Andrew (Odes 6-9, Monday Night)

Printable Lenten Passports and a Memory Verse Garden

Following up on last week's post of Lenten resources, I organized my memory verse garden with rocks and put together a very simple Lenten Passport. Details below.

The last time we made a Lenten garden, the girls were really little and picked all he flowers. But now we're old enough to try again. I wrote a phrase from each week's memory verse (from the Sunday Gospel reading) on a rock and lined them up leading to a jar. The last rock covers the jar opening like Christ's tomb. I will turn the rocks upside down and only turn over the verse for the current week, to mark where we are on the path. We planted a couple of succulents around the cave, put moss around the rocks, and then sprinkled wheat over the back. We love watching how quickly our wheat grows during the Nativity fast, so we're excited to use it again for Lent. (I meant to plant it during Clean Week, but the kids were excited, so we put it together during Cheeseweek!)

planning out the garden, before planting

a baby food jar, covered in dirt makes a cave

We covered all the dirt with moss, and planted a few succulents around the hill,
laid in our rocks, and sprinkled wheat seeds in the back where
they won't hid the rocks or cave as they grow.

Rocks turned over, except the first, revealing the first
memory verse we are learning for Forgiveness Sunday.

I used the Lent cartoon cards/stamps that I made for our calendar into stamps for a little passport. The passport is very simple, but it includes the memory verse for the week and extra space to write other things (almsgiving activities maybe?) - so I think it will keep all our Lenten educational stuff in one place.  St. Spyridon's in Loveland, CO has a really beautiful and really inexpensive color passport with icon stamps that you can order here.

The passports are embedded here for you to download or print. Print the pages front and back, and take out the page of stamps before stapling into a book. (The last page is blank because its the back of the stamps.)

Passport preparations begun!
L colored the image and wrote her almsgiving plans for each week.