Saturday of Souls and Memorial Coloring Pages

I've made three printables appropriate for teaching children about Soul Saturdays of Lent or Memorial Services. Grab and save jpgs.

Evlogetaria for the Dead

This hymn is terribly beautiful, both repentant and communal. It is fitting today as we American Orthodox remember Fr. Peter. 

Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes.

The choir of Saints has found the source of life and the door of Paradise; may I too find the way through repentance; I am the lost sheep, call me back, O Saviour, and save me.

Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes.

You Holy Martyrs, who proclaimed the Lamb of God, and like lambs were slain, and have been taken over to the unending life which knows no ageing, plead with him to grant us abolition of our debts.

Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes.

All you who trod in life the hard and narrow way; all you who took the Cross as a yoke, and followed me in faith, come, enjoy that heavenly rewards and crowns which I have prepared for you.

Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes.

I am an image of your ineffable glory, though I bear the marks of offences; take pity on your creature, Master, and with compassion cleanse me; and give me the longed-for fatherland, making me once again a citizen of Paradise.

Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes.

Of old you formed me from nothing and honoured me with your divine image, but because I transgressed your commandment, you returned me to the earth from which I was taken; bring me back to your likeness, my ancient beauty.

Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes.

Give rest, O God, to your servants, and settle them in Paradise, where the choirs of the Saints and all the Just shine out like beacons; give rest to your servants who have fallen asleep, overlooking all their offences.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Let us devoutly hymn the threefold light of the one Godhead as we cry: Holy are you, the Father without beginning, the Son likewise without beginning and the divine Spirit; enlighten us who worship you in faith, and snatch us from the everlasting fire.

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages amen.

Hail, honoured one, who bore God in the flesh for the salvation of all; through you the human race has found salvation; through you may we find Paradise, O pure and blessed Mother of God.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to you, O God

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to you, O God

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to you, O God

Remembering

O brethren, come be fore the end, and seeing that we are earth, 
and the fact that our nature is in firm,

let us be hold that we are vile and see what our end is like 
and the organs of our vessel made of flesh, 

and that every man is but dust, food for worms, and decay; 
that our bones are dry and have no breath.

Let us look into the graves. 

Where is the glory? Where is the beauty of our form? 

Where is the tongue that spoke so well? 

Where is the eyebrow, and where is the eye? 

All is but dust and a shadow. Therefore, O Savior, spare us all.
 - from matins of Saturday of Souls

 All Saints icon; Christ is enthroned in heaven surrounded by the ranks of angels and saints. At the bottom is Paradise with the bosom of Abraham(left), and the Good Thief (right). (Description from Wikipedia)

Three Conversations about God's Love

 1. 

On Monday, L wrote "God is Love" to practice her handwriting and reading.  After we sounded out the words, we talked a bit about what it meant: that God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons who love one another. And when we love one another, we are like God.

"When you are kind to your sister, and you love her, you are being like God."

"I do love, J."

Then we colored a picture of the icon of the Theotokos. L enjoys matching the colors to the icons; J reluctantly lets me guide her through one color before she runs away.  I told them, "This is when Jesus was a baby. See how their cheeks are pressed together?  They're hugging just like we do, because they love each other. Mary loves Jesus, and we should love God like Mary does."

This is big stuff for little ones.  I never know how much of it they really get.  L told me after our talk, "I love God, Mommy.  I do."  The girls kissed baby Jesus and pressed their cheek to Mary. Then they each gave me a hug, cheek to cheek, breaking my heart a little.

2. 

While attempting to say our morning prayers, L kept running away and did not want to venerate the icons. Finally I sat down with her and said, "Prayer time is important because we are spending time with God. We can't see God can we?" We looked around.  "No.  But we can see Jesus, because he became a man so that we could know God. That's why we kiss the icons: because we can see Jesus and it helps us remember that God is with us."

"How did God get in this world, Mommy?" (This is a favorite phrase, i.e. "are there any dinosaurs/monsters/zebras in this world?") 

"Well, that's a special story," I told her, and I took her over to the icon of the Annunciation on my bedside table.  She knows the story about the manger and the cave.  It was just Christmas, after all. But this icon was in the room, so I showed it instead. "An angel came to Mary.  She was a girl like you and me, but an angel came to her and said 'Rejoice, Mary! The Lord is with you.' And he told her that God was going to put a baby in her tummy, and it was Jesus.  And Mary loved God, and so she was Jesus's mommy and God was his Father."

"Are there angels in this world?"

"Yes, but we can't see them either."

"But we can see them in the icons! And we can see Jesus in the icons."

"That's right!" And then she kissed Mary and the angel.

3. 

On Saturday, we met with Fr. James and our little mission for the Liturgy on the Saturday of Souls. During the service we remember the dead in prayer. I thought of the child I lost last year, Nicholas. He died unborn, thus unnamed in the service - but still he is remembered by God (and me).

After the service, Presbytera Eva gave me a necklace with a small pendant of the Theotokos and Jesus, pressing their cheeks together. She told me, "Jim (she called him) wanted you to have this because you have the children." Such love is heartbreaking. I thought of how the girls had struggled in my arms during the liturgy, and how I struggled to be patient. Then, I thought of Mary's love for God. I thought of Nicholas, whose cheek I had not touched. I thought of Jesus love for his mother.

And I resolved again to love. It isn't as easy at it sounds, and so each day we have to decide again.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. I John 4.7