09/02/2026
The Lord Bless you!
Yesterday, we celebrated our Liturgical New Year. This reflection was sent to me and I found it to be an excellent reminder and thorough exhortation about our parish life and participation.
In Christ,
Fr. Alexis
Education And The Family
As we began our Church New Year on September 1st it only seems fitting that we should address the issue of religious education. It is a commonly accepted principle that education, be it secular or religious, will be much more effective when there is active participation and reinforcement within the family. For religious education, the responsibility for this reinforcement should be expanded to everyone in the parish family. Especially in the case where the parents are only marginally involved in the life of the Church. Grandparents, other relatives and friends, and most importantly, godparents, can provide this essential influence in bringing children to God. In addition, we must recommit ourselves to the Orthodox teaching that our children are fully participating members in the life of the Church. From our baptism and chrismation Orthodox children are not seen as "second class" or as "disruptions" in Church but seen rather as Christ saw them: "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (Mark10:15) For anyone concerned with helping our children learn the Orthodox Faith and remaining firmly within the Church, the question usually is: "We understand the importance of this, but what can we DO?" Unfortunately, there is no easy, foolproof, "recipe" that can be followed to guarantee results. However, by examining Holy Tradition, we can gain some insight into the role of the family.
In The Bible
From the Bible, we learn that the Jewish family heritage and traditions were extremely important, and the ultimate example of this is the heritage and linage of Jesus Christ Himself. The entire Old Testament is the story of the preparation of the family into which Christ would be born. Their faithfulness and trust in God are virtues that our families must imitate and encourage. A good example of this legacy of the "family dynamic" in the Old Testament is the book of Proverbs. Proverbs, though unfortunately overlooked as a "resource guide" by most modern families, are a highly valuable collection of sayings that have been used by parents to "train up the child in the way he should go..."(Prov.22:6).
A close look at Proverbs shows that the whole idea of religious instruction as a process in and of itself was foreign to the Old testament mind. Religious instruction was not something understood as an optional addition to secular-as it is today in our society. Rather, the entire process of education itself was seen as something intrinsically divine because it dealt with all dimensions of life in an integral way: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov.1:7). Moreover, Proverbs deal not only with the subjects of faith and morality, but it also embraces the practical aspects of life, marriage, business, and even politics (See Prov.11:1 & 20:28).
The Father
St. John Chrysostom was probably the greatest family advocate within our patristic tradition. He emphasizes the central role of the family in religious instruction and the establishment of correct priorities. "Let everything take second place to the care of our children, our bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Hom. 21 on Ephesians). Our entire way of life should reflect our beliefs and hopefully be molded into our children's lives also. "Generally, the children acquire the character of the parents, are formed in the mold of their parents' temperaments, love the same things that parents love, talk in the same fashion, and work for the same ends." (Hom. 20 on Ephesians).
The Holy Trinity: Model Of The Family
Liturgically, the marriage service, which is the foundation of the family in the Orthodox Church, shows us that the family is truly a little church, and an icon of the Holy Trinity. The crowns, like those of the martyrs, convey the type of love that must be found in the family. It is not the love that is portrayed by in the media, but the self-sacrificial, unifying love that exists between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are hierarchy and order, but without oppression, since all is accomplished through one's free will. Prayer is a necessary element of family life since it is "the prayer of parents which makes firm the foundation of houses." Here our goal should not be quantity, but quality and consistency. Mealtimes and bedtime seem to be the most natural times for prayer as a family.
There is no substitute for participation in the Church's liturgical life for our children. It is extremely important that Church is not a Sunday only activity. The liturgical cycle should be expanded to include Vespers and Feast Days.
Not only should the Feast be remembered, but also the preparation leading up to it which often includes a fast. Of course, the ages of the children will determine the degree of possible participation in church services, but all ages will respond to the enthusiasm and interest of the adults around them. With these things in mind, below is compiled a list (by no means exhaustive) of things to do as a family to reinforce what we do in Church. We need to remember that our children love to be challenged and learn by doing. Also bear in mind that we adults have an awful lot to learn from our children.
Orthodox Religious Education In The Family Things To Do:
* Celebrate Name Days.
* Learn the story of your namesake's life.
* Celebrate the anniversary of your baptism.
* Maintain close ties with Godparents & Godchildren.
* Eight-step strategy for celebrating feast days:
1. Icon of the feast
2. Story of the feast (Icon, Scriptures)
3. Church Services
4. Troparion, memory verse
5. Relate the feast to life
6. Appeal to senses (decorate, special meal blessings)
7. Share with others
8. Do activities related to specific feasts such as making and blessing candles for the Presentation of the Lord or baking prosphora.
* Minimize secular views of holidays.(Greetings: "Christ is Born" instead of "Merry Christmas.")
* Adopt a project at church ongoing or special. (Prosphora or cleaning grounds)
* Adopt a grandparent. (a shut-in or nursing home resident)
* Sponsor a needy child.
* Work on a charitable project. (the homeless)
* Use "traveling time" to Church to discuss readings, sermons, and lessons.
* Consistent prayers before and after meals.
* Prayer bulletin board for special needs, which includes names or pictures of the sick and the departed.
* Photo prayer list. (pictures and names of family members to help them visualize for whom they are praying)
* Remember the Hours of prayer each day.
* Teach the Jesus Prayer.
* Have everyone participate in home blessing.
* Have icons in each room. (Patron saint in bedroom)
* Create an icon corner or family "altar" for prayers.
* Observe fasting days and seasons.
* Use money saved from meat, candy & other treats to give to charity.
* Memorize verses from Scripture: post a verse on a 5 x 7 card to be learned on a weekly basis.
* Read the Bible together.
* Be involved in Church School lessons. (Review texts and study materials)
* Make your own Lenten and Advent calendars.
* Participate and learn about all the different church services.(vespers, matins, presanctified, Holy Week)
* Make paschal baskets, eggs, etc.
* Discuss and go to confession regularly.
* Ask forgiveness of each other.
* Receive communion together.
* Hold regular "family nights".
* Invite neighbors and friends to church.
* Talk about world events in terms of the Church's teachings.
* Establish family entertainment standards (TV, music).
* Celebrate a patron saint day (as in the Serbian Slava)
* Learn and sing Church songs.
* Encourage Participation during services: for example, listening to special words or hymns during the course of the Liturgy.
Doing even a portion of the ideas above could make a big difference in the spirituality of your family. As someone aptly put it, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting, but has been largely left untried!"
