The most surprising result of the week of church camp was this deepening sense of prayer. My children have all grown up in the church and have been saying family prayers since they were born and attend church on a regular basis, etc., so you would think they would have a very firm grasp of what prayer is and its importance.
Today, I will dwell on the issue of what makes a man a dad. A father can become a dad only in a school called, “the academy of marriage,” where he learns what to say and do. A good dad most often has a good father to learn from.
So what has OCF been doing in the midst of a health crisis, isolation, mounting racial and political tension, and an onslaught of divisive, confusing messages propagated on social media?
The Journey to Pascha chart is a wonderful resource that has become a popular annual tradition. Created by Fr. Jonathan Bannon and generously shared with Ancient Faith and the world at large, this chart can be used like a map of Lent, marking off the milestones through this holy season and providing a suggestion for personal spiritual practice for each week.
We’re delighted to share this year’s edition of Fr. Jonathan Bannon’s wonderful “Journey to Pascha” chart. This chart can be used like a map of Lent, marking off the milestones along the way and providing a suggestion for personal spiritual practice for each week. Last year, the original edition of this chart traveled around the world. It was even translated into other languages. Glory to God! Fr. Jonathan came up with the…
Fr. Jonathan Bannon kindly shared this infographic he created to show the elements of a traditional Easter or Pascha basket. Pascha baskets are taken to the midnight service on Holy Saturday and blessed, and their contents are enjoyed at the feast after the service. This being so, they traditional contain many delicacies that cannot be eaten during the preceding Lenten Fast.
The Journey To Pascha resource came from thinking of practical and fun ways to help my parish bring the goals of Lent home in creative ways for all ages.
How does your priest get ready for Divine Liturgy? It’s an Orthodox tradition to view preparation for church as the “first procession” in the service, the journey from ordinary life into the sacred space where we will enter the Kingdom. As a lay person, you know what you need to do to get ready – you might change your clothes, round up your children, find a prayer rope or an icon for…