Pg. 7 - Saint James Brother of the Lord

• Excerpt video of the liturgy served by the St. Petersburg Theological Academy (in Slavonic but still interesting for all to watch)

  • What do you notice that is really different from the other liturgies we serve?

  • Find out why this liturgy was not adopted and as widely used as St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great

Pg. 11 - Test Your Knowledge

• How would you answer the question about guardian angels?

• Other questions non-Orthodox may ask you:

  • How do you justify worshiping icons? the Mother of God?

  • Are you a born-again Christian?

• Watch the following videos to help you answer some of these questions and understand the Orthodox church better through a comparative approach:

  • Excerpt video of the liturgy served by the St. Petersburg Theological Academy (in Slavonic but still interesting for all to watch)

  • Misconceptions about Orthodoxy

Pgs. 12-13 Discussion Questions: Did the Entrance Really Happen

• Article: Did the Mother of God Enter the Temple: Confession of a Doubter

Pg. 15 - Making a Promise

What can you offer to God?

• To attend all weekend services during the Nativity Fast

• Keep the fast (watch this video for some guidance)

• Commit to serving the church be it altar serving, church singing or some ministry

• Commit a percentage of your wages to God (if you already earn money)

Another example of offering oneself to God: The story of Blessed Muza

Blessed Muza lived during the 5th Century. It is known, that she was distinguished for her decent morals. Saint Gregory Dialogus, Pope of Rome, spoke about her to his archdeacon Peter, saying that he had heard suchlike from the brother of Muza, named Probus. One time in a dream there appeared to the saint the Most Holy Mother of God, surrounded by maidens, and asked her: “Dost thou wish to follow after Me and to live together with these maidens?” “I wish it”, — answered the maiden. “Do nothing unseemly, and avoid frivolity and child’s play. And in 30 days I shalt come for thee and thou wilt be with us”. From that moment Muza began to pray earnestly and with constant concentration. In answer to the questioning of her astonished parents, Saint Muza told them about the vision. On the 25th day the maiden fell ill, and on the 30th day she again beheld the Mother of God. With the words: “I am coming, I am coming, my Lady!” — the blessed maiden reposed to God.

• Read this story with your children. Look at the festal icon of the Entrance into the Temple. Ask them, what would they do in Muza’s shoes? Would they want to join the maidens that accompanied the Mother of God? It’s a tough question but one that gets to the heart of what it means to be an Orthodox Christian.

Pg. 17 - Differences with Catholics

• Watch this short video on some key differences between Orthodoxy and Catholics.

Pgs. 22-23 Breaking the Law

A quote that ties the entire point of this page spread into two sentences:

At that time, the High Priest was in ecstasy, filled with the Spirit of God, and understood that the maiden was the dwelling place of divine grace and more worthy then he to stand always before God’s countenance. He remembered that the Law commended the Ark to be placed in the Holy of Holies and straightway perceived that this ordinance pertained to the maiden.

-St. Theophylact of Orchrid

Pgs. 30-33 Icon Theology

The icon we used comes from a beautiful resource, The Meaning of Icons by Vladimir Lossky & Leonid Ouspensky. This resource dives far deeper and includes vibrant and stunning photography of icons. This is a great tool to have in your homeschool resource library.

Pgs. 4-5 Overview/Brain Map

• Build your own Brainmap after reading this Study Journal to see how much you absorbed and what more you want to learn

Pgs. 6-7 Why Learn More About theophany

• Discourse on the Day of the Baptism of Christ by St. John of Chrysostom

Pgs. 8-9 Theophany Services

• Questions and Answers on Theophany, the Baptism of Christ

• YouTube video lesson on Orthodox Liturgics of Nativity and Theophany

Pgs. 10-11 The Forefeast

• OrthoWiki on Cycle of Daily Services

Pgs. 12-13 The Gospels and Theophany

• Buy Archbishop Averky’s book here

Pgs. 14-15 Significance of Theophany

• Watch the Reunification service between ROCOR and MP

• Excerpt from Metropolitan Laurus’s funeral

• Sermon by Metropolitan Laurus on the Sunday after Theophany

Pgs. 16-17 Transitions & Renewals

Answer key to saints on page 16:

A. Apostle Peter

B. Apostle and Evangelist John

C. St. John Chrysostom

D. Equal to the Apostles Helen, Mother of Emperor Constantine

E. St. Nina, Equal to the Apostles

Pgs. 26-27 How did St. John the Baptist Live

• A recipe for Russian honey cake AKA Medovik

Pg. 29 Where….

• Article: Site of Jesus’ Baptism Slated for Reopening as Landmines Cleared

Pg. 30 Discernment and Humility

• Article: The Untold Story of the Head of St. John the Baptist

Pg. 32 Great Water Blessing

Did Heiromartyr Thaddeous's words reach deep into your heart? They sure went straight to our hearts! Reading these words, how do we make this come alive for our families? Consider some of the following additional ways to engage with this quote:

• Read through the prayer of the Great Water blessing to better understand this quote

• Look up the life of Hieromartyr Thaddeus Uspensky

• Discuss with your younger children why this prayer is so long and what is exactly happening when the priest is reading the prayer - help them listen by having them count how many times they hear "Holy Spirit" or another word that repeats often in the prayer

• Use poetry, like Hieromartyr Thaddeus, to express your experience with this feast (just sit and create - this isn't about perfection but about slowing down and taking a moment for yourself)

Pgs. 38-39 Environmentalism

YouTube video by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick on Environmentalism

“The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God…I do not worship matter. I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake, who willed to take His abode in matter, who worked out my salvation through matter. Never will I cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation! I honor it, but not as God. Because of this I salute all remaining matter with reverence, because God has filled it with his grace and power. Through it my salvation has come to me.” – St. John of Damascus

Pgs. 6-7 Transfiguration 101

• Art by Mikhail Nesterov: Is there a piece of art that speaks to you? Why?

• Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky painting

• History of the feast of Transfiguration

Pg. 9 Booths/Tabernacles

• An article on: Why do Christians not celebrate Jewish Feasts?

Pgs. 16-17 Prophet Elijah & Prophet Moses

• A deep dive on the Prophet Elijah

• Life of Prophet Elijah

• Life of Prophet and God-seer Moses

• Sermon on the feast for the Prophet Moses

Pg. 23 Context: Where

• Video of driving up Mt. Tabor on Transfirguation 2023 (as well as video of the services)

Pgs. 32-33 Seeing Uncreated Light

• Read pg. 258 in The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios book to learn about Elder Paisios in the Light of Transfiguration

• The life of St. John of Shanghai as well as a photo of uncreated light as he read the Gospel

• Take a virtual tour of Diveevo Convent where St. Seraphim’s relics are located

• Listen to a service at Novo-Diveevo in Nanuet, NY – can you find the large icon of St. Seraphim in the video?

• Entire conversation between Motoviov and St. Seraphim

Pg. 34 St. Gregory Palamas

• Life of St. Gregory

Pgs. 36-38 Icon Theology

• Dive deeper and learn more about the the festal icon theology with this article

Pg. 42 Transfiguration and Mt. Athos

• A deep dive about Transfiguration Chapel on top of Mt. Athos

Pg. 50 Activities

• Turn your apples into artistic creations such as swans and birds using this YouTube tutorial

• Additional activity ideas

Extra

• 30 minute YouTube video explaining Transfiguration using parts of the Study Journal

Pgs. 6-7 Building a Campfire

• Learn more about the different ways to build a campfire

Pgs. 8-9 Pentecost 101

• Life of St. John Chrysostom

• Life of St. Theodore the Studite

• The Catechetical Homilies and Testament of St. Theodore the Studite

Pg. 11 Sunday vs Monday

• Pentecost at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville (inc. videos from parts of the service)

Pg. 16 Context: Who

• Story of the life of Apostle Matthias

Pgs. 26-27 Deep Dive: the Church

• An article on The Mystery of “Mystery”

• An overview of all of the Ecumenical Councils

Pg 29 Language and unity

• Read an article about Today’s Tower of Babel and discuss: have we created our own Tower of Babel today?

Pg. 42 The Mystery of Ordination

• Episcopal Consecration of Bishop Job of Stuttgart – Photos, articles and videos of the nomination and consecration included

Pgs. 44-45 Chrismation and Myrrh

• An article explaining the process of preparing holy chrism

• A deep dive into the preparation of Holy Chrism

Pg. 17 Context: Where

• An account of what takes place in Jerusalem during Dormition (inc. a video of the procession)

Pgs. 34-35 Garden in Paradise

• Another story about the Garden of Paradise that is worth a read is that of St. Euphrosynos

Pg. 37 New Testament Ladder

• Dive deeper: Joy of All Who Sorrow Icon

Pg. 54-55 The Funeral Service and the Soul After Death

• Info on Russian Orthodox Funeral Practices

• On the question of the “Toll Houses” by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky

Pg. 57 Pannihida/Memorial Service

• Comparative Theology on praying for the soul after death see pgs. 227-228 in Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev’s Orthodox Christianity: Sacraments and Other Rites Vol. 5 (these are excellent resources to have on hand at home!)

• Comparative Theology: on Purgatory and Indulgences

Pg. 61 Why Read Good Fairy Tales

• An article on how fairy tales can help us better read about the Lives of Saints: The Lives of the Saints: Hagiography Through Tolkien’s Eyes

• A lecture by Vigen Guroian on the Moral Imagination

Extra

• Printable Dormition calendar for the fast

• Extra lessons, activity pages and resources for teaching about the Dormition feast to your children

• Panagia: a title given to the Virgin Mary, the mother of God, and is used especially in Orthodox Christianity. The word is also transliterated Panayia or Panaghia. The title is applied to a number of usages associating the Theotokos within Orthodox life (Source: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Panagia)

• Podvig: an action taken not for your own sake, but for the sake of something else—an idea, your motherland, or your neighbor. Podvig is an action that brings risks for the one performing it, even to the point of laying down his/her life (Source: https://orthochristian.com/106048.html)

• Spas: means savior in Russian. Most often used during the Dormition festal season referring to the feasts of the Savior, such as Apple Spas (Transfiguration), Honey Spas (first day of Dormition Lent), etc. (refer to pg. 42 of the Dormition Study Journal - Seeking a Christian Ending to Your Life).