Resource Library
Throughout our Study Journals, we provide several suggestions for further exploration of the content, beyond the pages. This space is dedicated to help dive deeper, including resources and links that will encourage curiosity and interest led learning into our Orthodox faith. Please select the relevant Study Journal below to dive deeper into the content.
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Pg. 7 - Saint James Brother of the Lord
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:
Pgs. 12-13 Discussion Questions: Did the Entrance Really Happen
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.
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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
Pgs. 8-9 Theophany Services
Pgs. 10-11 The Forefeast
Pgs. 12-13 The Gospels and Theophany
Buy Archbishop Averky’s book here
Pgs. 14-15 Significance of 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
Pg. 29 Where….
Pg. 30 Discernment and Humility
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
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Pgs. 6-7 Transfiguration 101
Pg. 9 Booths/Tabernacles
Pgs. 16-17 Prophet Elijah & Prophet Moses
Pg. 23 Context: Where
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
Pg. 34 St. Gregory Palamas
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
Pg. 50 Activities
Extra
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Pgs. 6-7 Building a Campfire
Pgs. 8-9 Pentecost 101
Pg. 11 Sunday vs Monday
Pg. 16 Context: Who
Pgs. 26-27 Deep Dive: the Church
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
Pgs. 44-45 Chrismation and Myrrh
An article explaining the process of preparing holy chrism
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Pg. 17 Context: Where
Pgs. 34-35 Garden in Paradise
Pg. 37 New Testament Ladder
Pg. 54-55 The Funeral Service and the Soul After Death
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!)
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
Extra
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Panagia: a title given to 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 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).