As a mom with 4 small children, I wanted an accessible way to keep Christ at the center of our home, following the rhythms of the Church. I loved using the Orthodox Children’s Calendar by Draw Near Designs, but I wanted something that put all these ideas into one page. And I wanted to start to incorporate learning the hymns in our weekly routine. Thus the one page monthly guide was born! One of my favorite things about the Orthodox Church is following the Liturgical calendar. I love the rich traditions that help us engage in the Liturgical year as well. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of feast days, saint days, fasting periods, etc. So my hope with these monthly printables is to pair it down for you.
Let’s make a goal to learn about ONE saint each month, and do ONE activity each month related to a featured saint. Throughout the month, learn ONE hymn by singing it together every day, or as often as you can. And lastly, intentionally carve out time to create a strong family culture in your home (in the Family Corner section).
According to Saint John Chrysostom, the home is a “little church.” By bringing these small experiences of the Church into the home, we more fully recognize and appreciate what it means to be the Church when we gather during the Liturgy. Our lives at home should be a reflection of our life in the Church. I’ve also included a few reminders of common traditions associated with the feast days each month.