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Sunday, October 3

The Woman and the Wheat...


"And on her lips were prayers of all sorts: for the rain, and the sun, and the moon, and the wheat - and the bread that was to come."

Last week, I ordered Jane G. Meyer's book, The Woman and the Wheat, and I have read it to my little ones each day since the box landed on my doorstep! This book tells the story of a woman who plants wheat, waits for it to grow, reaps it, grinds it into flour, bakes the flour into Prosphora (Communion Bread), and brings the bread to church, where it becomes the Body and Blood of Christ.

To say that this book is beautiful is an understatement. Meyer's prose is lyrical and the perfect explanation for little ones (and big ones alike) of the Mystery of Holy Communion. The story of the wheat and passing of the seasons captivates my children. They love the pages describing the church, the Liturgy, and Holy Communion! They connect to this book more than any other that I can think of... enjoying the words and illustrations that tell the story of 'church bread" and people receiving Holy Communion just like they do!

The artwork for this book was done by Ned Gannon. Through his illustrations, one can almost feel the grains dropping into the earth, hear the combine harvesting the wheat, smell the freshly baked bread in the oven, and hear the choir singing in the church. Gannon's paintings are alive with color and his attention to detail is amazing! His work is truly a feast for the eyes!

I recommend that The Woman and the Wheat and its companion book, The Man and the Vine, be part of every Orthodox Christian's library. Together, they offer an enchanting introduction to the most important sacrament in the Orthodox Church, Holy Communion.

5 comments:

  1. Wonderful review and, I wholeheartedly agree!

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  2. I'm so glad you ordered that book! I saw it for the first time on Mrs. Meyer's website (I tracked her back after she visited mine) and thought it looked delightful. I confess I haven't yet ordered it but this is encouraging me to get a move on!

    BTW, check out her blog, "The Woman and the Wheat" (http://janegmeyer.wordpress.com/)
    I'm betting you'd love it!

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  3. I was blessed to review it. What a wonderful book

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  4. Glory to God, Emily! I was just thinking of you yesterday, and how much you inspire me through your posts... We're all in this together, aren't we? Helping to guide our children to Christ and saving ourselves in the process?
    Your post about the book was very humbling... Thank you for the kind words... Again, may God be glorified!

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  5. Wow. Thanks for the tip. I've never heard of these. They're goin' on the wishlist.

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