A few weeks ago, two of our children's godparents came down to visit. We talked a lot about family life within the church and they reminded me that when their daughter was little, they had to be creative in teaching her what was expected of her in church because they were choir directors and could not watch over every move she made. I asked them to send me their checklist and was really inspired by the document that they e-mailed!
We have a lot of children in our little community and most are new to Orthodoxy. Because of this, I decided to elaborate on the godparent's list so that it could become sort of a blueprint that can be followed. I've printed out a few of these rough drafts to try with some of our children tomorrow and hope to rework the checklist as time goes on.
This is a work in progress, so I would love to hear your suggestions and ideas for improvement!
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The Divine Liturgy
Blessed is the Kingdom
Cross yourself and bow.
The Great Litany
How many Petitions are there? Sing Lord Have Mercy along with the choir.
The First Antiphon
The Little Litany
Cross yourself when you hear “most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.
The Second Antiphon
The Little Litany
Sing Lord Have Mercy and To Thee O Lord along with the choir.
The Third Antiphon
Holy God
Cross yourself and touch the floor each time you hear “Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal!...”
The Epistle
Stand up straight and be very still and quiet during the epistle. Listen for the Reader to tell you what Epistle is being read.
The Gospel
Stand up straight and be very still and quiet during the Gospel. Listen for the Priest or Deacon to tell you what Gospel is being read.
The Litany of Fervent Supplication
Cross yourself when you hear different people being mentioned in these petitions: The Metropolitan and other clergy, The President and other government officials, and even the names of people you know! Sing along with the choir.
The Litany for the Catechumens
Are there any Catechumens in your church? Pray for them during this Litany!
Hymn of the Entrance
Stand up straight and be very still and quiet. Sing “The Cherubic Hymn” along with the choir. Watch for the Priest and Servers to come out of the altar. Do you see what the priest is carrying? He is holding the chalice and diskos that have our gifts of bread and wine in them.
The Litany of Supplication
Sing Lord Have Mercy and To Thee O Lord along with the choir.
The Creed
Stand up straight and be very still and quiet. Chant the Creed along with the choir.
The Eucharistic Prayer
This is a very solemn part of the Divine Liturgy. Try to stand very still and be very quiet during this part of the service.
The Hymn to the Theotokos
Sing “It is truly meet…” along with the choir.
The Litany Before the Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Stand up straight and be very still and quiet. Chant the Creed along with the choir.
Prayers Before Communion
This is the time to line up for Communion. Stand very still in line, cross your hands over your chest, and sing along with the choir.
The Litany of Thanksgiving
The Prayer Before the Ambo
This is the prayer when the priest comes out of the altar. Be sure to stand up and try to be as Still and quiet as you can!
The Dismissal
4 comments:
Hi! I'm new to your blog and love it! The checklist is a great idea. When I was a catechumen, someone taught me to listen for the taps of the star on the diskos when the priest blessed the bread. I still listen for that part! I wish I could remember the exact time and what it is called when that happens, but I cannot. I'm sorry!
I love this! My husband and I are on a new committee for helping parents bring their little ones into the life of the church. If you don't mind, I'm going to suggest we print and put this out for the reading children. Thanks emma :)
Three things come to mind, and I don't know if they are differences of practices/traditions.
1. To get my children to stand still and pay attention during the consecration of the Holy Gifts after the Creed, I have them listening for the parts when they should make their cross. First, at "Take, eat...", second, "Drink ye all of it..." and third, "
Thine own of Thine own.." So three crosses in a row. After this, at our small parish, the children ring the bells while the choir chants the hymn to the Mother of God.
2. Taking part in venerating the icons before Holy Communion.
3. This is just to point out a typo in your list, since people want to print it out - under the Lord's Prayer you have "chant the Creed." Otherwise, a nice list for a child who is able to read.
Maria made excellent suggestions that I would definitely add! ♥ When I was about 10 my mom wrote in our Jordanville prayerbook, the places where we must stand and cross ourselves, with a tiny cross written in the margin.
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