1. Attend Divine Liturgy and Learn the
Troparion
As
always, the best way to enter fully into the joy of the feast is to attend
Divine Liturgy or Vespers. The services are filled with beautiful imagery and
symbolism about Christ as the Light of the World, which lead to excellent
discussions with children.
Ask them,
“What is light? What does it do? How is Christ like a light? How are we
lights?” I am often amazed at the insight
and depth of thought that even the littlest ones have on this subject.
The
Troparion for the feast is:
“Hail Virgin Theotokos, full of Grace,
For Christ our God, the Sun of Righteousness,
has dawned from you,
Granting light to those in darkness.
And you, O Righteous Elder, rejoice,
Taking in your arms the Deliverance of our
souls,
Who grants us Resurrection.”
It can
also be a good time to review or learn the canticle of St. Simeon, “Lord now
let your servant depart in peace.” This song makes a lovely bedtime hymn to
sing as a family or with each child separately while tucking them into bed at
night.
2. Bring Home Blessed Candles
Many
churches bless candles at Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Presentation of
Christ in the Temple, because of St. Simeon’s reference to Christ as a Light of
revelation to the Gentiles.
If your
church practices this tradition, be sure to bring home blessed candles to put
in your icon corner. Then, have children
hold them during family prayer time or even when you read the Gospel at home.
3. Light Up the House
Another
way to integrate the theme of light into your celebration is to “light up your
house.”
Fill your
house with candles. Perhaps you can eat
meals by candlelight or pray your Evening Prayers solely by the light of a
candle.
When your
children ask you about this change in routine, you have a built-in opportunity
to speak about Christ as the Light of the World and our charge as Christians to
be lights.
4. Talk about Churchings
The
Orthodox tradition of churching–bringing a mother and child into the church 40
days after the birth of a baby–comes from the Jewish rite seen in this
feast. This makes the feast an excellent
time to tell the children about their own churching, to look at pictures, and
talk about the practice in general.
5. Call Elderly Relatives
Finally,
two pious elderly saints play a major role in the Feast of the Meeting of the
Lord. This can serve as a good reminder
to children of the importance of our elders and their wisdom.
Perhaps
children can call grandparents, great-grandparents, or other relatives on this
day to maintain a vibrant relationship with the elders in their own life.
6. Learn More about St. Simeon
Finally,
the children can learn more about the life of St. Simeon as taught by the church
tradition. His story is a fascinating
one of doubt and faith, of patience and perseverance that is an example to all.
These
small, simple activities can help make the feasts of the Church more real in
the home.
Source: http://www.orthodoxmotherhood.com/6-ways-celebrate-feast-meeting-lord-temple/
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