Materials: Inexpensive wooden shape (pre-painted) from Hobby Lobby, an electric drill to drill hole, twine, blue felt for the back, hot glue gun to attach the felt.
(The wooden items from Hobby Lobby had really sticky price tags on them that I was unable to remove completely, so the felt covered up the stickiness. I bought a bag of colored felt from the dollar store.)
Creation Video for the Kiddo
Reading - Genesis 1-2:4
(St. Basil the Great, From nine homilies "On The Hexaemeron")
" Hexaemeron" means "the six days of Creation".
If the the world has a beginning, and if it has been created, enquire who gave it this beginning, and who
was the Creator: or rather, in the fear that human reasonings may make you wander from the truth,Moses has anticipated enquiry by engraving in our hearts, as a seal and a safeguard, the awful name of
God: 'In the beginning God created' - It is He, beneficent Nature, Goodness without measure, a worthy
object of love for all beings endowed with reason, the beauty the most to be desired, the origin of all
that exists, the source of life, intellectual light, impenetrable wisdom, it is He who 'in the beginning
created heaven and earth.'
The Royal Hours of the Nativity:
Hearken, O heaven, and give ear, O earth. Let the foundations be shaken, and let trembling lay hold
upon the nethermost parts of the world. For our God and Creator has clothed Himself in created flesh,
and He who with His strong arm fashioned the creation reveals Himself in the womb of her that He
formed. O the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His
judgments, and His ways past finding out!
Nativity of the Theotokos, Forefeast, Troparion (Tone 4)
Today from the stem of Jesse and from the loins of David,
The handmaid of God Mary is being born for us.
Therefore all creation is renewed and rejoices!
Heaven and earth rejoice together.
Praise her, you families of nations,
For Joachim rejoices and Anna celebrates crying out:
"The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, the Nourisher of our life!"
Nativity of the Theotokos, Troparion, (Tone 4)
Your Nativity, O Virgin,
Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!
The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,
Has shone from You, O Theotokos!
By annulling the curse,
He bestowed a blessing.
By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.
(Vespers, Psalm 103(4):19-24)
The sun knoweth his going down. Thou appointedst the darkness, and there was the night. How
magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.
From the Prologue from Ohrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich, December 1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
Brethren, this is God's answer through the mouth of the prophet, the answer to the question that
we all thirst to know: ``Whence comes this world?'' God hears our question, spoken or unspoken; He
hears and gives an answer. Just as He gives rain to the dry earth, just as He gives health to a sick
person, just as He gives bread and clothing to the body, so also does He give an answer to our spirit. He
gives an answer to the question that has caused it hunger and thirst, pain and nakedness, until it (the
spirit) is nourished and quenched, restored to health, and is clothed with the true answer. This is the
question: ``Whence, therefore, comes this world?'' This is the answer: In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth. This world is not of itself, just as nothing in this world is of itself, neither is this
world of an evil power, neither is this world of many creators, good and evil, but rather it is of the one
gracious God. This answer evokes joy in the heart of every man and incites him to good works. And by
this we know, among other things, that this is the only correct and true answer. Every other answer, in
contradiction to this, evokes sorrow and fear in us and incites us to evil works, and therefore we know,
among other things, that such answers are false. Brethren, the world is from God-let us rejoice and be
glad! The world is of divine origin, and consequently its end will also be in God. The world is of a
good root, and consequently it will bring forth good fruit. It proceeded from the chamber of light, and it
will end in light. When we know that the beginning is good, then we know that it tends toward good
and that the end will be good. Behold, in these words about the beginning, the prophecy about the end
is already hidden. As was the beginning, so also will be the end. He from Whom the beginning came, in
Him also is the end. Therefore, let us hold fast to this saving truth, that we may have shining hope and
be strengthened in love toward the One Who, out of love, created us.
O my brethren, the two greatest works of God that have been revealed up to now are the
creation of the world and the creation of the Church. In both works, brethren, man is the main object of
God's love. Let us be thankful with our every breath to the Most-gracious God.
O Lord God, our Almighty Creator, One God, One Creator, the good Source of goodness, Thee do we worship, to Thee do we pray; direct us to the good end by Thy Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ.
To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen. 
No comments:
Post a Comment