Great Lent

The Great Fast is upon us! Beginning on Forgiveness Sunday, we will spend the next seven weeks preparing for Pascha, the Feast of Feasts. There are a huge number of resources available to help you and your family have a profitable fast, and it can quickly become overwhelming. We have gathered some of the ideas here for you; pick a few of the things to do with your family this year, and maybe try some different ones next year. We hope you find some helpful activities!

General Resources

• Lent Resource Guide for Families from Ascetic Life of Motherhood
• Ways to Share Great Lent with Your Child from Antiochian Archdiocese of North America
• Journey to Pascha Poster from Illumination Learning
• Love at Lent Activity Cards from Ancient Faith
• Great Lent & Pascha Family Lesson from Illumination Learning
• Getting Ready for Lent (from 2018) from Many Mercies
• Orthodox Kids Journal Pages for Great Lent from Orthodox Education
• Great Lent Lesson from Orthodox ABC
• Keeping Lent Lesson from Orthodox ABC
• Learning Lenten Vocabulary from Orthodox Christian Parenting
• Publican and the Pharisee from Orthodox Pebbles
• Prodigal Son from Orthodox Pebbles
• Basics of Great Lent from Orthodox Pebbles
• Keeper of the Fast blog post from The Crafty Contemplative
• Personal Devotion List from Ascetic Life of Motherhood

Products & Gifts

• My Path to Pascha Lenten Study Guide for Kids from Orthodox Mom
• Prayer Ropes from MonastiCraft (prayer rope featured above)
• My First Coloring Books: Great Lent for the Youngest from Potamitis Publishing
• Orthodox Coloring Book: My Book of Great Lent from Potamitis Publishing
• Lenten Study Guide from Orthodox Mom
• Pascha Passports Family Resources from St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church
• St. Ephraim the Syrian's Lenten Prayer from Abigail Art Co. on Draw Near Designs Marketplace
• Letterpress Prayer Card for the Departed by Poustinia Press
• Lady Lent Fabric DIY Set from St. Tabitha's Workshop & Orthodox Pebbles
• Lenten Calendar from Draw Near Designs Marketplace

Traditions

• Lenten Psalter Group from Orthodox Mom (check back for 2021 sign ups!)
• Lady Lent (Kyra Sarakosti) Poem and Coloring Page from Orthodox Education
• Kyra Sarakosti Cookie Recipe from Orthodox Mom
• Great Lent Festal Learning Basket from Charming the Birds from the Trees

Activities

• 40 Children's Activities for Great Lent from Orthodox Mom
• 40 Days of Gratitude Journaling from Orthodox Mom
• Lenten Almsgiving Family Project from Illumination Learning
• Lenten Activities for Kids from Many Mercies
• Great Lent Printables (Calendar, Lady Lent, and Services Cards) from Many Mercies
• Lenten Memory Verse Garden Printable from Many Mercies
• Downloadable Lent Workbook for Kids from Orthodox Christian Education
• First Day of Lent Craft from The Crafty Contemplative

Books

• Great Lent by Fr. Alexander Schmemann (from Amazon)
• Season of Repentance: Lenten Homilies of St. John of Kronstadt from Ancient Faith Store
• Meditations for Great Lent: Reflections on the Triodion from Ancient Faith Store
• First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew by Frederica Mathewes-Green
• Songs of Praise: A Psalter Devotional for Orthodox Women by Orthodox Mom, from Ancient Faith Store
• The Lenten Spring: Readings for Great Lent by Fr. Thomas Hopko
• A Child's Guide to Confession from Ancient Faith Store
• Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha from Ancient Faith Store
• Lent, Wonderful Lent from Ancient Faith Store
• Pascha at the Duck Pond by Mother Melania
• Heaven Meets Earth: Celebrating Pascha and the Twelve Feasts by John Kosmas Skinas
• From I-ville to You-ville by Mersine Vigopoulou (hard to find—check sellers for availability)

Fasting

View our dietary fasting resources here

Observing the Sundays of Great Lent

Forgiveness Sunday/Clean Week

• Confession and Kite Day from Orthodox Education
• Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete Worksheet
• Forgiveness Booklet from Orthodox Catechism Project

Sunday of Orthodoxy

• Sunday of Orthodoxy from Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• Sunday of Orthodoxy Lesson from Dr. Pat
• Garden of the Theotokos Curriculum (has lessons for each week of Great Lent)

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

• Sunday of St. Gregory of Palamas from Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• St. Gregory Palamas Prayer Rope Craft from Creative Hands

Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross

• Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• Cross Decorating Craft from Creative Hands Creative Minds
• Sunday of the Cross Activity Booklet from Potamitis Publishing
• Veneration of the Cross from Orthodox Pebbles

The Annunciation

View our Annunciation resources here

Sunday of St. John Climacus

• Sunday of St. John Climacus from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• St. John of the Ladder Lesson from Creative Hands Creative Minds
• Sunday of St. John Climacus Activity Booklet from Potamitis Publishing

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

• Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• St. Mary of Egypt for All Ages—a retelling, reprinted by Frederica Mathewes-Green
• St. Mary of Egypt Lesson from Creative Hands Creative Minds
• St. Mary of Egypt Craft (Turn Life Around) from Orthodox Education
• Orthodox Kids Journal Page for St. Mary of Egypt from Orthodox Education
• Life of St. Mary of Egypt Printable from Many Mercies
• Repentance and Temptation from Orthodox Pebbles