If you don’t have an icon for the Feast you can print one at www.eeparchy.com.
- Learn about it: Access the Bozhi Dity (God’s Little Children) lesson on the Edmonton Eparchy Website. You will learn about the Feast and have fun decorating candles to carry in procession: https://eeparchy.com/children/
- Read: The Story of Mary the Mother of God by Dorrie Papademetriou or The Mother of God in Icons by Maria Paliaki. These wonderful children’s books are available to borrow from Edmonton Eparchy Resource centre or to purchase at Macrina Books and Gifts.
You may also read a simplified ver sion of the story for children below.
3. Dance: just like Mary did! Put some music on or dance to the rhythm in your heart. Mary danced because she was filled with God’s grace. She was filled with joy! God’s fills us with His grace too when we are baptized, so we can be joyful just like she was!
4. Process: with candles that you decorated in the Bozhy Dity lesson mentioned above. Have one person carry the icon and place it in your icon corner with your candles all around it.
5. Pray together: the Troparion for the Feast, explaining that this prayer talks about Mary and how God was already preparing her to be the Mother of God! Her entrance into the temple tells us that God’s plan for our salvation has already begun:
Today is the prelude of the good pleasure of God,* and the proclamation of salvation for the human race.* In the Temple of God* the Virgin is clearly revealed* and beforehand announces Christ to all.* To her, then, let us cry aloud with a mighty voice:* Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator’s plan.
Or
Rejoice, Mother of God, Virgin Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls.
Богородице дiво, Pадуйся, благодатна Маріє, Господь з тобою. Благословенна ти між жінками і благословенний плід лона твого, Бо ти породила Христа Спаса, Ізбавителя душ наших.
The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple for Children
The Parents of Mary, Joachim and Anna had been childless for many years, but they stayed faithful to God even though this made them sad. They continued to serve God by working for the temple and by taking care of the poor. For years they prayed and prayed that God might give them a child. Finally, God told them that they would soon have a baby. They had a little girl whom they named Mary. They promised God that they would dedicate this girl to Him. So, when she was three years old, they brought Mary to the temple to fulfill what they had promised.
Her dad was concerned that she might not want to go into the temple, so he asked some young holy ladies to hold lighted lamps and guide her to the temple. They did this and Mary happily followed them. The high priest welcomed her. He recognized that she was special to God, so he brought her into the place called the Holy of Holies. He put her on the step and she was so filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit that she began to dance and twirl around! She lived in the temple for many years where angels cared for her. Finally, when she was old enough, she left the temple and married a man named Joseph. Then she had a baby boy. Can you guess what the name of the baby was? Jesus!