Path to Pascha

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The Path to Pascha

2011_path_to_pascha_calendar.pdf
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path_to_pascha_triodion_parts_symbols.pdf
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For those who do not have the time or energy to make felt ornaments, I suggest printing out a "​Great Lent Calendar," by Many Mercies Blog, for each child and having him or her draw a corresponding symbol on their path each day following the reading.

Great Lent Calendar

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Symbols:
​#7: Disciples/Sunday of Orthodoxy
#6: Withered hand
#5: Water & wine jugs
#4: Net with fish
#3: Stones in desert
#2: Dove above water
#1: Temple

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#1: Luke 2:41-5212 - Year-old Jesus in the Temple (temple)
#2: ​Matthew 3:13-17 - Baptism of Christ (dove above water)
#3: Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus is Tempted by the devil (stones in desert)
#4: Luke 5:1-11 - Jesus Calls the First Disciples (net with fish)
#5: John 2:1-12 - First Miracle, Wedding in Cana (water and wine jugs)
#6: Mark 2:23-3:5 - Jesus and the Sabbath (withered hand)
#7: John 1:43-51 - Disciples Follow Jesus (Disciples/Sunday of Orthodoxy)

​Symbols:
#12: Feet on water
#11: Platter
#10: Seeds growing in rocks and thorns
#9: Centurian
#8: Mountain

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#8: Matthew 5:1-12 - Sermon on the Mount (mountain)
#9: Matthew 8:5-13 - Jesus Heals Centurian's Servant (Centurian helmet)
#10: Matthew 131-9 - Parable of the Sower (seeds growing in rocks and thorns)
#11: Mark 6:14-29 - Death of John the Baptist (platter)
#12: Matthew 14:22-33 - Jesus Walks on Water (feet on water)

Symbols:
#18: Prison
#17: Little dog eating crumbs
#16: Alert sign
#15: Needle with eye and camel
#14: cot or cot being lowered with ropes
#13: Leper kneeling

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#13: Mark 1:35-44 - Jesus Heals Leper (leper kneeling)
#14:Mark 2:1-12 - Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man (cot or cot being lowered by ropes)
 #15: Luke 18:18 - Rich Young Man (needle with eye and camel)
#16: Mark 13:32-37 - Second Coming (alert sign)
#17: Matthew 15:22-28 - Woman of Canaan (dog eating crumbs)
​#18: Matthew 18:23-35 - Unforgiving Servant​ (prison)

Symbols:
#24: Bandages and oil
#23: Girl in bed
#22: Grapevine with grapes
#21: Taking up cross/Adoration of Holy Cross
#20: Tax collection box
March 25:
The Annunciation -
Archangel visits Mary
#19: Loaves and fishes

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#19: Matthew 14:13-21 - Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People (loaves and fishes)
The Annunciation: Luke 1:24-38 - Archangel Visits Mary (angel or icon) 
#20: Mark 2:14-17 - Sinners are Welcome: Levi (tax collection box)
#21: Mark 8:34-9:1 - Jesus' First Prophecy of His Passion (Taking up cross/Adoration of Holy Cross
#22: John 15:1-9 - Jesus Teaches He is True Vine (grape vine with grapes)
#23: Mark 5:35-43 - Jesus and Jairus's Daughter
​(girl in bed)
#24: Luke 10:25-37 - Parable of Good Samaritan

Symbols:
#31: Full grain barn
#30: Talent (coins) buried deep under ground
#29: Mustard seed or large plant
#28: Fire/Sunday of St. John the Ladder
#27: Ear
#26: Open coffin
#25: One lost sheep

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#25: Luke 15:1-7 - Parable of Lost Sheep (sheep)
#26: Luke 7:11-17 - Jesus Raises A Widow's Son (open coffin)
#27: Mark 7:31-37 - Jesus Heals a Deaf Man (ear)
#28: Mark 9:17-31 - Jesus Heals Mute & Second Prophecy (flames/Sunday of the Ladder)
#29: Matthew 13:31-32 - Parable of the Mustard Seed (mustard seed or large plant)
#30: Matthew 25:14-30 - Parable of the Talents (coins buried deep under ground)
#31: Luke 12:15-21 - Foolish Rich Man​ (full grain barn)

Symbols:
#38: Hand with clay touching eyes
#37: Shepherd's staff
#36: Clothing white as light
#35: Scourge (whip) or St. Mary of Egypt (icon on the brown pebble above)
#34: Question mark
#33: Megaphone
#32: Wheat and weeds

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#32: Matthew 13:24-30 - The Wheat and the Tares (wheat and weeds)
#33: Luke 18:10-14 - Pharisee and Tax Collector (megaphone)
#34: Mark 8:27-31 - Peter's Confession (question mark)
#35: Mark 10:32-45 - Jesus' Third Prophecy of His Passion (scourge-multi-thong whip or St. Mary of Egypt)
#36: Matthew 17:1-11 - Transfiguration of Our Lord (clothing white as light or icon)
#37: John 10:11-15 - The Good Shepherd (shepherd's staff)
#38: John 9:1-11 - Jesus Heals Blind Man (hand with clay touching eyes)

Symbols:
#44: Oil lamp with flame
#43: Barren fig tree
#42: Palm branches
#41: Lazarus and grave clothes
#40: 1 house sinking, 1 house on rock
#39: Invitation

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#39: Matthew 22:1-14 - Parable of Great Feast (invitation)
#40: Luke 6:46-49 - Jesus Teaches About the House Builders (sinking house, house on firm foundation)
#41: John 11:1-45 - Lazarus Saturday (burial shroud)
#42: John 12:1-18 - Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (palm branches)
#43: Matthew 24:3-35 - Barren Fig Tree (empty branches)
#44: Matthew 24:36-26:2 - Parable of Ten Virgins​ (oil lamp with flame)

Symbols:
#49: Christ is Risen!
#48: Tomb/cave with stone
#47: Three crosses
#46: Chalice
#45: Tears on foot

Gospel Reading and Event in Life of Christ:
#45: Matthew 26:6-16 - Sinful woman annoints feet (tears on foot)
#46: Matthew 26:21-39 - Last Supper (chalice)
#47: Luke 23:39-43 - Crucifixion of Our Lord (three crosses)
#48: Matthew 28:1-20 - Holy Saturday (tomb/cave with stone)
#49:John 1:1-17 - The Resurrection of Christ (Resurrection icon or Christ is Risen!)

The Path to Pascha was originally developed by a group of homeschooling Orthodox mothers on yahoogroups, after finishing a group Jesse Tree project. Because the files were stored on yahoogroups, they are no longer available so I have been asked if I would offer them here. I want to give Victoria Jahaske a special thank you for making this available:


Our Path to Pascha includes 50 days, each represented by a felt pebble, 42 days for six weeks of Lent, plus 7 days of Holy Week, plus one for Annunciation. The Path to Pascha presents a tangible timeline to the length of Lent and the approach of Pascha. Festal Celebrations began this project because nothing like it could be found elsewhere for use in our Orthodox homes. Children enjoy visual calendars while waiting for events, such as Pascha. Fifty days is a long time, and the calendar keeps mom on track too. 

In following this path, we focus on the Life of Christ and the Holy Scriptures. Regarding Scripture, Fr. Alexander Schmemman, in his book, Great Lent, writes, “If today so many find it dull and irrelevant, it is because their faith no longer is fed at the source of the Holy Scriptures which for the Church Fathers were the source of faith.”

Sister Magdalen, in her booklet entitled Reflections on Children in the Orthodox Church Today, writes, “We cannot have a better guide than the Holy Scripture for family life. I warmly recommend you to re-read often the words of the holy Apostles, for instance, about family life, and to take them seriously, as the word of God, relevant in every epoch.“

Each day in this Path to Pascha relates to a Gospel reading and a corresponding symbol on the pebble. For the littlest ones, a daily reading from a children’s Bible will be enough. You can expand the Path to Pascha by reading from the Orthodox Study Bible and learning from all the wonderful footnotes.

In a perfect world we would attend daily Orthodox Lenten services and have no need for Lenten calendars of this sort. Monastics know this is not possible for families with children. Hopefully this Path to Pascha will lead to aha moments for your children tying together Scripture and Triodion while attending the Orthodox services you are able to. May this Path to Pascha be a blessing.

Two strips of four feet+ lengths of ribbon (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide) are used with a strip of velcro sewn down the middle of each. The felt naturally sticks to the velcro.