I'm confused. What I mean to ask is do you say the filioque in your personal prayer and/or in church and do Catholics believe the filioque?

Also, can someone elaborate on the historical roots of the rosary, and the spiritual significance? Thanks. :D

Sorry, new question, but sprung from this diagram: When you say the Creed in your personal prayers and in church do you not say the filioque, (I believe in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son)? Do you usually say, "I believe in the Holy Spirit," without mentioning the procession of the Holy Spirit? If you don't say the filioque, do Catholics believe the filioque, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son? I'm asking these things, because I know someone who might be more comfortable in the Catholic Church than in the Orthodox Church, and these would be points that would need further understanding.

No, not boxed, just your one most favorite curriculum ever, like the one I mentioned, Teaching the Classics. This is a literature curriculum, and I look forward to our once a week lessons. Each and every lesson has been like gold to us, like a bowl of hearty, healthy chicken soup, like the best lesson ever. If you have an experience like this with a particular program/curriculum resource, please share that experience here. What lessons do you look forward to teaching? What lessons do you get the most out of, holistically? That's what I mean by my question. This year I took up a theme, which was to use this Bible verse, "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. The theme/verse is what I use to direct our lessons, "What can we find in this lesson that is true or noble or just or ...?" Using Teaching the Classics we have *easily* been able to find at least one, but almost always each and every one of these things in our literature studies. Without Teaching the Classics, this task would not be as easily accomplished. The true, noble, just, etc. is usually kind of hard to find (for me) but Teaching the Classics made it super easy, and fun, and eye opening, altogether nourishing for all of us. If you have a curriculum that you just love in a deep way, like I love Teaching the Classics, please share it. That is what I'm asking. :D I hope that makes sense, and I hope to glean some gems from this thread. :D

What does it mean to offer a rosary? What is a rosary? I Googled it, but I'm not confident in the reliability of the sources that popped up. We have a prayer in our Orthodox prayer book that goes like this, "Hail! Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee, 'O Virgin Theotokos. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls."

CPO? I looked on the abbreviation sticky and don't see that one. I'm also LOLing my triple use of "totally." Can you tell I came from So. Cal.?

Can I get some #1 Most Favorite Science Curriculum EVER replies with reasons why you totally love the program? I am totally failing at science. I need something that teaches me to be a teacher of science, or that is a DVD or CD ROM with a teacher on it to teach science for me in lecture format and then with a hands on experiment or visual observation on video. Preferably the DVD or CD-ROM, because I don't have confidence that I can or will do it. Anyone have anything like this that they totally LOVE, and that made them a science success?

Please tell me what SSL is. I looked up the abbreviation sticky doc and I don't see it listed there.

I just started using their Arrow and Boomerang guides. This may be another keeper, but I haven't used them long enough to say for sure. So far so good though. I might check out Writer's Jungle next year.

"Roadmaps" above - I'm sorry, I'm on my phone and can't edit.

Please name your #1 most favorite curriculum EVER! I'll start. Mine is Teaching the Classics. I just discovered it this year and every lesson is like gold. We use this once a week with 5, 8, and 9 year olds and sometimes our friends who are ages 8 and 11. We are learning literary devices, story arc elements and how to find conflict, plot and theme in a story. We are doing the Kindergarten picture book list from Reading Roadmsps. The lessons are deep and meaningful and the highlight of the week. Please tell me your #1 program and why you love it so much. I would love to have such high quality lessons for the rest of our subjects. :D

I'm beginning to think my OCA parish is in the minority. Our priest would never allow talking during the service. He doesn't even allow talking in the church. If he hears talking in the church he says, "Sssshhhh, we pray in church. We talk outside." after the service while the candles are being put out, etc. Also, we don't have pews.

Me too, but alas my Hobbit-like stature prevents me from trying that look. You and I need to get a pic together. :D

Happy birthday Sparkle!

LOL! on that e-mail and that text.

We are 35 min from church. On the upside, it gives us time to prepare our hearts to receive Christ. On the downside, I don't participate in as many services, classes, or helping hands type activities as I would ideally like to. As far as relationships, it's the Eucharist that unites us and I would travel great distances to participate in this union. We also have coffee hour after every Sunday service and some feast days. This facilitates a social atmosphere and opportunity to catch up with those who we don't regularly communicate with via Facebook, text, or email. OP, what if you offered to host a coffee hour after church and eventually get on a rotation with a few other families in the church to share the opportunity to host?

Briva, may God grant you peace.

Someone told me to look to the OT to teach you about Christ. I think it was my priest who said this. The OT is full of stories (maybe real events, maybe real events embellished for emphasis) that point us to Christ and how we can get into communion with him, which is what was lost in the story of Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit of knowledge. Noah and the ark teaches us about the Church. The tower of Bable teaches us about the coming of the Holy Spirit. The burning bush teaches us about the Theotokos (the bush that does not burn). Jacob's ladder, the youths in the fiery furnace, Gideon's fleece, and on and on, these stories all have spiritual knowledge woven into them. Maybe this spiritual knowledge is meant to replace what was lost and/or exchanged for the knowledge represented by the tree in the garden? In Orthodoxy, communion with the triune God is of the most importance, not whether or not those stories are literal, historical or factual. The hymnography in conjunction with the church calendar cycle of fastst and feasts of the Orthodox Church teaches about these OT fulfilments. The spiritual depth to these stories is seemingly endless and beautiful. Don't let a modern, western view of the "OT God," taint the beauty of our true God who is incarnate in Jesus Christ. You don't see a wrathful Jesus in the Gospels. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Love this movie. You made me want to watch it again.

I mean to ask about the OCA archdiocese if the west. You said fast free on Thu & Fri for the OCA, and I mean to ask if this is Bishop Benjamin's blessing because I'm in the OCA archdiocese of the west under Bishop Benjamin.

Alenee, is that a blessing from Bishop Benjamin for fast free Thursdsy and Friday? We are under Bishop Benjamin.

We will be celebrating Thanksgiving just like we always have, but with a bit more of the "Thanks" and more moderation involved this year. I've been told it's OK, but to be mindful of moderation. We are OCA.

Yepper! Agree, nodding.