This Sunday, June 29^th marks another great feast, that of Saints Peter and Paul. This feast is always preceded by a fast that varies in length dependent on when Pentecost falls. This year the fast is just the 6 days preceeding. If you haven’t already done so, meet with your priest/spiritual father to find a fast appropriate for your family circumstances (financially and health wise).

The following activities are tried and true and my children get a real kick out of them. They love story time (especially when Ma and Pa make a real effort to ‘act’ out the stories) and messy art is always great. So, have fun and God bless you on this Feast day!

Greeting the Day: Getting all the family out the door on time for church can be quite an ordeal. After two years, my husband and I have finally found a solution that works for our family and gets everyone out the door on time and in good attitudes (very important!). My husband readies himself first in the morning while I get the kids dressed. Then he takes all the kids out of the house on a walk or to a park while I ready myself and pack the activity bags. I meet them at the park and we continue on together. Although this solution might not work for every family, I do think it is a good idea for every couple to have a Sunday Morning Action Plan. For this particular Sunday, include in the morning activities a story time. Read stories about Saints Peter and Paul to your children. Talk to your children about how these two saints will be celebrated at the liturgy for their contributions to the early church.

Afternoon Fun: For a fun summer activity, make some sidewalk paint and go out with your children and paint the sidewalks with stories of Peter and Paul serving as the basis.

Around the Dinner Table: Now, it is a Ukrainian custom to eat Mandryky (meaning ‘to wander’)on this feast day due to a legend that Peter and Paul were sustained by these rolls while traveling for missions. If you are energetic, you can make them. If you’re lazy (like me!), go ahead and buy some yummy rolls that resemble Mandryky (as much as is possible) and feast on them with supper.

Memory Verse: Matthew 16: 18-19 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

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