Advent/ Nativity Fast Resources
*Symbols denote what time period cycle they fit into: ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ᴬ (any); though freely use them across all cycles!
Advent/ Nativity Fast Resources
*Symbols denote what time period cycle they fit into: ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ᴬ (any); though freely use them across all cycles!
Books on Saints commemorated during (or near) the Nativity Fast:
Nov. 12: Snow on Martinmas (Sleightholm) – Picture book ⁴
Nov. 24/25: The Life of the Holy Great-martyr Catherine (Faberova) – Short Chapter book⁴
Dec. 2: A Boy’s Journey to Sainthood: Saint Porphyrios Kafsokalivia (Iakovou) – Illustrated book ⁴
Dec. 6: Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins (Forest) – Picture book ⁴ ᴬ
Dec. 6: The Miracle of Saint Nicholas (Whelan) – Picture book ⁴ ᴬ
Dec. 6: The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Demi) – Picture book ⁴ ᴬ
Dec. 12: Spyridon’s Shoes (Rogers) – Short chapter book ⁴
Dec. 13: Lucia Saint of Light (Hyde) – Picture book ⁴
Dec. 13: North Star: St. Herman of Alaska (Papademetriou) – Picture book
General Orthodox Nativity books:
The Adventure of Father Evangelos (Potamitis) – Picture book ᴬ
Sweet Song: A Story of Saint Romanos the Melodist (Jane G. Meyer) – Picture book ¹ ᴬ
Collections or Readings that include commemorated Saints:
Stories from the Lives of Saints and Martyrs of the Church (Wolff) – Chapters on St. Martin (Nov. 11/12)⁴; St. Catherine of Alexandria (Nov. 24/25) ⁴; St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) ⁴; St. Ambrose of Milan (Dec. 7) ⁴; St. Ignatius (Dec. 20) ⁴
Saints and Heroes, Vol 1 (Hodges) – Chapter on St. John Chrysostom (Nov. 13) ⁴ (most other are post-schism)
A History of the Church, from the day of Pentecost to the Council of Chalcedon (Neale) – Chapter on St. Martin and the Pine (Nov. 11/12) ⁴; St. Gregory the Wonderworker (Nov. 17) ⁴
The Illustrated Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church (Markou) – Reading on Holy Apostle Andrew (Nov. 30) ⁴ (Other Nov. Saints)
Stories of the Saints told through the Ages (Hall) – Chapter on St. Spyridon (Dec. 12) ⁴
The Prologue of Ohrid: July to December (Velimirovic) – Readings on Holy Apostle Philip (Nov. 14) ⁴; Holy Apostle Matthew (Nov. 15) ⁴; St. Barbara (Dec. 4) ⁴; St. Lucy of Syracuse (Dec. 13) ⁴
Other Christmas Books (not specifically Orthodox):
Papa Panov's Special Day (Tolstoy/ Saillens) – Picture book ᴬ
Or Papa Panov's Special Day: A Classic Folk Tale for Christmas (Tolstoy/ Holder) ᴬ
Christmas (Alice Dalgliesh) – Christmas stories and readings ᴬ
The Wee Christmas Cabin (Margaret Hodges) – Picture book ᴬ
The Christmas Day Kitten (James Herriot) ⁴ ᴬ
The Gift of the Magi (O'Henry) ⁴ ᴬ
Misc. Advent Resources:
The Icon Book (John Matusiak) – General information about icons and twenty-five saints; may be used as a coloring book. Icons included that correspond with these readings: Entrance of the Theotokos, The Nativity of Christ, Saint Nicholas, Saint Barbara (published by the Antiochian diocese)
See Draw Near Designs for Advent board books
Saints Commemorated During (or Near) the Nativity Fast, By Date:
*With available books and readings
Nov. 11/12: St. Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours ⁴
Paideía & Praxís readings on St. Martin: St. Martin & the Cloak; St. Martin & the Pine
Snow on Martinmas (Heather Sleightholm) – Picture book
Stories from the Lives of Saints and Martyrs of the Church (Jetta Wolff) *chapter
A History of the Church, from the day of Pentecost to the Council of Chalcedon ( John Mason Neale) *chapter
Nov. 13: St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. John Chrysostom
Saints and Heroes, Vol 1 (George Hodges) *chapter
Nov. 14: Holy, All-Praised Apostle Philip ² ⁴
Paideía & Praxís reading on Holy Apostle Philip
The Prologue of Ohrid: July to December (St. Nikolaj Velimirovic)
Nov. 15: Apostle and Evangelist Matthew ² ⁴
Paideía & Praxís reading on Holy Apostle & Evangelist Matthew
The Prologue of Ohrid: July to December (St. Nikolaj Velimirovic)
Nov. 17: St. Gregory, Wonderworker of Neocaesarea
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Gregory the Wonderworker
A History of the Church, from the day of Pentecost to the Council of Chalcedon ( John Mason Neale) *chapter
Nov. 21: The Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple
Paideía & Praxís Nativity Fast reading on the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos
Nov. 24: Great Martyr Mercurius of Caesarea, in Cappadocia
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Mercurius
Nov. 24/25: Great Martyr Katherine of Alexandria ⁴
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Katherine
The Life of the Holy Great-martyr Catherine (Larisa Faberova) – Short Chapter book
Stories from the Lives of Saints and Martyrs of the Church (Jetta Wolff) *chapter
Nov. 25: St. Clement, Bishop of Rome
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Clement
[A Reading for Thanksgiving] Glory to God for All Things: “An Akathist of Thanksgiving”
Nov. 30: Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called
The Illustrated Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church (Antonios Markou) – Reading on Holy Apostle Andrew (Nov. 30) ⁴
Dec. 2: Porphyrios, Wonderworker of Kavsokaliva ⁴
A Boy’s Journey to Sainthood: Saint Porphyrios Kafsokalivia (Anna Iakovou) – Illustrated book
Dec. 4: Greatmartyr Barbara and Martyr Juliana, at Heliopolis in Syria
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Barbara
The Prologue of Ohrid: July to December (St. Nikolaj Velimirovic)
Dec. 6: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia ⁴ ᴬ
Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins (Jim Forest) – Picture book
Stories from the Lives of Saints and Martyrs of the Church (Jetta Wolff) *chapter
The Miracle of Saint Nicholas (Gloria Whelan) – Picture book
The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Demi) – Picture book
Dec. 7: St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Ambrose
Stories from the Lives of Saints and Martyrs of the Church (Jetta Wolff) *chapter
Dec. 12: St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Tremithus ⁴
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Spyridon
Stories of the Saints told through the Ages (Grace Hall) or read "Spyridon's Mules" here ⁴ *chapter
Spyridon’s Shoes (Chrstine Rogers) – Short chapter book
Dec. 13: Virgin Martyr Lucy of Syracuse ⁴
Paideía & Praxís reading on St. Lucy here
Lucia Saint of Light (Katherine Bolger Hyde) – Picture book
The Prologue of Ohrid: July to December (St. Nikolaj Velimirovic)
Dec. 13: Venerable Herman of Alaska, Wonderworker of All America
North Star: St. Herman of Alaska (Dorrie Papademetriou) – Picture book
Dec. 18: St. Sebastian of Rome and his companions ⁴
Dec. 19: Sts. Boniface and his Holy Mistress Aglaia ⁴
Dec. 20: St. Ignatius the God-bearer, Bishop of Antioch ⁴
Dec. 20: Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch ⁴
Stories from the Lives of Saints and Martyrs of the Church (Jetta Wolff) *chapter
Dec. 21: St. Juliana of Nicomedia and those with her ⁴
Dec. 22: St. Anastasia the Widow ⁴
Dec. 23: St. Paul, Bishop of Neocaesarea ⁴