Welcome to Holy Cross Orthodox Church

The Feast of the PRESENTATION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN IN THE TEMPLE points out the great need for the Christian nurture of Children. The Child Mary, about three years of age, is taken by her parents, Joachim and Anna, to the temple in Jerusalem where she will be prepared for the awesome work that awaits her. She goes to the temple that she herself might become the “temple” bearing the Body of the Son of God become Man.

In our day, in which society bemoans the shortcomings of our educational system, we can learn lessons from this event. Certainly, parents must bear the primary responsibility for Christian education. After all, the first school is the home. What a child learns here will last a lifetime. Ideals, standards, morals and attitude are all taught by the lifestyle of parents and family members.

Years ago, the Christian home had an effective way of imparting the faith to children. But times have changed. Many have turn Holy Days into holidays, reverence into recreation, and devotion into disinterest. Faith must be vital in the lives of parents if it is to become vital in the lives of their children.

The parish, too, is a school. It teaches by what it emphasizes week upon week. Through worship, through mysteries, through the preaching of God’s Word, through its social and charity programs, and through the lifestyles of its leaders and people, the parish teaches.

The parish school has come to carry an increasing burden of Christian nurture. Religious education is vital and demands a greater commitment from us all.

The Orthodox Weekly Bulletin - Cliffwood, NJ