16. Angela's birthday

Angela's celebration

Today there is much joy and happiness at Vangelis' and
Sophia's house. Their daughter Angela is celebrating two things, her name-day and her birthday. They named her Angela in honour of the holy angels, because she was born on the day that our Holy Church celebrates the memory of the holy angels and archangels Michael and Gabriel.

The festive atmosphere is not only in Angela’s home but throughout the village, because the holy church of the village, which is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, is celebrating too.

15. A blessed married couple

Morning Prayer

Before the sun had risen Sophia with her husband, Vangelis were kneeling and praying to their divine God. With devoutness and childish trust in their heavenly Father, they were begging Him to bless their house and flood their humble souls with the grace of the Holy Spirit. They both loved their God so much that every time they mentioned His holy name their eyes filled with tears of love, joy and gratitude.

This blessed couple believed that the more they put their Creator in their lives, the more love they would have for each other but also for all their fellow men.

14. Christ’s Bouquet

The Flowers of Virtue

From far away Angela's joyful voice could be heard, as she came home from school. Sophia saw her little daughter from the kitchen window and a wave of joy flooded her heart. She was always touched by her kind-hearted character and her great love for God. She was an adorable child who everyone wanted to spend time with because of the joy she was spreading around her.

13. The melody of prayer

In the forest

Angela is very joyful and happy today. She has gone for a walk in the beautiful forest which is near their home with her mum and little Joseph.

The sunbeams which are shining through the dense foliage of the trees, the small river which is passing by merrily close to them, the cheerful chirping of the birds which are flying happily from tree to tree and the many flowers that adorn the surrounding plains, make a beautiful natural painting.

Mum Sofia is sitting under the shade of a very tall tree and reading a book.

Sometimes, she stops reading and raises her eyes to the chatty birds which are stirring up the whole forest with their melodious voices.

12. The Sacrament of Mercy

The Spiritual Father

Angela’s mum Sophia is very happy today. Her two older beloved children; her daughter Christina and her fiancé John are with her. They came to tell her that, both of them together before they get married, want to start a new spiritual life under the wise guidance of Father Chrysostom.

Father Chrysostom is a good priest who lives ascetically in a small monastery near their village. Both John and his beloved Christina want to have the same spiritual Father and confessor, to whom they will trust the spiritual path of their souls.

11. An angel in heaven

Angela’s sadness

Angela had just come from school with her eyes full of tears.

Her once cheerful voice, as she used to enter the house, is replaced now by her childish sobs. Her mother approached her anxiously and asked her:

-What is wrong with you my little girl why are you crying? Did anything unpleasant happen at school that made you so upset?

-I am so sad, my mummy. Our teacher told us that Maria, my best friend at school, who was continuously ill last month and was taken to hospital, died last night. I cannot believe it, that I lost my best friend so suddenly. She was so good!

10. Christina’s engagement

Christina’s dad

There is a lot of joy in our little Angela’s house. Her older sister Christina is getting engaged to a very nice and polite young man, John.

Her parents are very happy with the good choice of fiancé which was made by their beloved daughter. Many times they prayed to their heavenly Father to help their daughter to find a good guy, who would love her sincerely and make her happy.

Mum Sophia was encouraging her daughter Christina to leave the choice of husband in the hands of her beloved God. She was telling her to pray continually for this, so that He will help her to find an earthly angel husband with whom she will spend the rest of her earthly life.

9. The angels of the soul

Divine nanny

Angela, with her mum Sophia’s help, loves her God even more and tries to become a little earthly angel. She loves all people and always behaves towards them with much spiritual politeness. Whenever she speaks, she tries to be like her sweet mummy. She takes care not to say something that would hurt others, but on the contrary, she gives much joy and merriment.  Whoever spends time with her feels her childish innocence, but also the source of love and goodness that comes from her angelic heart. Her general behavior gives you the feeling that you are seeing a little angel. The grownups realize the role that her pious mother plays in forming her daughter’s character combined with her personal desire to become a blessed child of God!

8. Our Father

In the countryside

 It is a very beautiful day today. The sun is shining in the blue sky and warms the earth with its rays.

In the green fields surrounding the village, white flowers and anemones made a wonderful colourful natural carpet that is a pleasure to see.

The bleating of the little animals grazing without a care in the meadows together with the sounds of birds tirelessly chirping on the branches of the trees in the morning, make a fascinating lovely melody which is spreading throughout the whole village.

Angela’s little sheep, Snowy, is in a good mood today. It is running up and down happily with Angela’s little dog, Jack, and makes her laugh with its playful antics.

It is so beautiful outside today, that you don’t want to be in the house. Mum Sophia, who understood the desire of her daughter, asked her:

-Do you want my Angela to go for a walk in the fields to gather flowers and play with your little sheep?

7. The stairway to heaven

Mum Sophia’s joy

It is very cold today and Angela is sitting by the fire to keep warm.

Snowy, the little lamb which was given to her by Mr. Pantelis the shepherd is near her.

Christina’s mother and sister had just returned from their visit to the pious priest of the village, Father John. They had gone to confession and to leave all the mistakes they had made under his priestly stole.

Angela saw her mum’s and sister’s faces shining with joy and happiness.

-How happy you look mum!

-Yes, my little girl, I'm so glad and happy, because today I again purified my soul from every sin and mistake I made as a human.

6. A heavenly family

With the sheep in the fold

Today was a sunny day and mum Sophia took her two little children, Joseph and Angela, for a walk in the forest.

Angela wanted to gather beautiful flowers with her brother to give them to their daddy, when he returned home in the afternoon.

Before reaching the forest, a little surprise on the road made the children excited. They met their friend, the shepherd Mr. Pantelis, with his sheep.

He was holding a lamb on his shoulder and all the other sheep were following.

He was taking them to graze on the grassy plains behind the small forest.

Mr. Pantelis was very glad to see them and greeted them with much kindness. Mum Sophia responded in the same way reciprocating the greeting, while the children ran quickly to him to see the lamb which he held in his arms. Angela’s joy was indescribable when the shepherd let her to caress the lamb. It enjoyed Angela’s pettings and sometimes bleated joyfully from its little girlfriend’s kisses.

5. In the house of God

A happy day

It was early Sunday morning and the bells of the village church began to ring joyfully to invite Christians to the house of God.

Mum Sophia woke her children up and they began to get ready all together to go to church.

Angela was happy because she would receive today through the Holy Communion her beloved little Brother, as she often called her beloved God and man Jesus.

Since her mum told her that the divine Infant of Bethlehem, the little Christ,  is the Son of God who became man like us so that we love Him as our Brother and Father, she didn’t stop calling Him "my sweet little Brother. "

She loved Him so much, like her little brother Joseph, and took care not to do anything bad that would upset Him.

She was now more careful in what she said and did.

Many times a day she asked her mother if she had done anything that might hurt her little Brother and whenever her mum pointed out a mistake, with much regret and with tearful eyes she was immediately asking for forgiveness and promised that she would try not to do it again.

4. Christmas Melody

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and all Christians are getting ready to celebrate the most joyful holiday of Christianity. The small beautiful village near the forest, where our little Angela lives, is decorated with countless Christmas lights.

It is snowing continuously outside and fires are burning in all the houses.

Many people are moving with sleds because of the snow. In the small village square, which is white from snow, a big fir tree is decorated with many lights.

The children take no notice of the cold and snow and wrapped up in their thick warm clothes, go from house to house singing carols. Others prefer playing snowball fights. Some of them are making beautiful snowmen. Their laughter sounds throughout the small village, which these days is living fully the spirit of Christmas. Although it is already dusk and soon the first stars will light up the winter sky, they don’t want to stop their games yet.

3. The Christmas tree

Angela’s joy

Today Angela is very happy. Her mother told her that in a little while Christina would be coming home. Christina is her older sister who is studying at university.

Angela loves her so much that when she found out that she was leaving to study far away, she was upset for a month.

Christina adores her little sister and cares for her as a mother would, in every way.

Angela, in return, respects her as a big sister but also as a most trusted friend. All that is in her heart she shares with her sister Christina. They are close sisters which makes their mother, Sophia, happy for her daughters.

From the moment she heard that her sister was coming home, Angela immediately ran to pick the prettiest flowers from the garden to give to her.  Next she went to little Joseph, who had just woken up, and told him that Christina was coming home and that he must get ready quickly.

2. Angela’s Paradise

Angela’s dream

Little Angela was so excited with all those things her mum told her about the creation of the world and man, that it took her a long time to fall asleep. 

The following day when she woke up, she got up quickly and ran into her mummy’s arms and gave her a kiss. Her mother hugged her sweetly, kissed her on her little head and asked her if she slept well.

-Mummy, I slept so nicely last night in our sweet God’s embrace, that I am not able to describe my happiness to you!

-I am glad my sweet love that you slept so well.

-Mummy, I dreamed about all those things you told me last night about heaven, earth and everything that our God created. It was so wonderful. 

-What did you dream about and that made you so happy?

1. The catechism of little Angela

Little Angela

Angela is a smart young little girl, who lives with her beloved parents in a small but very beautiful village near a forest.

She loves running through the forest with her friends and playing many games with them. Most of all, she likes gathering beautiful flowers and giving them to her sweet mother who loves her so much.

When her father returns from his work, she runs quickly into his arms and gives him two sweet kisses on both of his cheeks. She adores her father so much that she calls him “my king”. But he also loves her so much that he covers her with his kisses and calls her “my little queen”.

Angela has two siblings, an older sister, Christine, and a younger brother, Joseph.

Christine is a very sweet, kind and beautiful girl and everyone enjoys her company. This year she will be leaving her home as she is going to university and will be living in the city. She loves young children very much and wants to be a teacher.