Liturgies for the feast of Archangel Michael and All Bodiless Powers drew crowds across several Orthodox jurisdictions this week. In Bulgaria, Patriarchal Divine Liturgy took place at the village of Studena while the renovated church of Sts Archangels Michael and Gabriel in The Hague was solemnly consecrated. Serbian parishes marked the day quietly with traditional commemorations of the departed. In America, the Orthodox Church in America held Saturday of Souls services at Vatra Românească and the Metropolis of Atlanta under the Ecumenical Patriarchate celebrated its patronal feast at the Archangel Michael parish. The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric saw Metropolitan Nikola serve at St Demetrius Monastery in Springvale. These gatherings reminded believers of the unseen hosts who guard and intercede for the Church everywhere. May these communities be remembered in prayer today.

My three-year-old son struggles to pray with us in the evening when we try to pray together. We say short prayers, but I feel like I am forcing him if I insist too much. How do you handle this with your children so that it comes naturally to them without causing them distress? Tonight, I tried to get him to say "Our Father" before bed, but he started laughing and playing with his bear. I wonder if it is better to give him a little more space or to keep to our nightly routine.

Yesterday after my shift, I went to the church and lit a candle for the repose of Sergiy — we used to play football in the yard when we were kids, and then we learned to play guitar together. Friendship is when you remember a person even after years and realize that he is still a part of your life. I lit the candle and thought how good it is that we were truly friends back then.

I woke up this morning and saw that the refrigerator is almost empty after the post. It's tough to keep the post duties, especially when the colleagues order meat from the canteen. What will I eat for lunch during the post days, something simple that can be made quickly in the evening? Usually I stick with rice and vegetables, but I'm getting a bit tired of it.