Macrocycle year i
2026–2027 Curriculum
The Great Feasts &
Orthodox Liturgical life
Book Study Companion · The Law of God —
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
Macrocycle Year I introduces students to the Great Feasts and the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church through Scripture, worship, prayer, saints, icons, and Christian life.
Year at a Glance
The 2026–2027 school year is organized around three Sunday teaching terms, with additional Required Anchors following the Church calendar outside the regular terms.
Age Range
Schedule
Term I
Term II
Term III
Book Study Companion
— Approximately 4–14
— Sundays
— September 20 – December 27, 2026
— January 10 – April 25, 2027
— May 9 – June 27, 2027
— The Law of God — Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
Governing Principle
The liturgical year determines the rhythm of the school; the macrocycle determines the breadth of formation.
Formation Overview
Macrocycle Year I develops Orthodox Christian formation through seven recurring strands that connect the Great Feasts, Scripture, worship, prayer, saints, and the life of the Church.
Christ
& Salvation
Learn who Jesus Christ is and how His saving work is revealed throughout the life of the Church.
Theotokos & Incarnation
See how the Mother of God belongs within God’s saving plan and continually points us to Christ.
Liturgical Year & Worship
Follow the rhythm of feasts, fasts, services, and seasons through which the Church lives and worships.
Scripture & Salvation History
Discover how the Old and New Testaments reveal God’s plan of salvation fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Prayer & Christian Life
Grow in prayer, repentance, virtue, and the daily practice of living faithfully as an Orthodox Christian.
Saints & the Heavenly Church
Meet the saints as witnesses, intercessors, and examples of lives transformed through faithfulness to Christ.
Icons, Hymns & Sacred Space
Learn how icons, hymns, and the worship space of the Church teach the faith and draw us into prayer.
The Year in Three Terms
TERM I — Entering the Life of the Church
September 20 – December 27, 2026
Feasts, Saints, Scripture, and Preparation for the Nativity
Term I introduces students to the rhythm of Orthodox Christian life through the Great Feasts, saints, Holy Scripture, icons, angels, fasting, and preparation for the Nativity of Christ.
TERM II — Christ Revealed & The Journey to Pascha
January 10 – April 25, 2027
From the Incarnation and Theophany through Great Lent and Holy Week
Term II begins with the Nativity and Theophany of Christ, then leads students through worship, sacramental life, the pre-Lenten Sundays, Great Lent, the Cross, repentance, the Annunciation, and the approach to Holy Week.
TERM III — Living the Resurrection
May 9 – June 27, 2027
From the Paschal Gospel Cycle to Ascension, Pentecost, and All Saints
Term III continues in the joy of the Resurrection through the Paschal Gospel cycle, then turns toward the Ascension of Christ, Pentecost, the life of the Church in the Holy Spirit, and the universal call to holiness.
Current Lessons
Explore the lessons scheduled throughout the 2026–2027 school year. Lessons are presented in the order of the annual curriculum and follow the rhythm of the Orthodox Church year.
Lesson
1
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
Term I
Required Anchor
September 20, 2026
Lesson
2
Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
Term I
Required Anchor
September 27, 2026
Lesson
3
St. Sergius of Radonezh
Term I
Annual Companion
October 4, 2026
Lesson
4
Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
Term I
Annual Companion
October 11, 2026
Lesson
5
How Orthodox Christians Celebrate a Feast
Term I
Core Support
October 18, 2026
Lesson
6
Holy Scripture in the Life of the Church
Term I
Core Support
October 25, 2026
Lesson
7
Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke
Term I
Annual Companion
November 1, 2026
Lesson
8
Great Martyr Demetrius — What Is a Martyr?
Term I
Annual Companion
November 8, 2026
Lesson
9
Learning to Read a Festal Icon
Term I
Core Support
November 15, 2026
Lesson
10
Archangel Michael and the Bodiless Powers
Term I
Core Support
November 22, 2026
Lesson
11
Nativity Fast — Preparing for Christ
Term I
Core Support
November 29, 2026
Lesson
12
Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos
Term I
Required Anchor
December 6, 2026
Lesson
13
Prophets and the Promise of the Messiah
Term I
Core Support
December 13, 2026
Lesson
14
St. Nicholas
Term I
Annual Companion
December 20, 2026
Lesson
15
Sunday of the Holy Forefathers
Term I
Annual Companion
December 27, 2026
Lesson
16
Nativity of Christ
Term II
Required Anchor
January 10, 2027
Lesson
17
Theophany
Term II
Required Anchor
January 17, 2027
Lesson
18
Holy Water, Baptism, and the Blessing of Creation
Term II
Core Support
January 24, 2027
Lesson
19
Troparia and Kontakia — How the Church Teaches Through Hymns
Term II
Core Support
January 31, 2027
Lesson
20
The Temple — Meeting God in Orthodox Worship
Term II
Core Support
February 7, 2027
Lesson
21
Meeting of the Lord — Receiving and Seeking Christ
Term II
Required Anchor
February 14, 2027
Lesson
22
Publican and Pharisee
Term II
Annual Companion
February 21, 2027
Lesson
23
Prodigal Son
Term II
Annual Companion
February 28, 2027
Lesson
24
Last Judgment
Term II
Annual Companion
March 7, 2027
Lesson
25
Forgiveness Sunday and the Expulsion from Paradise
Term II
Annual Companion
March 14, 2027
Lesson
26
Sunday of Orthodoxy
Term II
Annual Companion
March 21, 2027
Lesson
27
St. Gregory Palamas
Term II
Annual Companion
March 28, 2027
Lesson
28
Sunday of the Precious Cross
Term II
Annual Companion
April 4, 2027
Lesson
29
Annunciation
Term II
Required Anchor
April 11, 2027
Lesson
30
St. Mary of Egypt
Term II
Annual Companion
April 18, 2027
Lesson
31
Lazarus, Palm Sunday, and the Beginning of Holy Week
Term II
Required Anchor
April 25, 2027
Lesson
32
St. Thomas Sunday
Term III
Annual Companion
May 9, 2027
Lesson
33
Myrrh-bearing Women
Term III
Annual Companion
May 16, 2027
Lesson
34
Paralytic
Term III
Annual Companion
May 23, 2027
Lesson
35
Samaritan Woman
Term III
Annual Companion
May 30, 2027
Lesson
36
Blind Man
Term III
Annual Companion
June 6, 2027
Lesson
37
Ascension and the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council
Term III
Required Anchor
June 13, 2027
Lesson
38
Pentecost — The Holy Spirit and the Church
Term III
Required Anchor
June 20, 2027
Lesson
39
All Saints — The Call to Holiness
Term III
Annual Companion
June 27, 2027
The Liturgical Year Continues
Beyond the Classroom
Some important feasts fall outside the regular teaching terms but remain part of the Year I curriculum. These Required Anchors follow the Church calendar and continue the school’s formation beyond the scheduled Sunday sessions.
Holy Pascha
May 2, 2027
Required Anchor
Transfiguration of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
August 6/19, 2027
Required Anchor
Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
August 15/28, 2027
Required Anchor
Supplemental &
Extension Resources
Additional resources may be used to enrich or extend the Year I curriculum. These materials support the core lessons without replacing the primary lesson sequence or Required Anchors.
Lesson-specific optional materials appear with their related lessons. Standalone supplemental resources are available in the school’s Supplemental Resources library.
Book Study Companion
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
The Law of God
Throughout Macrocycle Year I, The Law of God serves as a Book Study Companion to the St. Sergius School curriculum. Individual lessons direct teachers and families to selected readings corresponding with the week’s feast, Scripture, doctrine, prayer, worship, or Christian life.
Written for study at home and school, The Law of God provides a broad introduction to Orthodox Christian faith and life, including the Old and New Testaments, prayer, worship, the Commandments and Beatitudes, and the Divine Services of the Church.
Access note: St. Sergius School provides reading references to The Law of God but does not reproduce or distribute the copyrighted text. Readers should consult an authorized copy of the work.