According to St Porphyrios, “What saves and makes for good children is the life of the parents in the home…They need to become saints in their relation to their children through their mildness, patience and love.” And as a parent, I feel an immediate doom dart, because of all words that do not describe me, “saint” tops the list. I rarely feel I have the time, energy, or strength required to grow that much spiritually, especially now that I’m a mom. But what if it’s becoming a mom, in itself, that is the both the catalyst and the means of that spiritual growth?

This is a review of the book “A Sacred Beginning: Nurturing Your Mind, Body, and Soul During Baby’s First Forty Days,” by Sarah Brangwynne and Sasha Rose Oxnard. As the authors note, many moms have mixed feelings in regard to the traditional 40 day absence from church after the birth of a new baby. But the book asks us, among other things, to look at the 40 days with this lens: as a special opportunity to grow spiritually, a boost toward becoming the saintly parents St Porphyrios talks about. They reframe the challenges and blessings of motherhood as the very elements that make us into the moms our children need.

This book was released within days of the birth of my fifth child, so I jumped at the chance to review it. But I began reading with deep curiosity. It’s daunting to add one more thing – like reading any book – during the first few weeks after birth, and frankly, anything I do add better be worth it. I’m stupid with sleep deprivation, I’m trying to integrate this new baby and new routine into an already a bustling family life (on a farm, no less!), and I’m recovering from birth. Throw in the postpartum hormonal roller coaster and finding time and inclination to read seems kind of laughable.

But as the authors emphasize, this is a critical period for self-care, and I’d urge the potential reader to include this book as an element of postpartum recovery. These 40 days are meant for just that purpose: we are temporarily excused from some of the rigors of church life, to recover and bond with our new baby, and to rebuild our strength. And it can even be a time of spiritual renewal.

The authors are a mental health counselor and a physician, and both are Orthodox Christians, so when they write about bolstering the health of mind, body, and soul, they know what they are talking about. The material and exercises in the they include are relevant and practical. The book is divided into forty short, daily chapters, which I was able to squeeze into even my busy life. There’s no extraneous material, but it’s written with warmth and empathy. Reading it is like having a coffee chat with a couple of experienced mom friends. Taking a moment, with my baby sleeping on my chest, to read and meditate, was a welcome pause in my day. There is also a companion podcast to supplement some of the exercises.

The book is also organized as a parallel of St John Climacus “Ladder of Divine Ascent,” specially tailored to moms. I loved the way the authors meditated on the unique ways moms can deal with the virtues and vices. Yes – since becoming a mom, I experience avarice in a totally different way (I want to give my children the example of liberal giving, and at the same time I agonize over our budget and the new expenses that come with a family!). I have anxieties I never experienced as a single woman (did anyone else feel the pandemic crisis the way moms did? I doubt it). I also have grown to be able to love in a way I never knew was possible (with the birth of my first child I became unable to see anyone without thinking about how they were once someone’s baby, just like mine – that fundamentally changed how I respond to others). While attention to postpartum mental, emotional and physical recovery is a comfort, the added challenge of this focus helped me recovery my spiritual energy.

This book functioned as a postpartum recovery kit, a toolkit for spiritual growth, and a much-needed excuse to pause for self care in these weeks after my baby’s birth. It’ll be the first gift I think of for mom friends, whether first-timers or experienced mothers, and I look forward to re-reading it, myself. There’s enough comfort and challenge in this book to support me in my mom-life for a long time.

Wonderful product. Nice quality.

I got this book in preparation for the birth of my second child (my first to be born after my family joined the Orthodox Church, so the concept of taking 40 days before returning to church is new to me). The book begins with a section introducing the meaning and purpose of these 40 days that are set apart to allow mothers time and space for their bodies to heal and to bond with their little ones. I appreciated the authors’ attention to intention during this section--this helped me remember that real rest and self-care are rooted in God and nurturing our connection to Him, not mindless escapism.

I also appreciated the prayers that the authors included--at the moment, I’m including the one for pregnant mothers in my prayer rule (saying this prayer has already helped me fight against dark and anxious thoughts!), and it was also helpful to take time to read and think about the prayers for the first day after birth, the eighth day naming prayers, and the churching prayers.

The bulk of the book focuses on each of the forty days one at a time, mainly connecting each day to a passion or maternal virtue. Each of these sections felt like a hug--the authors’ careful words reminding me that my work in caring for such a small human being is valuable, and I should treat it so. Goodness and trust in God will be my salvation now and always.

This is a beautiful book, and I highly recommend it to all new mothers in the Orthodox Church or inquiring. My only reservation is with the authors’ statement that they wrote the book for all Christian mothers--if you are not Orthodox, just be aware that the way the book is written really assumes that you are. As long as you’re okay with that, there is still a lot to be gained from this book (and maybe it will be the beginning of a journey to Orthodoxy for you).

I just finished this book, and as with all good books, it was a bittersweet experience as I turned the last page! I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s recounting of her year-long “walk” in search of a more personal relationship with the Theotokos. As a convert to Orthodoxy, I too have had my difficulties in developing my own relationship with Mary, specifically in remembering that she is ever-present in my life, and can be turned to in every struggle I experience in life.
An added delight of this book is that the author and I are both native Texans, and her descriptions of the life and countryside of West Texas are dead-on. Orthodox Christianity has long struggled to gain a foothold in Texas, and it was comforting to learn that even in the plains of West Texas, a small Orthodox Church blooms alongside the prairie grass and mesquites.

I am somewhat disappointed in this book. Mr. De Young provides very scholarly insights into his subject, but his writing can become very tedious as he delves into the meanings and translations of words, to the detriment, I think, of the subject matter he is trying to present. Call me simple minded, but I was expecting something more user-friendly for those of us wishing to learn more about the background and experiences of the Apostles and their contemporaries, as the young Christian Church developed and gained its bearings following the death and resurrection of our Lord.

Possibly the best pregnancy book I've read! Fertile Grounds provides a beautiful lense to view pregnancy through that is refreshing, and informative. It's helped take some of my fears/anxieties out of having our first child that other books have been either unable to do, or planted the anxieties in my head in the first place. It's a book that will be read through each following (god willing) pregnancy and passed on to my children. This book has further helped me realize the salvation child bearing brings to women kind.

First of all I am converting (sounds funny but true) to Orthodoxy. I wanted a nuts and bolts understanding of Orthodox. This book has given me exactly what I was looking for. It’s an awesome book,

I bought this for my mom and she’s really enjoying it. She said everyone should read it!

It is hardly possible to rate the Bible anything but excellent and this particular edition of Orthodox Study Bible deserves that especially. I like the new hardcover binding, feels very durable. The addition of payers before and after Holy Communion is also very nicely done. Quality of print is great: clear and readable.
All in all thank you, Ancient Faith! Very well done edition.

Perfect mix of prayers for our family, and love the prayers in the back!

Excellent, straightforward look at our faith's continuation through the Second Temple period. Really helps develop a more coherent narrative, during this time period, for the story we live in!
Highly recommend!

Awesome book. The most philosophical thing I have ever read. But at the same time, easy enough to comprehend. I will be reading it. Again!

I found Religion of the Apostles” by Fr. Stephen de Young easy to follow along and understand. I liked the way Fr. Stephen used scripture references to show the New Testament is a continuation of the Old Testament. I think it would be a great tool for priests to use in a Bible study class.

Best prayer book ever. Have bought copies for gifts.

Fantastic quality. Very very happy with it. 5 stars!

My husband had to have this for a seminary class, but he will refer to this for years to come.

What a beautiful story! It pulled me right in and I kept carving out time to read it through in less than 24 hours! Even my husband really enjoyed it. The author has a lovely writing style and creates beautiful imagery. What I took from it was the reminder to be grateful for the "right now". That lesson has continued dancing around in my mind even in the weeks since I read it. Highly recommend!

It’s perfect. Thank you.

Fantastic Biblical study in light of Near Eastern influence on the biblical text, and the Fathers.

I was afraid that my glasses wouldn’t fit but it worked out great