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THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRICHARCATE ST. GEORGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM
GRADE ONE
Revised Edition 2005
PREPARATION AND WRITING Father Rueiss Awad St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church Toronto, Canada.
To Order Write To St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church 141 Bond Avenue Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M3B 1M1 (416) 444-1092 or (416) 447-0108
Copyright © 2005 by St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church All rights reserved No portion of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form without a written permission from St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
To my blessed two sons: Hegomain Fr. Marcous Elias Abdel Massih and Hegomain Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty.
Peace and love be with you.
Dr. Mahfouz has visited me and brought with him the suggested Sunday school curriculum for the land of immigration. I have studied with him the basic topics of the curriculum without getting into details. Although that I have pointed out some concerns on the doctrine and dogma curriculum, it is clear that the amount of work spent on preparing the curriculum is huge and worth thanking. Nonetheless, the Bible study part of the curriculum needs to be increased. God willing, I will also send you additional details on this curriculum.
May the Lord bless all the effort that our son Mahfouz has done in preparing the Sunday school curriculum, in collecting the relevant topics, and in performing the translation of subjects. May the Lord also bless all those who have joined him in preparing this project and those who revised the topics.
Let our goal be performing our best to try and arrive at perfection given what we have from abilities. Lastly, I would also suggest the addition of different recognized pictures according to our doctrine, dogma and history to the Sunday school curriculum.
May the Lord be with you. Be in peace.
Signed
Pope Shenouda III 22 August 1986 The feast of St. Mary
TABLE OF CONTENTS
JESUS HEALS SIMON’S MOTHER-IN-LAW “THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE CROSS” THE LORD JESUS AND THE FISHERMEN ABRAHAM INVITED THE LORD AND TWO ANGELS THE LORD JESUS VISITS MARY AND MARTHA THE BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST IS ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS IS ANNOUNCED ST. MARY VISITS ST. ELIZABETH AND MARY’S SONG OF PRAISE THE NEW YEAR - WE SAY THANK YOU TO GOD AND BABY JESUS WAS BORN IN A MANGER Christmas songs and slide presentation. The Power of Christ in His Crucifixion The Lord Jesus Granted Mary Magdalene Joy Instead of Sadness Let us be Kind to the Disabled God is the Source of Every Good Gift Solomon Built a Temple for the Lord The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector God Expects Believers to Serve Him God Expects Believers to Perform Miracles Free of Charge The Virgin Mary and the Life of Obedience God Gives His People Power ( I ) God Gives His People Power ( II ) God Gives His People POWER (III)
INTRODUCTION
Teaching in Grades 1 (age 5 to 6 years)
1) This age is characterized by an important mental development. A sense of cause and effect is developed, an ability to organize and classify and an interest in simple planning and carrying out of a plan. We can see this reflected in their play.
2) There is now a far more clear consciousness of “justice” than there has been before. The instinct of ownership was already present at an earlier age, but now there is a fairly clear understanding of what is “mine” and “not mine”. Along with the sense of “law” and conscious “law breaking” there is a growth, a development of finer feelings: compassion, desire to protect someone weaker than oneself and acceptance of certain moral standards.
3) Children in this age will show interest in cause and effect, and, in listening to Bible stories, will show interest in God’s plan for the world.
4) The story must be given as a story without too many comments. Lessons should be accompanied by hymns and class activities such as colouring, cutting and pasting pictures, etc.
5) Though it is too early to discuss with children the problem of suffering, and especially the suffering of the innocent, it is sometimes unavoidable. We can establish in their minds the image of the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who was innocent and accepted suffering, except that His suffering and death were not the end, because He rose from the dead. If the children have really assimilated the Passion and the Resurrection, we have provided them with a basis for a Christian approach to the problem of suffering. They will have to deal intellectually with it at a later age.
6) In addition to all the above, the teacher should: start from simple to the more difficult facts, from the known to the unknown and from the total to the parts and back to the total again. Children should love the teacher, the class, the lesson and come very anxiously to class.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
SEPTEMBERFIRST SUNDAY
JESUS HEALS SIMON’S MOTHER-IN-LAW
Please read Luke 4:38-41 and Mark 1:29-34, and give lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To concentrate on our Lord Jesus’ power to heal us when we are sick. We must ask Him in our prayers to heal all of our illnesses.
MEMORY VERSE:
“He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them” Luke 4:40
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V In several miracles, our Beloved Jesus proved His authority and power over the evil spirits by casting them out of people. Please read Luke 4:31-37. Now, in this lesson we learn that Jesus has authority and power over a person’s body and spirit.
V “But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever….” (Luke 4:38). When one person in the house is sick, all the people in the house feel sorry for him/her and try to help him/her; but, how could the people in Simon’s house help his mother-in-law with a high fever? They did the right thing. They called on the true physician of our souls and bodies. “And they made request of Him concerning her”.
V Jesus accepted their request immediately “and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she rose and served them”. So, as Jesus was ordering the evil spirits to leave the man at the synagogue (Luke 4:33), He also ordered the fever to leave Simon’s mother-in-law.
V Simon’s mother-in-law was not just healed at once, but she also became strong enough to get up and serve them immediately. A total change happened to her with the healing touch of our Lord Jesus. He is our true physician.
V As the news spread about the miracles of our Lord, all who had sick friends with various diseases brought them to the Lord Jesus. He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
Our Beloved Jesus is very kind and He loves us. As well, He is the Son of God and He has full power and authority to heal the sick people. So, if mom or dad is sick we entreat our Lord Jesus to heal them. Remember what St. Mary said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
SONGS King of Kings
“And His name will be called…Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6)
King of kings and Lord of Lords Glory, Alleluia.
Jesus, Prince of Peace Glory, Alleluia.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
SEPTEMBER SECOND SUNDAY
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
We should never be afraid to declare that we are Christians. Our grandfathers were strong and they were ready to give up their lives for the name of Christ. They never denied that they were Christians.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Lord! Do not charge them with this sin” Acts 7:60
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V The Coptic Year (also known as the old Egyptian year) has 13 months. The Western Year has 12 months, Let us try to memorize the names of the months in each calendar. The Julian calendar has January, February, March... up to December. The Coptic calendar has Tout, Baba, Hatour, Kyahek, Touba, Amshier, Baramehat, Baramouda, Bashense, Baouna, Abiba, Messra and El-Nassey,
V The Coptic Year always starts in September around the beginning of the school year.
V Who is a martyr? A martyr is a person who by his/her own free will is ready to witness the truth of his/her faith in front of anyone, even if it is going to cost his/her life on earth. In return he/she gains eternal life for themselves. A martyr is a person who loves the Lord Jesus from the fullness of his/her heart and everything he/she does or says shows his/her deep love for the Lord.
V The first martyr was St. Stephen.
V Tell them the story of St. Stephen. (Teachers, please do not emphasize the suffering part. Rather than that, emphasize that he was full of the Holy Spirit and his face was bright.)
Read Acts 6:1-15 and Acts 7:54-60.
V In order to dedicate themselves “for prayer and ministry of the word”, the twelve disciples chose seven deacons to look after the distribution of food to the poor and similar types of services. The deacons they chose were “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”. Stephen was the head of these seven deacons. “And they chose St. Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 6:5).
V St. Stephen, full of faith and power, did great miracles among the people. Some of the non-Christians were jealous but they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which St. Stephen spoke.
V The jealous people took St. Stephen to the council for trial saying that he spoke against God and Moses. Of course St. Stephen did not do that.
V St. Stephen was very polite when he was speaking to the council. He started by saying: “Men, brethren and fathers, listen” (Acts 7:2). He then explained to them that he did not say anything against God or Moses and what he was saying was that they killed the Lord Jesus who is the Son of God (Jesus arose from the dead after three days). So, St. Stephen was witnessing the truth of his faith in front of this powerful council, but he was not afraid. They stoned him.
V St. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He was very anxious to go to heaven. So he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and for those who were stoning him: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” (Acts 7:59-60)
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. We must love everyone even those who do bad things to us. We must pray for them as St. Stephen did, seeking the forgiveness of the people who were stoning him.
2. We must never be scared to declare that we are Christians in front of anyone. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
SONGS I AM A CHRISTIAN
“And they shall reign forever and ever.”
I am a C. I am a C.H. I am a C.H.R.I.S.T.I.A.N. And I have C.H.R.I.S.T In my H.E.A.R.T. And I will L.I.V.E. E.T.E.R.N.A.L.L.Y.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
IN MEMORY OF OUR MARTYRS * EL-NAYROUZ FEAST
V El-Nayrouz feast is the beginning of the Egyptian year. The Egyptian year is a very old one. The ancient Pharaohs created this system 5000 years before the birth of the Lord Jesus, naming its months after the names of their ancient Egyptian Gods. The Egyptian year has 13 months; they are: Tout, Baba, Hatour, Kyahek, Touba, Amshier, Baramehat, Baramouda, Bashense, Baouna, Abiba, Messra and El-Nassey. Each month is 30 days; except the last month, El-Nassey, which is only 5 or 6 days (the minor month).
V Up until now, the Egyptian farmers are using the Coptic Year system in their timing for agriculture.
V Egypt had only used the Egyptian year system until the French came to Egypt in the era of Ismail Pasha and introduced the Western year system (January, February, etc.).
V In the years of Diocletian, in which the numbers of martyrs increased tremendously, the Egyptian year became known as “Martyrs’ Year” ever since.
V The Church celebrates these special days, the “NAYROUZ FEAST” which is the “MARTYRS FEAST”. This celebration continues for 17 days until the “CROSS FEAST.”
* Note: This article is taken from “Sout El-Rahi” magazine, St. George Church, Alexandria, Egypt, September 1975.
NOTES _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
SEPTEMBER THIRD SUNDAY
JESUS FEEDS THE HUNGRY PEOPLE
Please read Mark 6:30-44, John 6:1-3, the attached hand-out entitled Jesus Feeds the Hungry People, and give lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn from the boy who had the two fish and five loaves. Give what you have to the Lord Jesus so that He blesses them and gives them back to us many, many times more.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Those sitting down had as much as they wanted” John 6:11
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V The Lord Jesus Christ sent His 12 Disciples to various towns to preach the word of God. After they returned, they met Him and told Him all they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that our Lord Jesus and His Disciples did not have time to eat. So He said to them: “Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest for a while.” So, the Disciples obeyed Him and they started out in a boat by themselves to an isolated place. They were tired, hungry and had no food with them.
V When the Lord Jesus Christ and His Disciples arrived at their isolated destination, they found the people already there waiting for Jesus to hear His instruction about their current problems and about their salvation and eternal life. The Lord Jesus was not angry because they followed Him and His Disciples. They were all very happy and the time went by so fast. V It was getting very late, the Disciples were very tired and hungry and the people were hungry as well. All this was in an isolated place. The Disciples said to the Lord “send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat”. But He answered and said to them: “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:36-37).
V There was an obedient boy among the crowd who gave up his lunch to Jesus.
V With the boy’s lunch and Jesus’ power, our Lord Jesus and His Disciples fed the 5000 people. “So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish” (Mark 6:42-43).
V This shows that with the blessing of God, there are no more needs. They did not throw away the left over food, but they filled twelve baskets.
V The people wanted to make Jesus their King after this miracle, not knowing that Jesus’ kingdom was in Heaven.
V Our Lord Jesus showed His power over the world of matter as He showed his power over the wind, the sea, the evil spirits and all types of diseases. But most important is the example of feeding the 5000 people from 5 loaves and 2 fish. His power is exemplified in creating food out of nothing: as He created from the beginning all things from nothing “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:3) WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. As the Lord Jesus and His Disciples went to a deserted place to take rest after all the preaching that they had done, we must also realize that there is time to pray, time to study, time to play, time to eat and time to take rest.
2. Our Lord Jesus can do everything and we must put our trust in Him. The only thing we must do is to obey Him as the boy obeyed and gave Him his lunch.
INTO MY HEART
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Heb 4:7)
Into my heart into my heart Come into my heart Lord Jesus
Into my heart into my heart Come into my heart Lord Jesus
Recitation Curriculum:
Please look at the recitation
curriculum at the end of this book.
“Come, let’s go to a quiet place to rest”, said the Lord Jesus to His tired friends. But when they came to the quiet place, crowds of people were waiting for them!
The Lord Jesus was tired, but He knew the people wanted to hear about God; And He loved them. So He began to tell them about God and how to obey Him.
What Jesus had said was so interesting that the people stayed untill supper time.
“Look”: Jesus’ friends said to Him; “It’s late. Here we are far from any town. Why don’t you send the people away to get food?” “You feed them,” said the Lord Jesus. “Why, two hundred denarii worth of bread would not buy enough for them!” said Philip.
“A boy here has five little loaves of bread and two fish,” said Andrew. “But what are they among so many people?”
“Make the people sit down” said the Lord Jesus. Everyone sat quietly on the grass as Jesus bowed His head to thank God for the food. Then Jesus broke the little loaves and fish and dropped the pieces into His friends’ baskets. Then Jesus said, “Give the food to the peop1e.” The men gave each person some bread and fish. But there was more! The people kept taking bread and fish out of the baskets and yet there was more left. When the people had all they wanted, there were still twelve baskets left over!
Only Jesus, the Son of God, could make food in this wonderful way!
SEPTEMBER FOURTH SUNDAY
“THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE CROSS”
Please read the attached materials entitled "The Appearance of the Cross in the Sky", "The Feast Of The Elevation Of The Cross" and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To familiarize the children with making the sign of the Cross and the Cross celebrations. The Cross is a sign of victory and power.
MEMORY VERSE:
“He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” Matthew 10:38
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V When I cross myself, I first put my fingers on my forehead saying, “in the Name of the Father” (thus remembering that my heavenly Father is up in heaven). Secondly, I put my fingers on my stomach saying, “and the Son” (thus remembering that our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God was born from St. Mary and the Holy Spirit). Thirdly, I move my fingers from the left shoulder to the right one saying, “and the Holy Spirit” (thus remembering that the Holy Spirit who is inside me since I was baptized, guides me and leads me to move from the left side, i.e., the bad side, to the right side, i.e., the good side, and become a good person).
V Describe the three appearances of the shining cross in the sky (as in the attached sheets).
When the people saw the shining cross in the sky they were encouraged and had hope of victory, no matter how great the difficulties were. Hence, the Cross became a sign of victory and power.
Every appearance of the Cross was accompanied by miracles.
V You should have a Cross with you and have one in your room. Spend a few minutes daily looking at the Cross with our Beloved Jesus on it and remember that the Lord Jesus has His arms opened to accept anyone who comes to Him.
V The Jews were defeated by Jesus and His Cross. So many miracles were performed through the Cross, in Jesus’ tomb. Of course Jesus’ body was not there because He had risen from death. The Jews thought that by hiding the Cross under a big pile of dirt they would get rid of its power. The opposite happened. At the right time St. Helene came, found the Cross, and built a big church on that Cross. Christians frequently visit that church seeking the blessings of the Cross.
V Salvation and forgiveness were provided on the Cross. Our Lord Jesus Christ secured our salvation by His death on the Cross for us.
V The Cross is a sign of strength because the devil is afraid of the Cross.
V When the Apostles (like St. Paul and St. Peter) preached Christianity, they were talking about the Cross.
V Our church celebrates the Cross’ feast twice every year.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. Every time we cross ourselves we must remember what it means. It means we remember and live in the love of the Holy Trinity (the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit). We also remember that the Lord Jesus loves us to the extent that He died for us on the Cross.
2. Every time we cross ourselves, we trust that we are in company with Christ and thus we should not fear anything. We should especially cross ourselves before we sleep and before entering a dark place.
SONGS MY CROSS
My cross, my cross my glory is in you! I place you on my bosom and in my bedroom too.
REFRAIN My cross, my cross you’re made of lowly wood But in my heart, my cross you’re more precious than gold
My cross, my cross is with me everywhere I sign you every morning and whenever I fear
My cross, my cross My victory’s in you the pledge of my success in whatever I do
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE CROSS IN THE SKY
This happened three times:
1. The FIRST time, the Cross appeared in the sky to Emperor Constantine the Great, to encourage him while he prepared to go to war. He and his officers saw it like a pillar of light in the sky surrounded by the following words: “With it (the Cross) you will conquer!’ Constantine was encouraged, became a Christian, went to war and was victorious.
2. The SECOND appearance of the Cross was to Aelius Caesar on the doors of the city of Antakia. It appeared in the East like a pillar of light, which startled all those who saw it.
3. The Cross appeared again for the THIRD time to all the people of Jerusalem. This happened in the sacred days of the Pentecostal Feast; to be exact, on the 8th of May 351 A.D, at 3:00 pm (about 9:00 am) a big Cross appeared in the sky on Golgotha stretching to the Mount of Olives, It was very clear and was seen not only by one or two people, but by the entire population of the city as well. It remained for many hours shining brighter than the rays of the sun. The whole city came out to see the apparition. People were astounded, scared, but with great joy they witnessed that heavenly scene. Old and young, men and women of all ages, Christians and non-Christians, from all places praised Jesus Christ, our Lord.
THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE CROSS *
In the Cross-day Feast we remember the appearance of the glorious Cross of Jesus Christ our Lord. When the Jews found out the very large number of miracles done in the name of the Lord Jesus’ tomb, they became angry and asked everyone in the Jewish country to collect all the dirty things and their garbage and put it on top of the tomb. The Jews continued to do that for over 200 years until a very large pile of dirt and dust was formed. Saint Helene, the mother of King Constantine, went to Jerusalem and asked about the location of the Cross. Nobody told her until she met an old man who told her that the Cross is underneath the pile of dirt, She then ordered that the pile of dirt be removed, It was then easy to expose the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ. Afterwards she built a church on that site and the Christian people continue to visit the Cross and the Church.
St. Helene undertook that task because she loved the Cross, since it had appeared to her son, King Constantine, before he went to war and he subsequently won that war.
* NOTE: This article is extracted from “Sout El Rahi” magazine, St. George Church, Alexandria, Egypt, September 1974.
NOTES _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
OCTOBERFIRST SUNDAY
A LAME MAN IS HEALED
Please read Acts 3:1-11 and Acts 4:5-21 and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
V To learn about the power that St. Peter had in healing the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ.
V To learn that the bad people were angry because St. Peter helped the man to walk again.
MEMORY VERSE:
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” Acts 3:6
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V St. Peter and St. John, two of the Lord Jesus’ twelve Disciples, were entering the temple to pray. At the gate of the temple, which is called “Beautiful”, they saw a poor man who was lame (i.e. could not walk) since birth.
V The poor man was expecting some money. St. Peter instead gave him a much better gift; he healed him by the power of God.
V St. Peter said to the poor man: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” This clearly shows us that the power of healing the lame man is “in the name of Jesus Christ”. The name of Jesus Christ itself is a blessed name that gives comfort and healing power. Later on, the Jewish leaders asked St. Peter, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” (Acts 4:7); St. Peter answered them saying: “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified” (Acts 4:10).
V If St. Peter had all the money in the world, it could not enable him to heal others, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, he healed the lame man.
V After the man was healed, he praised the Lord: “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple, with them - walking, leaping and praising God” (Acts 3:8).
V We have to praise the name of the Lord always. We must thank the Lord and praise His Holy name at all times and in all situations.
V The bad people took St. John and St. Peter to be judged in front of the Jewish leaders.
V St. Peter was full of the Holy Spirit and answered them. He was not afraid.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. The power that was given to St. Peter to heal the lame man is given to him from our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why St. Peter said: “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk”. Every time we need any help we must ask our Lord Jesus and He will give us all our needs.
2. When the Lord Jesus answers our prayers and gives us our needs, we must thank Him, praise Him and go to church (as the lame man went to the temple) and glorify His Holy name because He has mercy on us.
COLOURING
SONGS FATHER I ADORE YOU
“ FOR THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR WITNESS IN HEAVEN: THE FATHER, THE WORD, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT; AND THESE THREE ARE ONE.” (1jn 5:7)
Father I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Jesus I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Spirit I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Three in one I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
OCTOBER SECOND SUNDAYTHANKSGIVING TO GOD
Please read the story of the ten lepers, Luke 17:11-19, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn to let us count our blessings and be thankful at all times even when we are sick.
MEMORY VERSE:
“And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks,” Luke 17:16
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V We must be thankful to God at all times even if we are sick or have a problem.
V Let us count our blessings: Jesus came for us and He secured our salvation on the Cross. He gave us a happy life. He gave us hands, legs, eyes, ears, etc. and He also gave us a nice church to pray in.
V Tell and read the story of the ten lepers.
V The lepers were rejected by all people. When they saw the Lord Jesus they could not get close to Him but they knew that His power could heal them and they shouted loudly saying: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13). This proves that they had faith in the Lord Jesus’ ability and authority to heal them. Also, they showed their respect to Him by calling Him Master. The title Master was designated, at this time, for the most knowledgeable people in the society.
V Only one of the ten people came back to Jesus, praising God in a loud voice (i.e. he was very happy). He fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet giving Him thanks.
V The man who came back was a Samaritan.
V The Samaritans were thought to be wicked people who did not believe in God and the Jewish people used to ignore the Samaritans. However this Samaritan who thanked God was better than the other Jewish lepers who were healed with him. This teaches us not to ignore anyone or insult anyone regardless of his/her race or religion.
V Let us read a part of the prayer of Thanksgiving: “Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, supported us, preserved us, accepted us unto Him, had compassion on us, sustained us, and brought us to this hour”.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
In our daily lives, we say “thank you” to anyone who does us a favor. Let us develop the attitude of being thankful to God at all times.
FATHER I ADORE YOU
“FOR THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR WITNESS IN HEAVEN: THE FATHER, THE WORD, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THESE THREE ARE ONE.” (1Jn 5:7)
Father I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Jesus I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Spirit I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Three in one I adore you Lay my life before You How I love You.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
OCTOBER THIRD SUNDAY
SAINT PETER AND THE SHEKEL
Please read Matthew 17:24-27, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To try our best to avoid offending others or creating any problems for other people.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first” Matthew 17:27
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V When St. Peter came home he was sad because he did not have money to pay the taxes. Our Lord Jesus knew what was on St. Peter’s mind before he said anything and started by asking him: “What do you think Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take taxes, from their own sons or from strangers?” St. Peter answered: “from strangers”. Our Lord Jesus said to him: “Then the Sons are free”. This means a king collects taxes from strangers not from his own sons. Similarly, these taxes were collected for the church, i.e., for God. But the Lord Jesus is the Son of God and hence He should not have to pay taxes to the church (i.e., to God). Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus gave up His right and agreed to give the taxes because He knew that it was difficult to convince people that He is the Son of God before His death and Resurrection. To avoid any problems with the people, He agreed to pay the taxes.
V The Lord Jesus used the fish of the sea to give them a shekel, which is equivalent to four coins. Two coins for St. Peter and two for the Lord Jesus were paid as taxes.
V From this we learn that Jesus was poor by His own choice since He did not have even this small amount of money to pay the taxes. However, He can use His power as the Son of God to order some of His creatures to come up with the money.
V When we have any need, all we have to do is come to God and He will use His own ways and means to help us. St. Peter could not imagine that his Master the Lord Jesus Christ was going to use the fish to provide the money.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. We must learn to be nice to people and avoid causing any problems with them, especially when it comes to money or toys or other material things. Our Lord Jesus did not have to pay taxes, but He did so in order not to offend the people.
2. We must learn from St. Peter to have faith and be obedient to God. When the Lord Jesus asked St. Peter to cast a hook and take the fish that comes up first, open its mouth and take out a piece of money and pay for them both; St. Peter did not hesitate. St. Peter obeyed because he had faith in the Lord’s power.
SONGSPETER AND JAMES AND JOHN
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mat4:19)
Peter and James and John and the fishermen (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
They went fishing, they caught nothing (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
Then came Jesus walking on the water (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
Then the boat was filled with fish (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
NOTES _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
OCTOBER FOURTH SUNDAY
THE LORD JESUS AND THE FISHERMEN
Please read Luke 5:1-11, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn that the Lord takes care of us and gives us our needs.
MEMORY VERSE:
“At Your word I will let down the nets” Luke 5:5
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Please tell the miracle as in Luke 5:1-11 and ask questions as you go along.
V Many people had gathered to hear the Lord Jesus speak. In order to be heard by more people, our Lord Jesus sat in Simon’s boat, which was a short distance from the shore. Finally, at the end of the day, the people were about to go home. Among these people was Simon (Peter) who was worried because he could not catch any fish all night and he had a family to support. Can you imagine how Simon would feel, entering his house without any food for his family? But Jesus did not let this happen, especially because Simon lent Him his ship from which He taught the people.
V When God gives us, He gives us in abundance but we have to listen and do what we are asked to do even if we do not agree.
V St. Peter said: “At Your word I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). St. Peter was not convinced that there was still a chance for him to catch any fish after he spent the whole night trying. Remember that St. Peter was a good fisherman who knew his job very well. But, despite all this St. Peter listened and obeyed the Lord Jesus and was rewarded with a tremendous catch.
V “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”, said St. Peter (Luke 5:8). He implied that he did not deserve this kindness of Jesus our Lord to enter his ship and do this miracle for him.
V Do we deserve to come to church? Yes we do. But only when we do what we are told to do in the church and when we respect the house of God.
V Peter, James and John left all the fish they caught and followed the Lord Jesus because they saw the miracle and believed that He was God.
V Explain the memory verse: as we depend on God in what we do, He will help us. Even if we do not understand or are not convinced about what He is asking us to do, we must apply “At Your word...” and then obey Him.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. All things are in God’s hands. We must knock on His door and He will open for us and give us all our needs. God will never leave us needy if we ask Him.
2. Like St. Peter, we must obey the Lord and His commandments in the Holy Bible even if we do not understand them.
PETER AND JAMES AND JOHN
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mat4:19)
Peter and James and John and the fishermen (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
They went fishing, they caught nothing (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
Then came Jesus walking on the water (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
Then the boat was filled with fish (3) Out in the deep blue sea.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
OCTOBER FIFTH SUNDAY
ABRAHAM INVITED THE LORD AND TWO ANGELS
Please read Genesis 18:1-15, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn that the Lord is so kind and He
is ready to enter our lives. Let us be ready
MEMORY VERSE:
“Sarah your wife shall have a son” Genesis 18:10
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Abraham was sad because he did not have any children. He asked God to give him a son. God said to Abraham that He is going to give him children more than the number of the stars in the sky. Now, Abraham was happy because he believed that God would do what He said. Please read Genesis 15:1-7. Then He brought him outside and said: “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5).
V Abraham became very old. Sarah, his wife, was very old too. They were too old to have a baby. But God promised that He would give them a little boy.
V Three men came to visit Abraham. When Abraham saw the three men he ran to meet them even though he was so old and the afternoon was very hot. Abraham knew that the three men had come to visit him from heaven. One of these Men was God Himself accompanied by two Angels. He asked them to come and eat with him.
V They were so kind and accepted his invitation and ate with him.
V God always keeps His promises. He told Abraham and Sarah that He would still keep His promise to give them a child even though they were very old.
V Sarah laughed because she could not believe she could have a baby.
V How do we receive our visitors? Do we share our toys with them? Do we try our best to make sure that they spend a nice time at our place?
V Tell the story of Zaccheus when he invited Jesus to his house, (Luke 19:1-10). “So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully” (Luke 19:6).
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. We must be kind to our visitors and make sure they are very comfortable when they are in our home. Abraham honoured his visitors and gained God’s blessing.
2. We must trust God. Whenever we ask Him something we must be patient until He gives it to us. Just as God always keeps his promises, we must also keep our promises to others.
SONGS King of Kings “And His name will be called…Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6)
King of kings and Lord of Lords Glory, Alleluia.
Jesus, Prince of Peace Glory, Alleluia.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
NOVEMBERFIRST SUNDAY
THE LORD JESUS VISITS MARY AND MARTHA
Please read Luke 10:38-42, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below. (Let the children read in the class).
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
MEMORY VERSE:
“Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Our Beloved Jesus is very kind. He came for us and saved us. We must love Him and listen to His words as Mary did.
V Mary chose to sit at the Lord Jesus’ feet. Martha was serving but the Lord Jesus called her to do like Mary.
V We have to give time to God. We pray at home, we read the Bible and we go to church (the House of God) to pray as well.
V If we choose to be with our Lord Jesus, then He will be with us forever. He will give us happiness, peace and fulfill all our needs.
V The Lord Jesus called Martha twice to draw her attention to the fact that staying with Him is better than being too busy with worldly matters. It is not fitting that while the Lord Jesus is in the house to get busy with something else. Similarly, when we are in the church, we must not get busy with something else, except the Master of the house Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
V Remind the children that Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus who died and was resurrected by our Lord Jesus after 4 days. Please tell the story briefly.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. Let us learn from Mary not to get too busy with our toys or friends or anything to the extent that we forget to read the Bible every day and listen to the words of God. In fact, we should read the Bible more than just once a day.
2. When we pray or read the Bible or come to church, we must not get distracted with anything or anyone else except the Lord Himself. Let us only pay attention to Him as Mary did.
SONGS Mary and Martha
“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Lk10:42)
Jesus entered a house of Mary and Martha Martha to the kitchen rushed to fix him something to eat
Mary stayed in the ground kneeling at Jesus’ feet Opening her heart and ear in Him she found peace
Martha was quite upset at Mary she threw a fit And she started complaining that Mary was not caring
Jesus praised Mary what she did was really neat But He was not really pleased with Martha’s great big Feast
When Jesus is anywhere talking and preaching We should always be right there listening and learning
Also when we go to church with Jesus we all meet We should always be quite everybody in his seat
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
NOVEMBER SECOND SUNDAY
OUR LOVE TO THE LORD JESUS
Please read John 19:25-27 and Luke 24:1-12, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
MEMORY VERSE:
“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God” 1John 4:16
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Please tell the following three stories showing some examples of people’s love for Jesus our Lord:
1. Despite all the dangers that were prevailing at the time of the crucifixion, John (one of the twelve Disciples) followed his Master, the Lord Jesus, to the Cross. The Lord Jesus loved him and indicated that St. Mary would be as a mother to him. So, when we love the Lord Jesus and show that love in our actions, He rewards us back very kindly. Please read John 19:25-27 and tell the story in details.
2. The Marys went to Jesus’ tomb with the spices which they had prepared. They exposed themselves to a lot of dangers because of the Jews who hated the Lord Jesus and all His followers. But their love for the Lord Jesus was too great and they expressed it by carrying the spices to His tomb. In return for their love, Jesus sent two angels who told them about the happy news of His Resurrection. Please read Luke 24:1-12 and tell the story in details.
3. When our Lord Jesus visited Mary and Martha (the sisters of Lazarus), Mary was sitting at His feet listening to His words. Please read Luke 10:38-42 and tell the story in details.
V We love our Lord Jesus because He loved us first; He came for us, suffered for us, arose from the dead and ascended to heaven to take us with Him.
V If we love Jesus we have to love each other and help each other. We must be kind to one another; we must not be aggressive with people; we must share everything with people and we must give to others who need help.
V If we love Jesus Christ, our Lord, we must listen to what He asks us to do: obey our parents, pray, love all people and be quiet in church.
V St. John (who wrote the Gospel according to St. John) is called “John the Beloved” because he was the one who put his head on the Lord Jesus’ shoulder at the last supper. He also wrote about love more than anyone else.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
We have to show our love for the Lord Jesus by our actions not just in words. We must respect the church (His house): no running, laughing or screaming. We must give money to the poor as the Lord Jesus called them His brothers, visit the sick and help the needy. The reward from the Lord Jesus is peace and joy here on earth and eternal life in heaven.
SONGS INTO MY HEART
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Heb 4:7)
Into my heart into my heart Come into my heart Lord Jesus
Into my heart into my heart Come into my heart Lord Jesus
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
NOTES _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
NOVEMBER THIRD SUNDAY
SAMUEL’S LOVE FOR GOD
Please read the attached material
“Samuel’s Love for God”, 1 Samuel Chapters 1, 2 and 3, and give the lesson
with emphasis on the points below. PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
MEMORY VERSE:
“Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” 1 Samuel 3:9
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Anna was miserable because she was barren. She prayed to God and made a vow that if God granted her a son, she would give him back to the Lord to serve Him all the days of his life.
V Anna fulfilled her vow to God. After the child Samuel was weaned she sent him to Eli, the priest, to serve God for the rest of his life.
V After Anna gave Samuel to God, God gave her three more Sons and two daughters. Remember, in the previous lesson, we learned that if we give something to God, He rewards us back very kindly.
V Samuel was very honest in serving at the altar: he was cleaning, straightening the books and praying.
V One night God called Samuel 3 times. Samuel loved God and he was ready to do anything for God; so Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.”
V Eli the priest had bad sons who did not obey God. When God talked to Samuel He told him that He is going to punish Eli’s house for the bad things they were doing. When Eli asked Samuel what the Lord had said, Samuel hesitated to tell him such a thing. But when Eli insisted, Samuel told him, and Eli realized it was God’s will. So, Samuel was honest and did not lie no matter what might happen.
V As Samuel grew, he loved God more and more. God was with him and all Israel recognized him as a prophet.
V Explain the meaning of the word prophet. A prophet is a person who loves God and is considered by people to be a spokesman of God. God may give him the talent of foreseeing the future, in order to warn people about important events before they happen.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
We must love God and be ready to serve Him in whatever way He asks us. Like Samuel, we can serve God by serving our church, which is the house of God; we can put the books in order, prepare the candles for Abouna and collect money for the poor.
SONGS O MY CHILDREN
“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)
O my little dear children You are so precious come to me.
Dear Lord Jesus Our God We love You and praise you Our Lord.
I hear you praising and bless you My eyes upon you all the time.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
SAMUEL’S LOVE FOR GOD
A certain man of the tribe of Ephraim had two wives named Peninnah and Anna. Peninnah had children but Anna had none.
This man, whose name was Elkanah, used to go to Shiloh every year for the religious festival. He would take Peninnah with all of her children and Anna. When the sacrificial meat was given out, Peninnah and all her sons and daughters would naturally get more than Anna.
One time, Anna, who was unhappy because of her childlessness, went off by herself to pray. “O Lord of hosts,” she said, “if You will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.”
Eli, the priest, noticed her lips moving and thought she was talking to herself, but Anna told him of her unhappiness and of her prayer. Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
A short time after their return home, Anna became pregnant, and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said: “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” And the next time her husband went to Shiloh, she remained at home. “After the child is weaned,” she said, “I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.” And, after the child was weaned, Anna fulfilled her vow. She took him, along with a young bull for sacrifice, to the priest Eli at Shiloh. She told Eli that she was the woman who had prayed for the child, and that now she would leave him there. Each year before going to Shiloh, Anna would make a little robe for Samuel. Eli would bless Elkanah and Anna, saying, “May the Lord give you other children to replace this boy whom you have lent to the Lord.”
And Anna had three sons and two daughters, while Samuel was growing up in the presence of the Lord.
So Samuel said these words the next time the Lord called. Then the Lord told Samuel that He was going to punish the house of Eli the priest because of his immoral and sacrilegious sons whom Eli had not restrained.
When Eli asked Samuel the next morning what the Lord had said, Samuel hesitated to tell him such a dire prediction. But when Eli insisted, Samuel told him, and Eli realized it was God’s will.
As Samuel grew, the Lord was with him and inspired him. So all Israel came to recognize Samuel as the spokesman, or prophet of God.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
NOVEMBER FOURTH SUNDAY
DAVID’S LOVE FOR GODAND A REVIEW OF THE LIFE OF ST. MENA
Please read the attached material entitled St. Mena the Miracle-Maker, 1 Samuel 16:1-13 for “David’s love for God”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
David’s heart was full of love for the Lord. Also review St. Mena’s life and his love for God.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” 1Samuel 16:7
PLEASE EMPHASIZE: V The Lord rejected Saul and did not want him to be a king any more because he sinned against God. God wanted to make a choice for the job of a new king. God looks at the heart of the person not his/her outward appearance. He sent His prophet, Samuel, to the house of Jesse to choose one of his eleven Sons. Samuel looked at the oldest one of them and found him to be tall with a nice appearance. But the Lord said, “I have refused him.”’ The same thing happened for the other nine sons of Jesse until there was only one left, who was the youngest. His name was David.
V The Lord chose David because David loved Him. Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David.
V God’s choice is different from man’s choice. God chooses special people for special jobs. For example, God chose St. Mary for a very important role so that the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, can be born from her by the Holy Spirit.
V Why did the Lord choose David? Because God found that David loved Him. David was praising the Lord. All the Psalms of David are prayers and songs to the Lord.
V David was a prophet, a king and a man of prayers. He said: “One thing I asked the Lord to give, that I live in his house all my life.” (Please ask the children to memorize this verse.)
V We must love our church as David loved the House of God. Do we come early in the morning to church? When we come to church, are we looking forward to being in this Holy place?
V Review the life of St. Mena “the Miracle-Maker” as our church is now celebrating the feast of St. Mena. He left the army and went to the desert because he loved the Lord and wanted to pray and praise Him at all times. They called him “the Miracle-Maker” because of the great miracles performed by his prayers.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
We must love God in a very sincere way. God knows everything and He knows who truly loves Him.
O MY CHILDREN
“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)
O my little dear children You are so precious come to me.
Dear Lord Jesus Our God We love You and praise you Our Lord.
I hear you praising and bless you My eyes upon you all the time.
Recitation Curriculum: Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
ST. MENA, THE MIRACLE-MAKER *
St. Mena is considered the most well known Saint in the East and West, due to the many miracles that are still performed by his prayers for us. That is evident in the numerous little clay bottles on which his name and picture are engraved. These were discovered by archeologists, in diverse countries around the world: Heidelberg in Germany, Milan in Italy, Dalmata in Yugoslavia, Marseille in France, Dongola in Sudan, and Jerusalem. Visitors from these cities and others would buy these bottles, which usually contain oil or water for blessing, and take them back to their relatives.
The Saint was born in the year 285 A.D., in the city of Niceous which lies in the vicinity of Memphis. His parents were really devoted Christians, his father Audexios, and Aufimia his mother. On the feast of St. Mary, his mother who did not have any children, prayed in front of the Icon of the Virgin with tears that God may give her a blessed son. A sound came to her ears saying “Amen”, and thus she called her son Mena.
His father, a ruler of one of the administrative divisions of Egypt, died when Mena was fourteen years old. At fifteen Mena joined the army, and was given a high rank because of his father’s reputation; he was appointed to Algeria. Three years later he left the army longing to devote his whole life to Christ. He headed towards the desert to live a different kind of life.
After he had spent five years as a hermit, he saw, in a revelation, angels coronating the martyrs with glorious crowns and longed to join them. While he was thinking of it, he heard a voice saying: “Blessed be you Abba Mena because you have been called to the pious life since your childhood. You will be granted three immortal crowns; one because of your celibacy, the second because of your asceticism and the third because of your martyrdom”.
Immediately he felt as if the earth under him was vanishing, and he was overwhelmed with great eagerness to be carried to heaven. In a mood of valor, he hurried to the ruler declaring his Christian faith. His endless sufferings and the tortures that he went through attracted many of the pagans not only to Christianity, but also to martyrdom.
THE SAINT’S BODY
The Saint’s assassins tried to burn his relics but they failed because the believers had loaded his body on a camel and headed towards the western desert. At a certain spot, the camel stopped and the people could not force it to continue its trip by any means. Right there, they buried him located a water-well. At that place his present monastery is near the end of the Marriute Lake.
DISCOVERY OF HIS BODY
It so happened that a shepherd was attending his sheep in that area and a sick lamb fell to the ground. As it struggled to get on its feet again, its scab was cured. The story was spread quickly and the sick who came to this spot recovered from whatever illness they had, just by laying on the ground.
During that time, the daughter of King Zinon, a lover of Christ, caught the itch. His advisors suggested that she should try to go to that place where the previous miracles of healing had occurred, and she did. At night the Saint appeared to the girl and told her that his body was buried in that place. The following morning, she bathed in the well and was healed. She related her vision about St. Mena to her servants, and told them that he cured her.
ST. MENA IN MARRIUTE
Immediately, King Zinon ordered that the Saint’s body be dug out and a church to be founded there. Not only that, but he also ordered the construction of a large city to be named after the Saint. Sick people from all over the world used to visit that city and were healed through the intercessions of St. Mena, the miracle-maker.
Mrs. Bucher, a well-respected historian, recorded that destruction started to take place in the city and its inhabitants were degraded after the Arab Conquest. During the period after Haroun El-Rasheed, the Barbarians attacked it and burned a large portion of it, at the time of El-Mamoun he ordered the destruction of the entire city, and he then used its marble pillars to build his palace and the mosques. It was not until the twentieth century that international missions began to search for the city and the church. The remainder of it, no doubt, demonstrates the glory of the Coptic past.
THE NEW CHURCH OF ST. MENA
As soon as Pope Cyril the Sixth was coronated on St. Mark’s throne, he began to lay the foundations of a very great monastery close to the remains of the old city. Thus in his blessed days, God’s will had permitted the old monastery of St. Mena to be resurrected, and the Copts to visit it and to be blessed by the Saint. What is even more interesting is that the Pope has stated in his will that his body should not to be buried in the new famous Cathedral in Cairo, but in the monastery of his personal friend and intercessor, St. Mena the miracle-maker!
* NOTE: This article is taken from “Weekly Bulletin”, St. Mary Coptic Church, Melbourne, Australia, November 1976.
DECEMBERFIRST SUNDAY
THE BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST IS ANNOUNCED
Please read Luke 1:5-25, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To illustrate the preparation for the birth of our Saviour, through the birth of St. John the Baptist.
MEMORY VERSE:
“To make ready a people prepared for the Lord” Luke 1:17
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V St. John the Baptist was born before the Lord Jesus Christ. He had one role, which was to tell the people that Jesus was the Saviour, the Son of God.
V Describe the circumstances of Zacharias and St. Elizabeth who were old. He was a priest and did not have a son. They kept praying for one and at the right time the Lord sent His angel Gabriel to proclaim the good news.
V There were twenty-four divisions of priests. Each division had a head priest and it took the name of its head. Zacharias was a priest in the eighth division whose head was Abijah. “So, it was that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.” Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
V The angel Gabriel was the first angel in the New Testament to come with good news. This was the beginning of a series of good tidings.
V Zacharias was troubled and fear fell upon him when he saw the angel. The angel tried to comfort him saying: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias”. Then the angel gave him the good news. But Zacharias could not believe saying: “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Then the angel gave him a sign and a punishment at the same time. “You will be mute and not be able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” Zacharias probably forgot that nothing is impossible for God. God performed the same miracle before with Abraham and his wife Sarah (as we studied in a previous lesson).
V St. Elizabeth hid herself for five months saying: “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me to take away my reproach among men.” Explain, this verse.
V The personality of John the Baptist: Luke 1:15-17. List all the characteristics of his personality and let the children write them down on a piece of paper and bring it next class.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. Everything must be done in good order and in a timely manner. Before the birth of Jesus Christ certain indications had to appear.
2. God keeps all His promises. He fulfills His promises at the right time that He sees suitable. We only have to trust Him and put the control of our life with Him and present all our needs to Him in our prayers.
GOD IS DWELLING IN MY HEART
“For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy name.’ (Ps 33:21)
REFRAIN
God is dwelling in my heart He and I are one All His joy He gives to me through Christ his Son.
And with Jesus in my heart what have I to fear? For He is the Son of God in my heart, He is near.
Christians who are baptized have you ever realized The great mystery God dwells in you and me.
This joy God gave to you share it then with others too Show them that God is love lift their hearts above.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
DECEMBER SECOND SUNDAY
THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS IS ANNOUNCED
Please read Luke 1:26-38, the attached notes entitled “A Christmas Message”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn that the obedience of the Virgin Mary to the message of God is a good example for every one of us in his or her relationship with God.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Rejoice, Highly favored one” Luke 1:28
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Tell the story of the birth of the Virgin Mary from her mother Henna and Youakim, who were old and did not have any children. They prayed to God to give them a child and they promised to give this child back to serve God. At the age of three, her parents gave the little girl Mary up for service and prayer close to the altar. She stayed there until she became twelve years old. An old man named Joseph took her to his house to look after her and she to look after him and they were later engaged.
V The Virgin Mary used to see angels during her prayers but she was troubled this time because of the greetings of the angel and she was wondering why the angel greeted her that way. St. Mary was very humble.
V The main characteristic of the Virgin Mary is her obedience to the message of God. She believed the message and obeyed it. We have to listen to what the Bible is telling us and obey it. For example: love each other, listen to our parents, etc.
V The difference in age between our Beloved Jesus and St. John the Baptist was 6 months.
V If possible, please let the children act out the conversation between St. Mary and the angel.
V
The angel told the Virgin Mary
that the name of the baby was to be Jesus. V The angel left her after she said: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord.” The angel was sure St. Mary believed his message.
V Thousands of years before Christ, Isaiah said: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”, Isaiah 7:14. Immanuel means “God is with us”. Explain that many prophets in the Old Testament prophesied about the Lord Jesus Christ before his coming.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
Let us be obedient and accept what the Bible is teaching us. Let us not argue about any of the commandments and learn from St. Mary when she said: “I am the handmaid of the Lord”.
COLOURING
GOD IS DWELLING IN MY HEART
“For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy name.’ (Ps 33:21)
REFRAIN
God is dwelling in my heart He and I are one All His joy He gives to me through Christ his Son.
And with Jesus in my heart what have I to fear? For He is the Son of God in my heart, He is near.
Christians who are baptized have you ever realized The great mystery God dwells in you and me.
This joy God gave to you share it then with others too Show them that God is love lift their hearts above.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
A JOYFUL MESSAGE
Nazareth was such a pretty village among the hills of Galilee, above the sea. In this village there lived a young virgin, named Mary, who devoted all her life to worshipping God.
One day, while she was praying, a bright light suddenly filled her room and an angel-messenger appeared.
“Do not be afraid”, he said, “God has sent me to give you such happy news.”
As Mary quietly listened, the angel said: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you... you will give birth to a child named Jesus. He is the Son of God and you are His Mother. He will save all the world and bring them to Heaven!”
St. Mary was very happy. Bowing her head, she whispered, “I will gladly do whatever God wants me to do.”
DECEMBER THIRD SUNDAY
ST. MARY VISITS ST. ELIZABETH AND MARY’S SONG OF PRAISE
Please read Luke l:39-56, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn the story of St. Mary’s visit to St. Elizabeth to serve her. The emphasis here will be on the happiness of St. Mary, St. Elizabeth, Zacharias, Joseph and St. John the Baptist.
MEMORY VERSE:
“The babe leaped in my womb for joy” Luke 1:44
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Describe the long trip that St. Mary took to visit and help Elizabeth, the happy conversation that happened between St. Mary and St. Elizabeth and St. Mary’s song of praise.
V If possible, please let the children act out the conversation between St. Mary and St. Elizabeth.
V Humanity has never known a deeper, higher or simpler prayer than the one that St. Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior”, let us read this prayer (Luke 1:46-55) carefully in the class.
V Describe the feeling of:
? St. Mary (humility): “He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly” (Luke 1:52). Even after St. Mary knew that she would be the mother of God, she did not change and stayed humble.
? St. Elizabeth (happiness): “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). St. Elizabeth was happy because of St. Mary’s visit. St. Elizabeth considered it too much for her that the mother of God should visit her: “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (Luke 1:43).
? Zacharias’ speech: “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying….” this means he spoke again.
? St. Joseph (happiness): “He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” He looked after the Virgin Mary.
? St. John the Baptist: “The babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke 1:44).
V We must be very happy these days because we are going to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
The happiest news in our life is that the Lord Jesus came for us, saved and chose us to become children of God. Let us celebrate these days, with the Virgin Mary, the good news of our salvation.
GOD IS DWELLING IN MY HEART
“For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy name.’ (Ps 33:21)
REFRAIN
God is dwelling in my heart He and I are one All His joy He gives to me through Christ his Son.
And with Jesus in my heart what have I to fear? For He is the Son of God in my heart, He is near.
Christians who are baptized have you ever realized The great mystery God dwells in you and me.
This joy God gave to you share it then with others too Show them that God is love lift their hearts above.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
DECEMBER FOURTH SUNDAY
THE NEW YEAR - WE SAY THANK YOU TO GOD AND BABY JESUS WAS BORN IN A MANGER
Please read Luke 2:4-20, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
V To review God’s blessings this year and thank Him.
V To talk about the love of God who came for us and was born in a manger.
MEMORY VERSE:
“There was no room for them in the inn” Luke 2:7
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Let us all say “thank you” to God because He helped us, kept us safe and was so kind to us all through the last year. God gave us a nice church to pray and take communion in. God gave us nice parents to look after our needs.
V Let us all make a commitment in our prayers to God, in the upcoming year, to do our best and to promise to be of good manners at school, home, church and elsewhere. Also, we have to ask God to help us this coming year as He helped us in the previous year.
V God loves us because we are His children.
V Explain why the Lord Jesus was born in a manger. His foster father, St. Joseph, had to go to Bethlehem where he was originally from, to be enrolled with St. Mary. When they arrived, St. Mary gave birth to Jesus and there was no place for him in the inn. They were poor and the modest inn was crowded with people who came to enroll as well. They had to stay outside in a manger attached to the inn.
V The Lord Jesus is the Son of God and He wanted to teach us the first lesson: He was born in a manger. No one can think of a more modest or poorer place than that. In order to be good, we have to be of good character and love God. Being rich and having lots of things and toys are not important. God Himself was born in a manger.
V St. Mary wrapped Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. It was a very peaceful and joyful night.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
We should not ask mom and dad to bring many toys or clothes for us. Let them bring as much as they can afford. Jesus was born in a manger to teach us that all these outside appearances are not important. What counts is that we live with God, love Him and have peace in our hearts.
CHRISTMAS SONGS
I AM GLAD “Behold , I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Lk 2:10)
I am glad, I am glad that You came to our land With Your peace and Your love we will go hand in hand
REFRAIN He came for us with His tender love Our God, our God came to save us our God
Saint Mary was pleased when she heard Gabriel He told her you will bear our Lord Emmanuel
The angels in the sky praised the Lord for His birth Glory to God in the highest and peace be on earth
A bright star far in the east appeared to the three wise men It lead them to the manger in the city of Bethlehem
Recitation Curriculum:
Please look at the recitation
curriculum at the end of this book. _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
JANUARYFIRST SUNDAY
Christmas songs and slide presentation.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
JANUARY SECOND SUNDAY
THE ANGELS AND THE SHEPHERDS
Please read the attached material, “The Birth of God’s Son”, Luke 2:4-20 and give lessons with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn that great joy is in store for Heaven and earth because of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
MEMORY VERSE:
“A great joy which will be to all the people” Luke 2:10
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V As darkness and sin were widely spread in the world, the great majority of people were not pleasing to God and for a long time no prophets came to speak to them; therefore, the time was ripe for the Saviour: who is the Son of God Himself, to come and save the world.
V Although the Lord Jesus did not have a place at the inn and was born in a manger, His birth was accompanied by great joy in Heaven and on earth. In this lesson we learn about the joy that the shepherds had when the angels of heaven broke the good news to them.
V The shepherds were among the first few people in the whole world to witness the birth of our Lord Jesus. They were chosen by God because they were simple, nice people who were watching their sheep all night. We do not know their names but they participated with the angels in praising the Lord after His birth. V What is the work of a shepherd? A shepherd is the one who herds and takes care of the sheep: he feeds and cleans them and protects them from wild animals. Our Beloved Jesus was described as the Good Shepherd because He looks after us in all aspects of life as the shepherd looks after his sheep.
V As the shepherds were keeping watch over their flock by night, “An angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid”. Then the angel, wanting to comfort them said: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” Not only did an angel of the Lord and the glory of the Lord shine around them, but also a multitude of the heavenly host praised God and said: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.”
V When the shepherds saw Baby Jesus, St. Mary and St. Joseph; “they made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning this Child. Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God.” St. Mary kept all this news in her heart.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. The birth of our Lord Jesus is the source of joy in heaven and on earth. For us it is the happiest news because it means a great honor lies in the fact that God came for us, took a body the same as ours, lived among us and then lifted us up to heaven with Him.
2. We do not have to be rich and have a lot of things in order to be happy. There was peace and joy in the manger and there was also peace and happiness among the shepherds.
COLOURING
AWAY IN A MANGER “..and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:7)
Away in a manger no crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky look down where He lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes The little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
I love You Lord Jesus look down from the sky And stay by my side till morning is nigh
Recitation Curriculum:
Please look at the recitation
curriculum at the end of this book.
Now the time was ripe for the Saviour to be born on earth. And how the world needed Him, for everyone was selfish and unhappy! All the people in the world were sinners, just as Adam and Eve had been. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God promised them that a Saviour would come some day to take away their sins. The prophets also had often told the people of Israel that this wonderful Saviour was going to come.
One day the time came, and God sent His angel to St. Mary. She was a Jewish girl who was a relative of King David who had lived hundreds of years before. Gabriel the angel of the Lord said: “Do not be afraid, Mary! God has greatly blessed you. You are going to have a baby and His name will be JESUS. He will have no human father, for He will be the Son of God. And God is giving a baby to Zacharias and your cousin Elizabeth.”
Mary did not understand how she would have a baby, for she was a virgin, that is, she was not married. But the angel explained that this was not necessary, for God would perform a special miracle to make her pregnant while she was a virgin. No other babe has ever been born without a human father. Jesus was different. St. Mary was very excited and happy with the wonderful news that she would be the mother of the Saviour of the world!
She was engaged to be married to an old man named Joseph, who was a carpenter.
In those days the Jews were under the rule of the Romans. They had to do whatever the Emperor of Rome and his assistants told them to. Now he made a law that the name and address of every Jew must be written down. He instructed everyone to go to the city where his ancestors had lived, so that the Roman officers could record their names. Ancestors mean relatives who lived hundreds of years before. So St. Joseph and St. Mary went to Bethlehem where King David used to live, because they were relatives of his, though he had lived hundreds of years before they were born.
But when they arrived at Bethlehem there was no room for them at the little hotel; it was already full. So they went out to the stable where the donkeys and camels were kept, to sleep on the straw. And while they were resting in the stable, Mary’s baby was born. He was the little Son that the angel Gabriel had told her about. Yes, Jesus was born out there in the stable, and Mary wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.
That same night some shepherds in the fields outside the town were watching their sheep to protect them from wild animals. Suddenly an angel, surrounded by a bright light, appeared to them. They were very frightened. But the angel said: “Do not be afraid; for I have good news for you, and for all people. In the city of David your Saviour is born! His name is Christ the Lord.”
“And this is how you will know Him: you will find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger!”
Then suddenly many, many other angels appeared, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men!”
After the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other: “Let’s now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us”; so they ran to the village and soon found St. Mary, St. Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger! Afterwards the shepherds returned to their flock again, praising God for what they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
JANUARY THIRD SUNDAY
EPIPHANY
Please read Matthew 3:13-17, John 1:18-34 and the attached notes entitled Epiphany -- The Baptism of Jesus Christ, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To know the difference between the baptism by St. John the Baptist and our baptism.
MEMORY VERSE:
“This is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” John 1:33
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Tell the facts in detail, of when the Lord Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist, Mark 1:4-8. John saw the Holy Spirit descending as a dove and settling on Jesus and heard the voice of the Father saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This is the Holy Trinity: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. After this event, Jesus started His service.
V Our Beloved Jesus taught us a lesson to be modest, for He allowed John the Baptist to baptize Him.
V John the Baptist came to “baptize people with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:1).
V When we are baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, we are actually “born of water and the Spirit,” (John 3:5). We become vessels of God and “the Spirit of God dwells inside us.” Then we become true children of God.
V Ask the children to practice celebrating their baptismal day every year because it is their spiritual birthday. This is, of course, in addition to their usual birthday.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. The Holy Spirit has been inside every one of us since we were baptized. St. John the Baptist baptized with water, but Jesus baptized us with the Holy Spirit and we became children of God. This is a very great honour and blessing for us.
2. As we are now the children of God, we must behave as such so that when the people around us see our good deeds, they would glorify our Father’s name.
SONGS
AWAY IN A MANGER “..and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:7)
Away in a manger no crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky look down where He lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes The little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
I love You Lord Jesus look down from the sky And stay by my side till morning is nigh
Recitation Curriculum:
Please look at the recitation
curriculum at the end of this book. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST * January 19 (according to the Julian Calendar)
GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING:
At the very end of the Jordan River and just before it pours its waters into the Dead Sea, there is a shallow area in the river that could be crossed by wading. It is now called the ford of ‘Bethabara’, (the crossing way). There, for many years, merchants and travelers from Arabia, Persia and India crossed the river on their way to Jerusalem, Egypt and Africa. It is a very rugged spot. During the summer, the heat is terrible, the air is heavy and the surface of the Dead Sea is the color of lead. There too were located the lost cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Read Gen. 13-19). The smell of sulphur still hangs in the air as if to remind people forever that: “… the wage of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
Winter is a bit better because a cooling breeze blows down the Jordan Valley in the evening to replace the heat of summer.
INTRODUCTION
In this unfriendly spot of land, one day, a prophet or a messenger of God appeared around the year A.D. 30. He was a strange, rough looking man. His only garment was a camel skin caught at the waist by a strip of leather. His food was locusts and wild honey.
The message of that man was no more attractive than his appearance. He cried to everyone who passed by and, out of curiosity, they stopped a moment to listen: “The reign of God is about to begin. Right now, God has His axe set ready at the base of the tree of your life. Unless you repent of your wicked ways, and submit your life to His rule, He will chop you down and throw you into the fire.”
However, there was a happy side to his preaching. Everyone, who truly repented would be forgiven. But, how would the repentant be forgiven? The messenger did not explain. Instead, he led his listeners to the river’s edge and dipped their sweaty, dust-covered bodies into the refreshing water. Just as the water of the Jordan River cleansed their bodies, so God would clean their filthy, sin-stained souls. The Prophet called this ‘baptism’. That is why we call that messenger of God ‘St. John the Baptist’. The word ‘baptism’ is derived from the Greek word ‘baptismos’ which means ‘emersion’.
CROWDS COME TO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST:
In the early Jewish tradition, and until the coming of the Messiah, every hundred years or so God used to send a prophet to preach to the Jews to return to their God and to foretell about the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour who would release them from their bondage. When St. John the Baptist appeared at the Jordan River, it was more than 300 years since the Jews had a prophet say to them, “Thus saith the Lord...”. The Jews were waiting for either another prophet or the Messiah Himself. Therefore, the word spread like fire through the land, ‘‘There is a new prophet preaching at the Jordan ford. There is a message that has come from God’
THE BAPTISM OF THE MESSIAH:
People crowded to see and listen to the new prophet. Among the crowds were the rich, the poor, the officials of the Temple and those of the government, the sophisticated and the ordinary people. As they listened, their consciences awoke and they remembered their past sins. They streamed into the water to be baptized by St. John and become cleansed from their sins.
One day, someone asked another: “Can this be the promised Saviour, the Messiah?” In a few minutes, everyone was asking the same question. Right away John answered: “I am only a voice crying in the wilderness, a voice preparing you for the coming of the Saviour. Soon, someone will come after me, someone greater than I am and that I am not fit to untie His sandals. He will baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit.”
Among the crowds, there was a stranger from a far away city called Galilee. He also stepped into the water to be baptized. But this particular Man was different from all other men. This man alone had no sins. He is the only Man who did not need to be baptized. Why then did He join the wicked and the sinners at the water’s edge? This thought came to St. John himself, and he said to Jesus Christ: “It is I who needs baptism from You, and yet You come to me?” But the Lord Jesus insisted. Do you know why? Because Jesus is carrying on His back a heavy burden-all the sins of all those people who ever lived or will ever live and trust in God’s salvation. That is why He is called the Saviour.
Something else happened at His baptism. After His emersion into the water, as Jesus stood up, suddenly above His head, the sky opened up, and the Holy Spirit descended in the shape of a dove and rested on Him; and God the Father Himself said: “This is my Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
EPIPHANY IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH:
We in the Orthodox Church, consider this event, the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, one of the major feasts of the Church. It is called the ‘Epiphany’, which is a Greek word that means ‘showing forth’ or ‘manifestation’. In this event, our Lord Jesus Christ was not only declared by God the Father to be His only Begotten Son; but it also shows forth the three Persons of the Holy Trinity; the Father speaks from heaven, the Son in the Jordan River being baptized, and the Holy Spirit descends from heaven taking the shape of a dove.
On Epiphany Eve, and just before the Divine Liturgy, a special service is held in the Orthodox Church. It is called the ‘Lakan’ which means ‘the blessing of the water’. This is to commemorate the blessing of the water of the Jordan by having Christ baptized in it and by having the Holy Spirit descending on our Lord. In this service, the priest asks for God’s blessing of this water. He says: “Bless this water that is set before thee and give it the blessing that you gave to the Jordan by the descent of the Holy Spirit...Let it be a fountain of blessing, a holy gift, a healer of the sickness of the body and the soul,.. and a blessing to our homes...”
At the end of the service, the priest blesses the people with that water by crossing their foreheads three times. The people also fill small bottles with that water and take them home to use when there is an illness in the family or to bless a new home, office, business, car, etc..
* NOTE: This article was originally written by Fr. Marcos and printed in the “Building”, January 1982. It is hereby reprinted by permission of the author.
JANUARY FOURTH SUNDAYFRIENDSHIP
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To emphasize to the children that we have
to be careful in the choice of our friends.
“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil” Proverbs 4:14
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Any individual is affected by the people he/she deals with. A son or daughter is affected by the parents, family members and friends. The Bible teaches us to be careful in choosing our friends.
V The memory verse is clear that we must not deal with people who do bad things or do not obey the Bible. Our friends must be from God’s believers.
V Examples:
? Daniel and the 3 young men (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego); when they were in a foreign land after they were captured as prisoners by King Nebuchadnezzar - (read Daniel Chapter 1), they were determined not to mix with any people from this new country. The reason was that all the people in that new country did not believe in God.
? The story of the prodigal son when he took his share of money and went away from his father’s house and lived with bad people. He lost all his money and became in need of money from people and he was even anxious to eat pigs’ food. When he returned to his father and confessed that he was wrong, his father accepted him.
V Please explain the two above stories in detail.
V This is why David started the Psalms by saying: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners.” (Psalm 1:1).
V At school we must choose good friends who do not say bad words or do bad things. When someone at school says bad words or does a bad thing, we must not judge him/her and say he/she is a sinner and we must still love him/her and pray for him/her, but we must not take him/her as a friend with whom we spend our leisure time and play with.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1. We should love all people, but our close friends must be God’s people and believers of the Lord Jesus Christ,
2. It is also a good practice to start from now to develop friendships with the Saints; like St. Mary, St. Mark, St. George, St. Mena... etc. We learn about their life, follow their examples, and seek their prayers and their help. After all, what are friends for?
O BE CAREFUL LITTLE EYES
“The lamp of the body is the eyes. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” (Mat 6:22)
O be careful little eyes what you see (2) For the Father up above is looking down in love So be careful little eyes what you see.
O be careful little mouth what you say (2) For the Father up above is looking down in love So be careful little mouth what you say.
O be careful little hands what you do (2) For the Father up above is looking down in love So be careful little hands what you do.
O be careful little feet where you go (2) For the Father up above is looking down in love So be careful little feet where you go.
Recitation Curriculum:Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
JANUARY FIFTH SUNDAY
OBEDIENCE
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To learn that obeying God and our parents is a commandment from God. If we love God, we must keep His commandments.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” Ephesians 6:1
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V God created us with a free will to do what we like to do, but this does not mean that we should not obey His commandments.
V We choose to obey because:
? This is God’s commandment
? When we obey, it means that we are taking advice from God or our parents who know more than us. Hence, the outcome of things (questions or problems or choices) will be to our advantage.
? We are sure that God loves us and wants the best for us. In fact, we do not know what is best for us, but God knows and gave all his commandments for our benefit. Similarly, our parents love us and want the utmost benefit for us.
V Obeying God and our parents gives us blessings and we end up as winners. V Examples:
? Abraham obeyed God when he asked him to leave his homeland and go to another land (please tell the story in detail as in Genesis 12:1-9). Abraham ended up in the Promised Land and lived with his life in peace with God and with people.
? Joseph obeyed his father when he asked him to go and look for his brothers who were away for a long time. It ended very good for Joseph (tell the story in detail as in Genesis 37:12-17). Joseph ended up to be the second most important man in Egypt. Joseph also helped his family when they came to Egypt because of the famine in their homeland.
? The Lord Jesus was obedient to his parents. Although the Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and St. Mary and St. Joseph were just people created by Him, He obeyed them. One time St. |
