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THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRICHARCATE ST. GEORGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM
GRADE NINE
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
INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM JUDGE NOT, THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED EL-NAYROUZ FEAST AND THE FEELING OF THE MARTYRS THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF EGYPT THE FEAST OF THE CROSS-“The Cross is the emblem of Christianity” LET US GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE HAS COVERED US WHEN WE MEET JESUS OUR LIFE WILL CHANGE - ALMS GIVING AND THE LIFE OF SAINT ABRAAM THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE BIRTH OF JESUS WERE ANNOUNCED THE NEW YEAR — THE PURITY OF HEART EPIPHANY — CHRIST THE LOWLY IN HEART THOSE WHO WALK IN PRIDE, GOD IS ABLE TO ABASE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR ORTHODOX FAITH AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITH THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX FAITH AND THE PROTESTANT FAITH DEMETRIUS, THE VINEDRESSER - “The life of learning” THE GREAT LENT — (I): “The benefits of fasting” THE GREAT LENT — (II): “The Heavenly Treasure” PALM SUNDAY - JESUS THE KING AND THE LAMB OF GOD THE 7 WORDS OF OUR LORD - ON THE CROSS — (I) THE 7 WORDS OF OUR LORD - ON THE CROSS — (II) JESUS GRANTED FAITH TO THE TWO DISCIPLES OF EMMAUS THE ASCENSION WITH THE GLORIOUS BODY FREEDOM FROM A CHRISTIAN VIEW POINT PENTECOST: THE HOLY SPIRIT THE HELPER THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF ST. PAUL THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF ST. PAUL MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF ST. PAUL THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF ST. PAUL LESSONS (III) & (IV) — THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF ST. PAUL THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF ST. PAUL LESSON (V) — THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF ST. PAUL PERSONALITIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT PERSONALITIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT II – BETWEEN PRE-DESTINATION AND FREEDOM OF WILL OR IS MAN PRE-DESTINED IN HIS ACTIONS OR IS HE FREE TO CHOOSE? THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAMPrincipal Goal of Christian Up-Bringing. The child had and still has, first as a person and second as a child, a special importance to our Lord Jesus Christ. He called the children and considered them models of perfection, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:3-5). Therefore, children are beloved ones to Christ and are His friends with their simplicity and purity of heart. Christ called them, blessed them and asked His Disciples and Apostles after Him to take care of bringing up children and prepare the suitable environment for their spiritual growth. St. Paul advises parents saying, "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged", (Colossians 3:21). From a Christian point of view, the general principal goal of religious up - bringing is the formation of the perfect man of God who is following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Also, our Lord said, "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). Hence, a Christian up-bringing is not merely an education to be given or a curriculum to be taught, but it is rather a life that is given through example and behavior through teaching and discipleship. The saintly Fathers of the church have emphasized this fact. St. John said about his practice of life with the Lord "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us - that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3). The same fact was emphasized by St. Paul when he was talking to his disciple Timothy "But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium ... But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:10-15). Also in the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 3:17, "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern". Therefore, the principal goal of the Christian up-bringing is to change the life of our children to the life of Christ in them, i.e. to a life based on the work of Christ in them as true Christians and not just religious persons who fear God but deny Him. The Starting Point in Achieving the Goal of Religious Upbringing. The teacher should not start with the student from power Zero. The student comes equipped with many social and religious experiences. His religious experience, although it is limited, it has a strong basis that is ready for spiritual growth. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the student has already obtained the spiritual birth i.e. he became spiritually re-born. After his baptism he was anointed with the Holy Myroun (Chrism) and the Holy Spirit dwelt in him. St. John said "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you; and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him" (l John 2:27). Therefore, by obtaining these two Holy Sacraments and the Sacrament of Eucharist, the student becomes a member in the body of the Lord and a living part of the body of the Holy Church. This means that religious up-bringing is not something foreign with respect to the student. The student is a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in him. This means that it is not the teacher who makes the student live a life for Christ, but it is the inside work of the Holy Spirit that makes the whole difference. The role of the teacher is to make the student aware of the effect and the work of the Spirit. In this sense the student becomes aware of the secret grace inside him and as a result the divine word inside him grows as the seed grows inside the earth. The Difference Between Religious Education and Religious Upbringing. We should not aim at providing lessons in the form of giving information, i.e. a mere religious education. In this case religious experience will never exceed the circle of the mind and will never affect the heart and practice of the student. If we consider religious education as an element in religious bringing-up, we are in this case following Christ's plan in the development and building of the Christian personality. Christ with His example and His perfection gave us a model which should be followed and achieved. As for His teachings, they are meant to clear the way for us in order to follow them as examples and models. The Need of our Church for a Coptic Orthodox Sunday School Program. There is one basic difference between Eastern and Western theology; the latter depends on study, analysis and using scientific means, whereas Eastern theology is based on experience and depth which is mainly lead to true Christian life. The Eastern Church respects the role of the mind but it works under the supervision of faith. The majority of recent Western Sunday School programs follow a pure analytical way of explaining the Bible. For example, miracles are explained through psychological and scientific factors. The man of God must accept miracles and believe them as they are. St. Athanasius said, "Our knowledge must not control (or have authority over) the word, but the word itself must have the control and authority over the mind". Another basic difference is that our traditional Church uses the rites in education as a key in the process of living what is being taught. Over and above what was mentioned before in relation to the basic differences in religious education between Eastern and Western churches, there are also basic differences in the various beliefs and the way Christianity is lived by in actual life. We, as parents, teachers and clergy, are responsible in front of God to bring up our children according to the same spiritual Orthodox principles that we received from our saintly Fathers who shed their blood to perpetuate the perfect Orthodox faith . Therefore, our children must learn from the same source from which we learned before them. The Sunday School program in your hands is a fruit of love granted by our Lord Jesus Christ to our children and a gift from Him to them. This program is purely Coptic Orthodox. All its references without exception are Coptic Orthodox (please review the reference list at the end of the book. In this manner all the information that is in this book (as well as all the books in this series) can be used with total confidence as it is devised according to our glorified church. The spirit of the lessons is indeed the same spirit of the Coptic Orthodox Church. About the Books in Your Hands. These books in your hands are integrated series of books which were written for children from age 4 to 18. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, if the child at age 4 follows this series of lessons until age 18, he will obtain an all-rounded spiritual background. The books (covering the teachings from pre-schoolers to grade 12) cover a study of most of the major Biblical subjects of the Old and New Testaments, the celebrations of the church of our Master's feasts, the life of the Saints and their feasts, the divine liturgy with its rites and spirituality, the true Christian life and Christian behavior, church sacraments, fasting, prayers, the creed and its explanation, the Ecumenical Councils, the difference between the various major Christian sects, the Christian family, the history of our church, the major personalities in the Holy Bible, ... etc. The program is indeed comprehensive and it covers all the key areas of our Orthodox church. If these lessons were given in the spiritual way that was emphasized before, great results will be expected with the work of the Holy Spirit. General Rules and Principles to be Followed by the Sunday School Teachers. 1) The teacher must know the stage and the characteristics of growth of the children that he or she is teaching. A child who is 12 years old is different than a child who is 8 years old. The teacher must know the level of his/her students, their abilities to receive information that he/she is giving and the differences between the various abilities in the same class. 2) The positive participation of the students is very important during the lesson and the effectiveness of teaching. One of the key incentives for the student is to give importance to the lesson and have an effective communication with the teacher and, above all, to define clearly the purpose behind it and present the lesson in the form of problems that attract their attention. 3) The teacher must follow a psychological order of the facts he is presenting. Our Lord Jesus Christ used effectively the psychological method of teaching through His parables. The parables in their simplicity are drawn from the daily life of the people. We must emphasize here that the psychological method is not the only method of spiritual teaching. We should mention this method as one of the methods used. It is quite important to note that spiritual teaching must be imparted with certain goals in mind which are connected with the life of the children and related to the problems they face. We should provide guidance that is mostly needed for them. 4) The teacher must present the lesson and illustrate it with relevant information and present it as a coherent unity without ambiguity or contradiction. He may use illustrations to help him explain what he means. 5) Application of Christian principles to the actual social life must be emphasized in every lesson. The teacher should use stories (from the Old or New Testaments or from church history or church books) to attract the attention of the students and show the Christian principle in an applied manner. The teacher also may divide the subject into stages or small subjects. A good practice is to summarize the lesson or better still, ask the students themselves to summarize it. 6) The manner of expressing the lesson to the students is also very important. A teacher who is living by what he/she teaches will definitely be more effective in giving his/her message across. A teacher who is teaching under spiritual influence with compatible emotions to what he/she teaches will be definitely more effective than a teacher who is giving information.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of the Coptic Orthodox children and youth, who are going to benefit a great deal from this revised Sunday School Program, I would like to express a word of appreciation and gratitude to: His Holiness Pope Shenouda III This program leans quite heavily on the writings of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. The majority of the contents of the lessons and their attachments are based on His Holiness' writings. This is a very bright and important aspect of this program. In 1986, during the time in which there was no Coptic Orthodox Sunday School program in the land of immigration, His Holiness reviewed the general contents of the program, commented and modified many key subjects, and then authorized the use of this program in all churches outside of Egypt, on a preliminary basis. I can safely say that, if it was not for His Holiness Pope Shenouda III's support, wisdom, and writings, this book would not exist. The whole generation is in debt to His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, not only because of his great teachings and writings, but also because of his love and leadership. His Grace Bishop Reweiss His Grace Bishop Reweiss has been behind us all the way with his love and guidance. He wrote the forward for our previous version of the program in 1986. His Grace Bishop Moussa His Grace Bishop Moussa has provided constant support and encouragement in the completion of the previous program. Of course, His Grace's writings for the youth have been utilized in all the subjects directed towards the youth, in this book. Fr. Tadros Malaty and Fr. Marcos Marcos These Beloved Fathers reviewed thoroughly all of the contents of the first six books of the previous version of the program. Their dedication, experience, and wisdom have been an important factor in the quality of all the material. They contributed greatly towards setting up the lessons, in that sense. Father Tadros Malaty's deep writings, without any doubt, have been a key reference in the majority of the lessons. His latest advice to revise and enhance the previous version of the program has been held in the highest regards. Dr. Fayek M. Ishak Dr. Fayek Ishak (head of the English Department at Lakehead University) reviewed the first six books of the previous version of the program. He contributed, immensely, towards the setup of the lessons. Fr. Gawargious Michael and Fr. Mikhael Armanios These two beloved priests chose the proper songs to match the subjects of the lessons. They also arranged the proof-reading of all the books with a chosen group of youth. Fr. Makary Silwanis This beloved priest made all of the arrangements for revising the previous Sunday School Program. He single-handedly arranged to have the new program available online. His computer skills were a key factor in all areas. Tassoni Ragaa The continuous support and encouragement of Tassoni Ragaa played an essential role in the write-up of the previous version of the program, as well as in this revision. One of the aspects that kept this program centered and on track was her continuous reminder that this program is for generations to come and every effort is worthwhile for the sake of the upbringing of the children and youth. The Youth of St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church There was a key participation from Heba Khattas in this revised version. She in total love and joy contributed with great efforts in typing, checking, proof reading and commenting. All these things by her own initiative despite all the other responsibilities that she had to do towards her family, her work and her study. There was a key contribution from Marian Awad in this revised version. She proposed that the lessons for Grades 11 and 12 be totally redone in order to prepare the youth to face the challenges at the university level. This idea resulted in a huge change in the curriculum for these two grades, as well as in the writing of the "Contemporary Issues" book. Ninette Bishay sang over 100 songs in order to make sure that all the lessons were accompanied by beautiful songs in a great language and tone. Caroline Yassa typed many lessons for the author, mostly dictated over the phone, at times when his eyes were very sore from reading. Her efforts are greatly appreciated. Comments and proof-readings of many of the youth are greatly appreciated.
Fr. Rueiss Awad
TEACHER'S GUIDELINES: HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM? 1. The teacher should realize that each lesson has been prepared to cover a specific point; starting from the title of the lesson to the end of it. 2. The teacher should read all the materials referred to in the lesson (i.e. the Holy Bible as well as any articles attached to the lesson), and then proceed by emphasizing all the points. 3. The teacher should enlarge the picture ahead of each lesson and use it as a visual aid as he or she is teaching the lesson. 4. The teacher should discuss the practical applications as he or she proceeds with the lesson. 5. The teacher should summarize the main points of the lesson with the students and give prizes.
FEATURES OF THIS SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM
A COMPREHENSIVE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM 1. This Sunday School program was the very first program to be written in the lands of immigration. This work was initiated in 1974, and the first version was published in 1986. We thank our heavenly Father, Who has given us the opportunity to extensively revise and improve it, in 2005. 2. In this version of the program, any repetition that was in the previous program, has been removed, all lessons were upgraded in both coverage and depth. Moreover, a whole new book, on contemporary issues, has been added. 3. The contemporary issues book covers subjects that are important for children and youth in today's world. These lessons are optional. For churches with regular youth group meetings, these issues would best be discussed during those meetings. On the other hand, for churches that do not hold regular youth group meetings, those issues could be discussed as part of the Sunday School program. 4. This version of the program also includes lessons, which form a basis for a missionary service, a service that should in the ideal situation be practiced by every member of our congregation. The objective is that each child, every youth, and in the long run each Coptic individual can behave and act in a way, which is an embodiment of the teaching and tradition of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In other words, our congregation would become role models in their communities, who attract people to our Lord Jesus Christ through their good practices: sincerity, commitment, hard work and dedication, tolerance, forgiveness, and all the other good qualities that differentiate a good practising Christian from those who merely have a Christian education. 5. In this Sunday School Program, we depended heavily on the writings of H.H. Pope Shenouda III as a reference for most of the presented material. 6. The lessons in this version of the program have already been tried in Sunday School classes, reviewed, improved and tried again. This ensures that the lessons are relevant and suit the level of the students. 7. In this version of the program, efforts were put forth to ensure that every aspect of the Christian life in the Coptic Orthodox Church is covered. 8. This Sunday School Program is not merely about giving specific education on Christianity to our children and youth but it is rather an attempt to deeply affect their feelings and spirituality. It is believed that such an approach will facilitate the practical application of the various aspects involved so that Christianity becomes a way of life for the individual, with deeply rooted Christian values, that are manifested as behaviour and attitude. 9. All copyrights of other Sunday School programs, and other writers, have been fully respected. 10. In this version, each lesson comes complete with pictures and songs that are suitable for the lesson. 11. This Sunday School program comes in various formats, for convenience. In addition to being available on this website for widespread use, it is also available, upon request, in hard copy format or on CD. 12. It is our strong belief that this Sunday School program will play a vital role in the spiritual upbringing of our children. May the Lord bless this Sunday School program and all other programs, for the growth of His Kingdom in us.
THE PREPARATION OF SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS
A. What is a Sunday School Lesson? 1. It is not a record of events that we convey to the students with the hopes of appearing to satisfy the required preparation process in front of other people. Neither is it a lecture that we deliver to our audience or student regardless of their interest in the matter. 2. However, it is, on one hand, a fruit of the live reaction between the servant and the lesson and, on the other hand, between the servant and the students. The Holy Spirit maturates this fruit and directs this service towards the salvation of the students and towards the glory of God. For if the servant who teaches the people does not teach himself, the voice of the Lord rebukes him saying, " You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself ? " (Romans 2:21), and again in James 3: 1: "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." Therefore, the servant should engage himself in the lesson through prayers, relevant spiritual readings, and practical application, so that when the servant speaks with his students from experience and true knowledge, he says, with St. John the Beloved, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-" (1 John 1:1) If a servant is not aware of the spiritual level of his students, he may burden them with instructions and lessons which they cannot handle nor apply and this, in turn, may cause the students to go astray and lose their eternal life. Therefore, it is crucial for the servant to establish a healthy, trustworthy, and fruitful relationship with his students, as well as to share in their joys and cheers, and their sadness and fears, all towards Jesus Christ. This is what St. Paul refers to in his epistle to the Galatians when he says, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you..." (Galatians 4:19). This close relationship with the students allows the servant to choose the most appropriate lesson that applies to their needs.
Hence a Sunday School lesson is: A live mixture between the personal lives of the servants and the students through the lesson; the Holy Spirit creates this mixture and allows it to result in the bearing of fruit. B. The Requirements for Sunday School Lessons 1. Humility in prayer before God. God said, "...for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) My beloved brethren, sit down in peace and tranquility with the Lord and talk to Him about your personal need for Him in your service. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and pray saying, " Guide me dear God. What would you like my students and I to learn this week ? " Be obedient to His voice. It would be suitable to maintain a prayer time which equals that of the lesson. 2. Accurate knowledge of the meanings contained within the lesson. This is achieved through: a) Occupying yourself throughout the week with understanding the new lesson, beginning from the end of the previous lesson until the beginning of the new one. It is wise to use your free time, time before sleep, and time with fellow servants to increase and enhance your understanding of the lesson. b) Resorting to spiritual and religious references and literature to help you develop the right understanding and concepts behind the lines. c) Resorting to general educational references and literature to embody this understanding and these concepts, making them clear in the minds of your students. 3. Aids of presentation. It is important that you transform your understanding of the lesson into a simple and clear presentation. It has been stated and proved that 85% of knowledge acquired is acquired through the sense of sight and visual learning as opposed to the 10% that is acquired through the sense of hearing. The rest of the knowledge acquired is done so through the other three senses. In reality, the least effective way of transmitting knowledge to others is by merely talking; this has the weakest influence on the students. In contrast, the most effective way to teach is to use the "Learning by Doing" method, which requires enough time as well as sound experience. What differentiate between the effectiveness of the two means of presentation are the tools used in the presentation. These tools aid the students in effectively understanding and retaining the purpose of the lesson by engaging both senses of sight and sound. These tools may include audio-visual devices such as pictures and movies, spiritual trips and outings, role playing during class, intellectually stimulating games, etc. C. Recording the lesson. It is recommended that the servant records the following during the preparation of the lesson:
Purpose of the lesson: It is necessary for the servant to clearly understand the purpose of the lesson at the beginning of his preparation. It is also necessary that the purpose of the lesson should agree with the maturity level of the students. For example, it is more appropriate for children to learn about God's love; on the other hand, learning about the power of God in their lives and in the lives of the saints is more appropriate subject matter for youth. As for young adults, learning about Christian virtues and spiritual practices is most appropriate. Most importantly, the purpose of the lessons should agree with Coptic Orthodox Christian teachings, whether in specific occasions or in general. References: References could include: a. Stories, examples, verses, etc. from the Holy Bible. b. Spiritual books and literature. c. General educational books and literature. Recording the references is very useful for the servant because it helps the servant to refer back to them, if forgotten. Preface: The preface is the background of the lesson. It cultivates the thoughts of the students and directs their thoughts towards the lesson. This allows the lesson to be implanted in their minds and to, eventually, bear fruit. It is important that the preface remain simple, short, and concise. The introduction could be in the form of focused questions, but should not be in the form of stories. Several stories in one lesson may deteriorate its effectiveness. The Lesson: The lesson could be divided into the following sections: 1. Introduction - it should be quick and concise and related to the preface. It should introduce the lesson smoothly without interrupting the chain of thoughts. 2. Body of the lesson - it contains the principle subject of the lesson, and follows these guidelines: a. You must be accurate and careful when explaining theological concepts. b. You must be careful when relating events and examples to elucidate the subject of the lesson, in order to properly guide the students' imagination without restricting it. c. You must diligently expose the Coptic Orthodox doctrine in the lesson. d. You should not use more than one story during the lesson and the story used should be relevant to the subject matter. 3. Focal Point - the point during the lesson at which the purpose of the lesson is clearly defined. (Examples: The Lord responds to the prayers of a needy person, or the angels come to give the saints their heavenly crowns and take them to heaven after many trials and persecutions.) 4. Conclusion - it should be, like the introduction, short and concise. It can summarize the purpose of the lesson, without introducing any new concepts.
Inferences: Inference is a method used to determine how much the students have absorbed and retained from the lesson. It should be in the form of questions with the following guidelines: a. They should clearly show the purpose of the lesson. b. They should suit the maturity of the students. c. They should be simple and direct. d. They should link to each other. e. They should not be `Yes' or `No' questions. f. They should each have one correct answer. Bible Verse: The memorization of a Bible verse is an excellent way to help the students remember the purpose of the lesson. The chosen Bible verse should meet the following guidelines: a. It should show the purpose of the lesson clearly. b. It should be short which allows it to be easily memorized. c. Children can easily memorize, as well as understand it. Homework: The height of your diligence in preparing the lesson is in choosing the proper and effective homework or application. The homework should have the following characteristics: a. It should contain practical applications that apply to everyday life. b. It should suit the maturity level of the students. c. It should help in mastering the comprehension and retention of the lesson. d. It should not include more than one instruction, in order to simplify the application of the lesson.
INTRODUCTIONTeaching Grade 9 Adolescence: Age 14 to 15
1) By definition adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood. The potential intellectual ability reached during this series is equal to that of adults. Adolescents go very rapidly through a period of physical changes which causes awkwardness, self-consciousness, and increased emotional instability.
2) One of the main characteristics of this period is the young people’s sensitivity and dissatisfaction. They are dissatisfied with themselves, with their families and with their own appearance (wherein lies the cause of infatuation with any fashion of the day). Adolescents go through a period of painful dissatisfaction with their social life too. All these traits, though they often seem negative and painful, are part of a positive process. What adolescents are trying to do is to discover themselves and to discover their relationship to others - to adults, to their peers of their own sex as well as of the opposite one.
3) The rapid growth of technological civilization during the last decades has made our children much more knowledgeable about sex, social problems, race, crime, violence, science and technology. They are not more mature than adolescents used to be, but they know more, even though they often lack the maturity to digest this knowledge.
4) What then is the task of the Church in dealing with our adolescents? Basically, the Church has to offer them meaningful values that young people can consciously accept out of their own free choice at this special level of maturity and insecurity. The Church has to give them an image, a taste of what life should be, of what is meant by holiness, what are truth, faith, and loyalty. The Church is where they can find forgiveness, understanding, and love when they have done wrong and are confused and mixed-up. Adolescents need security-in-freedom.
5) Our adolescents need urgently two aspects of religious education in order to help them gain maturity. They need the opportunity to make religion a part of their own experience of life, their own thinking, their own motivation, through very informal free discussions, through participation in church work and through friendship. They also need to acquire information that will allow them to think intelligently, and will, at the same time, provide some material for evaluation and judgment.
6) All the teaching they need to acquire about the Bible and about the Church will be better assimilated if they feel a need for it. Thus teaching should be structured around questions and problems that are real to young people. The information must be presented as a means of finding answers. This kind of approach is very demanding on the leader, not only because he or she must be well informed, and must know where he or she can find information, but also because he or she must be flexible and sensitive to what takes place in the students’ minds. Basically adolescents need information in the same areas that shaped our program for younger grades - doctrine, liturgies, Bible study, church history, spirituality, and ethics.
7) Most important of all is the kind of relationship that is established between the adult leader and the young people. The leader should earn their trust as a friend, with understanding and sympathy, yet with firmness in his own convictions and genuine interest in their adolescent problems.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
SEPTEMBERFIRST SUNDAY
JUDGE NOT, THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED
Please read John 8:1-11, Matthew 7:1-6, Luke 6:39-49, 1 Kings 17:17-24, the attached material entitled “Your or Others' Mistakes”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON
To learn that we should not judge other people, but we should concentrate on our own weaknesses. If we judge other people we will be judged by God.
MEMORY VERSE
“Judge not, that you be not judged” Matthew 7:1
PLEASE EMPHASIZE
† Please tell the story of the adulteress who was to be stoned by the Scribes and the Pharisees (John 8:1-11). The Scribes and the Pharisees thought they were very virtuous and all others were sinners. They wanted to stone the woman who was caught in adultery to show people that they are protecting the laws and they are virtuous. They never thought about their own weaknesses or sins. They only had a wide-open eye for others’ sins. Now Jesus faced them saying “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7). “Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last” (John 8:9). Then Jesus said to the woman “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? … go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11).
This shows us that as soon as Jesus pointed out to the Scribes and the Pharisees that no man is without sin, they stopped judging the woman. As soon as a person looks at his own sins, he stops looking at others’ sins.
† In the Sermon on the mountain, which contains the basic principles of Christianity as set out by our Lord Jesus, Jesus said: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).
We must not judge others because:
1) When we judge others, we are taking the place of God. God is the only judge. He is the Creator and He is the one who examines the hearts.
2) When we judge others, we judge according to the outside appearance which may not reflect the inside situation or feelings of the heart which is only known to God. As we seek for ourselves the inside purity of heart, it is appropriate not to judge others. Nobody except God knows the heart of man.
3) When we judge others, we withdraw our hearts from focusing on salvation and our growth to judging and criticizing other people’s behavior. In this case we look like people who have a dead relative; they leave him in the house and go out to cry on another dead person.
4) Judging others forces us to lose our loving nature towards our brethren and in this way we lose the grace and love of God. So, as we judge others we are judged by God.
† We must learn to control what we say. Read James 3:1-9, St. James is concentrating on controlling ourselves not others. Let us start by considering carefully what we say. Is it easy? No. “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God” (James 3:8-9).
† Judging people can lead us to judge God, similar to Elijah when he said to God: “O Lord my God have you also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” (1 Kings 17:20). Please tell the story in detail as found in 1 Kings 17:17-24.
Why does it bother us when someone passes judgment on us? What makes them better than us so that they can do so? Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
Let us not spend time or effort thinking of others’ mistakes. This is God’s job. As for us, we need to have a simple eye towards others’ behavior and pray that God may have mercy on us, the sinners, and have mercy also on our brethren. We must only look at the good things in others’ behavior and make sure that we are encouraging them rather than judging them.
SONGS THY MERCIES, O MY GOD
Thy mercies, O my God are countless And Thy tender mercies are too plenteous
All the rain drops are counted by Thee And the sand of the sea is before Thine eyes.
How much more are the sins of my soul Manifest before Thee, O my God
The sins that I have done remember not my Lord And count not my iniquities
For Thou has chosen the publican the adultress Thou hast saved And the right-hand thief Thou hast remembered
And me too the sinner Teach me, O my Master to offer repentance
For Thou desirest not the death of a sinner But rather that he returns and lives
Restore us, O God to Thy salvation And deal with us according to Thy goodness.
For Thou art good and merciful Let Thy tender mercies speedily prevent us
Have compassions on us all O Lord, God and Saviour And have mercy upon us according to Thy great mercies.
Remember those O Christ our Master Be Thou amongst us and proclaim and say:
My peace I Give unto you The peace of My Father I leave unto you
O King of peace give us Thy peace Accord to us Thy peace and forgive our sins
Disperse the enemies of the church Fortify her and establish her forever
Emmanuel our God is now in our midst In the glory of His Father and the Holy Spirit
May He bless us all purify our hearts And heal the sickness of our souls and our bodies
We worship Thee, O Christ with Thy Good Father And the Holy Spirit for Thou hast come and saved us.
Your or Others' Mistakes By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
People's view of wrong and right, how they see and judge matters, differ from one person to another according to the contrition or pride of heart.
A humble person concentrates on his own mistakes...
And if he blames, he will only blame himself...
But the unhumble is only preoccupied with the mistakes of the others... They occupy all his mind, his enthusiasm and all his concern... They might also take all his time and energy...
He makes of himself a watcher over people to watch and judge. Being fond of this, he sets himself as a judge and pronounce his sentences...
If he finds no fault with the others, he imagines them due to his suspicions, doubts, mistrust, hard-heartedness and readiness to listen to what hurts others, no matter how it is not true!
He might think that his condemnation of the others for what he imagines to be wrong, puts him in a higher level over them, as if he understands what they do not understand... is better in management or above them in understanding, or in handling and arranging matters...!
And in all this, he forgets himself... He always blames others but does not accept blame...
He reproves but does not accept reproach, criticizes but does not accept criticism.
His considers himself without sin, perfect in his own eyes...
Therefore it is difficult for the unhumble to repent! For he sees no wrong in himself to repent for!!
It is difficult for the unhumble to accept advice; for he finds nothing that people understand more than him so that they may give him advice! ...
The trial which happened to Job the Righteous was due to his being "righteous in his own eyes. " (Job. 32:1).
That is why St. Paul the Apostle teaches us, "Do not be wise in your own opinion." (Rom. 12:16).
And wise Solomon says, "... and lean not on your own understanding. Do not be wise in your own eyes. " (Prov. 3:5&7).
Happy is the person who condemns himself in everything, who is concerned only about his own eternity not about condemning people.
SEPTEMBER SECOND SUNDAY
EL-NAYROUZ FEAST AND THE FEELING OF THE MARTYRS
Please read Mark 6:17-29, the attached material entitled “The Nayrouz” Coptic New Year, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON To learn that we must always declare our honest opinion and do not fear anything, or anyone.
MEMORY VERSE
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” Mark 6:18
PLEASE EMPHASIZE
Opening Questions:
† Why does the Church have her own calendar? Why don’t we just use the regular calendar? What happened that’s so important?
† Start by reviewing what the students recall regarding the Coptic Solar Year. Emphasize the following points:
- The Pharaonic Egyptians were the first to measure time, to date the years and divide them into months. They used the solar calendar in their records.
- The Coptic (or Egyptian) solar year is a very old one. The ancient Pharaohs created this system 5000 years before the birth of Christ, naming its months after the names of their ancient Egyptian Gods. The Coptic (or Egyptian) year has 13 months; they are: Tout, Baba, Hatour, Kyahek, Touba, Amshier, Baramehat, Baramouda, Bashonse, Baouna, Abeeb, Messra and ElNassey. Each of these months has 30 days; except the last month, El-Nassey, which is only 5 days long (or 6 days every four years, i.e., in the year that when divided by 4 will have no remainder)
- Up until now, the Egyptian farmers are using the Coptic solar year system in their timing for agriculture. The farmers divided the year into three seasons each of which has 4 full months: the season of the flood (includes Bashonse, Baouna, Abeeb and Messra), the season of cultivation (includes Tout, Baba, Hatour and Kyahek) and the season of the harvest and fruits (includes Touba, Amshier, Baramehat and Baramouda).
- The calculations for the Coptic solar year were based on the observation of the stars. When we approach the beginning of the Coptic year, i.e. the first of Tout, an intensely shining star appears in the skies before sunrise and it appears close to the sun and only once a year. We now call this star Sirius. The time of its appearance at sunrise on that day was always an auspice of the coming of the flood of the Nile which was the source of life and prosperity.
- The Roman ruler Diocletian horrified the entire world, and Egypt in particular, with his persecution of Christians. In consequence, the Copts considered the year AD. 284 as the beginning of their calendar.
- Egypt had only used the Egyptian calendar system until the French came to Egypt in the era of Ismail Pasha and introduced the Western year system (January, February, etc.).
† The Feelings and Characteristics of a Martyr
1) A martyr is a faithful person who is sticking to his or her faith even to death. No faith is more precious than this, that the person puts his life on earth as a price for his belief. Do we have this kind of faith?
2) A martyr is a person who has nothing in the world that pulls him from his beloved God. Otherwise, he/she would prefer to stay in the world for what he/she likes. Therefore, a martyr had already died of everything in the world before his body dies in martyrdom. Do we love the world or God?
3) A martyr is a courageous person. He/She faces all types of sufferings. But he still does not fear anything and goes forward towards death with a very strong heart. How courageous are we?
4) A martyr does not fear death or what is after death. He/She lives in joy even in the midst of sufferings. He/She is ready for eternal life with a pure heart, full of love to God and people. Are we ready for eternal life?
† Let us take an example of martyrs: St. John the Baptist. Please read St. Mark 6: 17-29. St. John did not fear King Herod. John feared God only and for this reason St. John can only say the truth, and the truth is God. Jesus (God Incarnate) said, “I am the way, the truth and the life”. John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18).
† Remember St. Paul and St. Peter who were martyred for preaching the word of God.
† The church has honored its martyrs to the fullest extent and has prepared for each of them on their Memorial Day a certain reading in honor of their martyrdom. This is in terms of hymns, prayers, recitals, and sermons.
Note: Please ask the students to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) Let us pray that God gives us even a touch of the faith, love, joy and courage of the martyrs.
(2) We must follow the footsteps of our martyrs in their love of Christ, belief in heaven, sticking to their values, and their faith.
SONGS
FROM ALL THE GENTILES
REFRAIN From all the gentiles, from all the nations, from all the peoples From all the gentiles, from all the nations, from all the tongues; Before the throne they stand, thousands by a thousand They come from every land.
They come from pain and fears they come from dark years Dressed in pure gowns their joyful harps they sound Theses are the redeemed by pure Blood esteemed I saw them all praise with glee as they came many.
Before the throne they kneel being judged without appeal From evil they are free heaven is all they see These are the redeemed by pure Blood esteemed I saw them all praise thankfully as they came many.
They walk through heavy rains accepting prison’s chains In spirit comforted with Christ they are ahead These are the redeemed by pure Blood esteemed I saw them all praise joyfully as they came many.
THE NAYROUZ COPTIC NEW YEAR
Pharaonic Egypt
The Pharaonic Egyptians were the first to measure time, to date the years and divide them into months. They used the solar calendar in their records. They knew that the year was 365 days approximately, and they organized their calendar with precision, dividing it into months with every month amounting to 30 days, back in the year 4240 B.C. The famous Greek historian Herodotus says in his writings on Egypt that the Egyptians were led to this conclusion by means of the stars, and that they greatly excelled the Greeks in adjusting their solar year by appending 5 days to the total of 12 months calling it the small month, so that the year should begin exactly according to its schedule.
It is worth drawing the reader’s attention at this point that the Ancient Egyptian solar calendar which is based on sidereal calculations is itself the calendar that all the people of the world have adopted from Egypt.
It is well known about the Coptic solar year that it used to be divided into three seasons and not four as is currently the case. Every season was 4 full months: the season of the flood coming at the head of all the seasons, then the season of cultivation, and thirdly the season of harvest and fruits. The alert reader would notice that this division is still used in the liturgical rites of the church, where the church designated for every season a special prayer, the Afshia (the litany); firstly the afshia of the water, then the afshia of the plants, and finally that of the fruits and the winds, The Coptic year is a Nilotic year of the first degree. The Coptic solar year is based in its delicate calculation on the observation of the stars. An active reader might notice that if he looks up into the skies around the time when we approach the beginning of the Coptic year, i.e. the first of Tut toward the orient, before sunrise, an intensely shining star which we now call Sirius, the old Coptic name of which is Stit, which is one component of the constellation called by the Romans “the Great Dog” (in Latin: Canis Majoris). This star was the object of adoration by Egyptians because the time of its appearance at sunrise on that day was always an auspice of the coming of the flood of the Nile which was the source of life and prosperity. It appears close to the sun and only once a year. It was for that reason that the Egyptians called this star the procurer of the flood. They adopted the Coptic year according to the course of the star, considering the moment of its appearance the beginning of the year.
Historians believe that the earliest recording of this star began in the days of the first congress of the Pharaonic government in Heliopolis in the year 4240 B.C.
Christian Egypt
The Egyptians kept on numbering their days and months according to their solar calendar intermittently from the dawn of history up to the present day, due to its relationship to the farming of the land, the main source of life and livelihood to them. On the other hand, their civilian records remained conspicuously affected by the kind of government or name of ruling sovereign, regardless of whether he was a native or a usurping foreigner. They recorded history according to his reign and conquests as in the case of Alexander the Great. Then came the Roman ruler Diocletian who horrified the entire world and Egypt in particular with his violence and persecution of Christians. No Christian country escaped having its soil smeared with the blood of martyrs. He went as far as shedding the blood of Egypt’s Patriarch St. Peter the First, known as the Seal of the Martyrs. He was the last one to have his blood shed during that sinister reign. In consequence, the Copts considered the year 284 A.D., the year of the tyrant’s ascension to sovereignty, as the beginning of their calendar. In Coptic terms, this year (1980 A.D.) would, for example, be expressed as the year 1695 A.M. (Anno Martiri).
We can understand why Egypt, in particular, was alone in adopting these painful and sangluant days as the beginning of its calendar when we read the following from the writings of one of the church fathers who was contemporary with Diocletian:
“If the martyrs of the whole world were put on one arm of the balance and the martyrs of Egypt on the other, the balance would tilt in favor of the Egyptians.”
It is estimated that the total number of sentences of execution pronounced against the Christians, decreed by Diocletian that were actually implemented, amounted to 800,000 sentences.
A Word about Diocletian
The parents of Emperor Diocletian were both slaves to Anulinus, a member of the Roman Senate. His mother named him after the city in which she was born. After a display of outstanding valor, the boy earned his emancipation. He worked at the Emperor’s palace where he was gradually promoted through various offices until he became a consul, then the head of the palace guard. He took part in the Persian war and showed such rare distinction that his rivals were obliged to elect him —although he is slave — to ascend to the Imperial Throne after the death of Neumaryan. He was to be described by attributes half of which were related to baseness, meanness and hypocrisy, and half to courage, sychophantry and affected refineness.
It is well known that these contradictory attributes if combined in one person, they would render him one of the toughest and most dangerous personalities. Diocletian was a worshiper of Jupiter, the patron god of wealth. Gibbon the historian also says:
Diocletian had astounding perseverance for realizing his goals, with a flexibility for varying the means and great artistry in subserving his skills and the skills of others to the interests of his ambitions, and in disguising these ambitions with the strongest of pretenses, pretending them to be for the sake of justice and common interest.
All these attributes, the Coptic reader can easily glean from reading the Synaxarium on the description of the ways the martyrs were tortured.
Diocletian held his grip with an iron hand for 21 years after which he withdrew from power and retired to the city of Salona in Salmatia for 9 years, dying afterwards as an invalid.
Calendaring the Martyrs and Celebrating their Memories
Every Christian should be aware that Christianity is firstly and lastly a testimony to Christ: You shall be witnesses to Me. The word martyr means witness, and was first given to the Apostles alone as having been the witnesses to the life of Jesus, His death and resurrection. “And be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8).
Yet it happened that the Lord Himself appeared to everyone suffering excessively because of their faith in the name of Christ, and especially to those who submitted to death voluntarily out of love and adoration; this took place at the moment of the soul’s release.
Hence, everyone who accepted death in the name of Christ was called a martyr, as he entered into an actual vision of the Beloved. And in that manner testimony to Christ by death entered a high degree of honor, side by side with the apostolic degree. Indeed, the martyr is mentioned in the ecclesiastical order immediately after the Apostles and before the great saints, even if his life prior to his martyrdom was at the level of catechumens. This is because bloodshed is considered baptismal, in the deepest sense of baptism, as a tinging with and partnership in the death of Christ.
Early church history has preserved for us, since the second century, splendid examples of the church’s bestowal of honors on the martyrs. The ecclesiastic order considered, and still does, the day of martyrdom to be the martyr’s true birthday, that is, the heavenly birthday in which he begins his true eternal life.
The church has honored its martyrs to the fullest extent and has commemorated their martyrdom on special memorial days. This is done in terms of hymns, prayers, recitals and sermons. Holy communion is then offered and it is considered the peak of celebration and glorification. Ever since the early centuries, the church set up small sanctuaries containing the relics of its martyrs. These sanctuaries or chapels were named Martyrium, that is, the place of testimony. We read about this in the biography of St. Macanus the Great, when he set up a small chapel to contain the bodies of Maximus and Dometius.
When the fathers and visitors met with St. Macanus he used to take them to their cells and say, “Let’s go and see the testimony (Martyrium) of the young strangers.”
The reader will notice that the word testimony here is a literal translation of the Greek word martyrium, i.e. a chapel to the memory of the martyr. And this was the ultimate sign of veneration by which St. Macanus was able to immortalize the memory of these two bloodless martyr-monks.
The church still considers its martyrs intercessors on its behalf whose blood pleads before God better than Abel, and the remains of their bodies a treasure dearer than perishable gold and more precious than any adornments, beauty or splendor. However small and destitute a church might be if it bore the body of a martyr, it should pride itself above the greatest cathedral in the world, even if its walls are of mud. This is not a pride of name or race, land or tongues, but rather the pride of a testimony of God stamped by blood, as the saying of the Gospel: “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
Indeed the church went through a period when it disregarded any altar as being worthy of consecration unless it contains parts from the relics of a martyr. Moreover, the priest who was appointed to a martyr’s altar was considered of a higher rank than any other priest. He was called martyrarius, that is, a servant of martyrdom.
Prayer Rituals for Feasts of the Martyrs
The reader should know that the early active church used to celebrate Christ with prayers and hymns, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, throughout the year. Vigils starting on Saturday would go on with all the trappings of joy and true festive spirit when the liturgical service would be completed with the Divine Oblation on Sunday morning.
Yet, apart from these two days, the church used to congregate once or twice every week, as St. John Chrysostom informs us in his sermon No. 40. This was on the occasion of one of these celebrations with vigilance, prayers and hymns until daybreak to commemorate one of the martyrs, and during which Holy Communion was offered as part of the same solemn rite of Sundays. Regarding these vigils for the saints’ feasts inside the church, John Chrysostom tells us in his sermon No. 55 on the martyrs:
You have kept vigil yesterday all night long, and have completed the requirements of sanctity, so that you have changed night into day; so now do not change your day into night with drunkenness and dissolution.
Among the earliest reports that describe to us the fashion of commemoration of the martyrs is the report that Eusebius of Caesarea, the historian, relates about the celebrated Bishop Polycarp. The Bishop consummated his martyrdom in 168 A.D. St. John Chrysostom tells us of his church in Smyrna, the centre seat of the Bishop’s diocese:
They decided by the will of God to congregate around his tomb to celebrate his birthday — i.e. the day of his martyrdom — with joy and jubilation to venerate his sufferings so as to exemplify that to the rising generations!
Tertulian also alludes to the church rituals in his days on occasion of the celebrations of martyrs in the following manner:
The oblations are offered on behalf of those who have passed away on their birthdays as a perpetual commemoration of the day of their martyrdom.
St. Cyprian too elucidates the interest of the church in regards to this, saying: The church offers the oblation on behalf of them when they set up to commemorate their suffering in the days of their martyrdom as a perpetual annual commemoration.
The liturgical service used to comprise unfailingly a recital from the history of these martyrs that was entrusted to the bishops themselves to be written or revised, so as to meet ecclesiastic standards and to acquire an official status. Indeed the church would not accept a history that was not approved of by a bishop. The council of Carthage instituted a legislation regulating the writing and reciting the histories of martyrs.
SEPTEMBER THIRD SUNDAY
THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF EGYPTA BRIEF SYNOPSIS
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON
Familiarization with the Coptic Orthodox church. We must be familiar enough about our own church for our own benefit as well as being ready to answer others.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Out of Egypt I called My Son” Matthew 2:15
PLEASE EMPHASIZE
Opening Questions:
V What’s so special about our Coptic Orthodox church?
† Introduction
The term “Copt” is a derivative of the Greek “Aigyptos” which is Egypt. The Coptic language is directly derived from the ancient Egyptian demotic language which was the language of the common people. By the middle of the second century B.C. Greek became the official language. It is only by adding seven characters that we have the Coptic alphabet.
† Christianity in Egypt
Christianity was introduced into Egypt by St. Mark the Apostle in the year 61 AD. Actually the new religion had an easy accession because of the striking similarities between the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians and the Christian doctrines.
Worthy of notice is that the land of Egypt was the refuge of the Holy Family
after their flight from Herod. Before the turn of the century St. Mark was martyred in Alexandria in 68 A.D. Waves of persecution followed and they reached their highest level of satanism in the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD.).
† Martyrdom in Egypt: Under the reign of Dioclectian (284-305 AD.) Egypt provided the highest number of martyrs in the whole world.
† Monasticism in Egypt:
This gave rise to the spread of monasteries in the desert and Egypt came to be widely known as the home of Christian monasticism. Mention must be made here of the great St. Antony whose ascetic life is expounded in the Vita Antonii of St. Athanasius the Great and St. Pachomius whose monastic rules were copied in many European monasteries and convents.
† The School of Alexandria:
Before the turn of the second century, the Catechetical School of Alexandria was founded. It was founded, according to Jerome, by St. Mark himself. Highly renowned teachers like Clement, Pantaenus, and the prolific Origen maintained a high standard of scholarship.
† The Coptic Church in the Ecumenical Councils:
The Coptic Orthodox Church also took leading steps in eradicating heresy and defending Orthodoxy against the onslaught of Arianism and other heresies in the Council of Nicea (325 AD.), Constantinople (381 AD.) and Ephesus (431AD.).
† The Divine Liturgies in the Coptic Church:
The Divine Liturgies currently in use are the liturgies of St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazianzen, and St. Cyril the Great. The Cyrillian Liturgy is an adaptation of the original liturgy of St. Mark.
† Coptic Art:
Coptic art has its origins in the exuberance of Pharaonic art. With the Christianization of Egypt the Byzantine influence became apparent but the Coptic art soon gained its individual identity. The Byzantine influence is noticeable in the White and Red monasteries in Upper Egypt and the Suspended Church of our Lady in the Babylonian fort in Old Cairo.
† Coptic Music:
As for Coptic music the world-renowned specialist in Coptic musicology Mr. Ernest Newlandsmith has asserted that the Coptic chant is an extension of the ancient Egyptian vocal music which was handed down generation after generation in monasteries and churches.
† Coptic Missionary Work:
Missionary work started in Africa and it soon extended to Spain, Southern France, Switzerland and to Ireland where the desert monastic “Order” was adopted and later it flourished in medieval Europe.
Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) We belong to a very old, respectable, and well-known church. Our church is unparalleled in its leadership in so many areas. As we appreciate our church we must follow its teachings.
(2) We have very important duty to preach Christianity to the whole world. Our church must take a leading role in missionary work.
SONGS
MY COPTIC CHURCH
My Coptic Orthodox Church you have spread Christianity In Nubia and Ethiopia and in Western cities Also in African nations as well as in Sudan In the European countries you witnessed through the land
REFRAIN O my church the strong O great place of prayer We defend you with our blood we defend you with our life.
At the Nicean Council you stood firm and remained Your deacon Athanasius is the hero of faith With Clement and Origen with Anathony and Paul And Cyril and Discoros all of your saints stood tall.
My beloved Coptic Church a house of beauty bright You are so sweet and radiant we defend you with our love. Our eyes do look toward you and our hearts adore you O great place of prayer we always come to you
Jesus came and visited you with His Mother He blessed you And the blood of St. Mark established your faith true. St. George and St. Demiana were martyred for the faith The blood of Abba Peter ended the pagan ways.
Mother of seven sacraments as well as of our saints The wicked persecuted you but God kept strong your gates The oldest of all churches in the world a bright light The love of all our martyrs you are the way of paradise
SEPTEMBER FOURTH SUNDAY
THE FEAST OF THE CROSS-“The Cross is the emblem of Christianity”
Please read the attached materials entitled “The Appearance of the Cross in the Sky”, “The Day of the Cross Feast”, “The Cross in our life”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON
The importance of the Cross in my life. In this lesson we study the types of Crosses in our life.
MEMORY VERSE
“But even if you suffer for righteousness sake, you are learned” 1 Pet. 3:14
PLEASE EMPHASIZE Opening Questions:
V What’s so special about the Cross? Why do we have it around our necks, on our wrists, on top of the church, so on?
† The Cross is a sign of glory, salvation and strength. Explain from the attached material “the Appearances of the Cross” and “the two Cross feasts”.
† With Jesus’ crucifixion and His hanging on the Cross between heaven and earth He restored again the relationship between heaven and earth.
† Paradise was opened again for us after Christ was crucified on the Cross. Jesus said to him (i.e. the right-hand robber), “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in the Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
† When we cross ourselves we gain strength: “For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
† The Cross in our Life:
1) The first relationship between the Cross and ourselves is in Baptism. In Baptism we crucify our “old humanity” so that we are not slaves to sin anymore.
2) The church has carried the Cross in the martyrdom period and in all the persecutions which the church faced throughout the centuries. Most importantly is that the church carried the Cross with complete joy, patience, and thanksgiving.
The Cross in the life of the church turned into a very favorable thing and the way the Christians who were facing death saw in it strong faith in the happy eternal life and the triviality of this world astonished the persecutors.
The prisons turned into halls of prayers and the sound of hymns and praise from Christians waiting for their martyrdom was heard.
3) The third opportunity of carrying the Cross is in entering through the narrow door. There the person stays away from the lusts of the world. The carrier of the Cross spends his time in fasts; he accepts others’ insults and exercises full control over himself.
Under this type as well, is the Cross of doing work and service for the sake of God. Of course “each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).
4) Christianity cannot be separated from the Cross. Jesus had made it clear: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). But then He assured the believers of total victory, joy and peace: “Peace I leave with you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
† Jesus concentrated a lot of His talk on the Cross:
“And he who does not take his Cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38) “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come take up the Cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10:21)
† Keep a Cross in your room where you are praying to remember Jesus’ love all the time. Also it will give you a special blessing. Remember that the Cross is followed by resurrection, victory and eternal joy.
Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) The Cross has a special blessing in our life. We must follow Jesus’ footsteps in carrying the Cross of witnessing to faith, bearing other people’s insults, controlling what we say and do, and staying away from all the welcoming attractions of the world.
(2) We should start to practice in our life to live with something inconvenient and endure suffering without complaining.
SONGS
SHERE PI ESTAVROS “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Gal 6:14)
Christ has come to us from heaven to save us With His blood He redeemed us Shere pi estavros
Because Jesus loves us He came and lived with us He died for us Shere pi estavros
He was crucified and obtained victory With wondrous authority Shere pi estavros
The cross is my life my strength and my hope The starting of my prayer Shere pi estavros
A lot of the saints with the sign of the cross Conquered the devils Shere pi estavros
They moved many mountains and the dead arose Exactly as He said Shere pi estavros
And I am their son proud of the cross I will follow them Shere pi estavros
THE CROSS IN OUR LIFE
On the occasion of the feast of the Cross, we mention the following points:
U Our first relationship with the Cross starts by baptism, where our old Adam is crucified so that sin will never enslave us.
U The Church has carried the Cross during the martyrdom period and in all the persecutions that followed it during the lapse of time...
U The beauty of the Cross is that the Church carried it with joy and patience,... without any complaint or grumbling...
The Cross changed into a longing that the Church desires and proceeds towards.
The way in which the Christians received death puzzled the pagans. It was a reflection of the Christians' faith in eternal joy and disdain of the world, with all its pleasures and enjoyments...
The prisons turned into temples, where hymns and prayers echoed from the Christians who were joyful to receive death...
U The third field where we carry the Cross is narrow gate...
A person might constrain himself for the sake of God. He isolates himself from the world and all its desire. He disclaims everything for God's sake... by fasting devoutness, self control and enduring others' offences.
U The Cross of weariness could also be included this field...
One toils in one's services for God and labours in (crucifying the flesh with its passions), as he Apostle says, "He toils in struggling and crucifying the thought and overcoming oneself, " knowing all the time that he "will receive his own reward according to his own labour. " (1Cor 3:8)
Christianity could never be separated from the Cross....
The Lord Jesus told us plainly that "... In the world you will have tribulation" and he also said, "and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. " (Mt 10:22)
U We welcome and rejoice with the Cross, and see our strength in it. As the Apostle said, "For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (1Cor. 1:18)
THE APPEARANCE OF THE CROSS IN THE SKY
This happened THREE times:
1. The FIRST time it appeared in the sky to the Emperor Constantine the Great to assure him of victory before he was set 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. In the SECOND time the Cross appeared to Julius Ceasar on the doors of the city of Antioch. 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, when a big Cross appeared in the sky on Golgotha stretching to Mount Olive. It was very clear and was seen not only by one or two, but by all the people of the city. It remained for many hours shining brighter than the rays of the sun. All the people of the city came out to see the apparition. They 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 DAY OF THE CROSS FEAST In the day of the Cross 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 Jesus’ tomb, they became angry and asked everyone in the Jewish nation to collect all the garbage and put it on top of the tomb to burry it. The Jews continued to do that for over 200 years until a very large pile of dirt was formed. Saint Helena, 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 that pile of dirt. She then ordered that the pile of dirt should be removed. It was then easy to get out the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ. Afterwards she built a church on that site and the Christians go to visit the Cross and the Church.
St. Helena did that because she loved the Cross that appeared to her son, King Constantine, before he went to war and he won that war.
OCTOBERFIRST SUNDAY
HOW TO PRAY?
Please read the attached materials entitled “What is Mental or Inner Prayer, and of What Kind Can it be?”, “How to Learn to Pray in this Way?” and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON
To learn how to pray in words, in mind, and in heart. To learn that without an effective prayer, one would be very weak spiritually.
MEMORY VERSE
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7
PLEASE EMPHASIZE
† Introduction:
1) What is Prayer?
This is not an easy question. Even the Disciples of the Lord wondered about it and so they asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
Even the Saints have various answers in defining prayer. Every Saint has defined prayer as he has experienced it not as he heard about it or read about it.
St. Augustine defined prayer as, “a key to the heaven, with its strength you can do all things, it is a protection for the soul, a source of all righteousness, a ladder by which we go to God, an angelical act and a basis of faith.”
St. Basil the Great said that “prayer is an attachment with God in all moments of life and its circumstances. In this way the whole life becomes one prayer without interruption.”
St. Isaak the Serian also said that “prayer is the continuous mentioning of God in the hearts of the people who fear Him…It is flying of our minds to God ... it is a total departure of our consciousness from all the present worldly situations…”
In short, one may say that prayer is the method by which man gets close to God and it is the essence or the heart of religion.
2) The Effect of Prayer and our Need for it:
Man needs prayer for both his spiritual and physical needs combined. Without prayer the spiritual life of man cannot go forward: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13)
† How to Pray?
Forms of Prayers
- Prayer with Words:
The tongue says the holy words of prayer, while the mind wanders away somewhere. Prayer which is merely words, is not prayer at all.
- Prayer with the Mind:
The mind understands the words of prayer, but the heart does not respond to them with feelings. In this type of prayer words are connected with mental prayer and this is an imperfect and incomplete prayer.
- Real Prayer:
This is attained when praying words and praying thoughts are combined with praying feelings. One should pray not only in words but also in mind, and not only in mind but also in heart.
- Prayer of the Heart:
This prayer belongs to the perfect. In it the Holy Spirit moves in the heart; the man who prays is conscious of it, but does not do it; it acts by itself.
Hence, if we want our prayer to bring much fruit, never be content by oral prayer alone, but pray also with your mind and heart.
† How to learn to have a full or real prayer as described above? In short, the answer is training.
Please see the 8 steps in the attached material that can be used as guidance to facilitate having a full prayer.
Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) We must be serious in learning to have an effective prayer, that is praying words and praying thoughts are combined with praying feelings.
(2) The devil rejoices when our prayers become only routine work without any positive effect on us. We can loose our share in eternal life if we continued to pray this routine way until the end of our time on earth.
SONGS:
OUT OF THE DEPTH, O LORD “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me.” (Jon 2:2)
Out of the depth, O Lord I’ve cried with all my heart Consider my afflictions accept my invocations I am in need I am in need
When I pour myself before Thee let my prayer be accepted Before Thee, O my Lord as rising sweet incense Please hear my voice, O Lord Please hear my voice, O Lord
May the lifting up of my hands be like evening oblation To purge all my iniquities and purify my heart I praise Thee, O Lord I praise Thee, O Lord
WHAT IS MENTAL OR INNER PRAYER, AND OF WHAT KIND CAN IT BE? *
Mental or inner prayer is when a man at prayer collects his mind in the heart, and from there sends out his prayer to God, not aloud but in silent words, praising and thanking Him, confessing to Him his sins with contrition and begging for his needs in spiritual and bodily blessings. One should pray not only in words but also in mind, and not only in mind but also in heart, so that the mind sees and understands clearly what is said in words, and the heart feels what the mind thinks, All this yoked together is real prayer, and if something of this is lacking in prayer, it is either imperfect prayer or not prayer at all.
You are sure to have heard these expressions: prayer with words, prayer with the mind, prayer with the heart, and maybe you have heard explanations of each of them separately. What is the reason for this division of prayer into its component parts? The reason is that owing to our negligence it sometimes happens that the tongue says the holy words of prayer, while the mind wanders away somewhere, or the mind understands the words of prayer, but the heart does not respond to them with feeling. In the first case prayer is merely words, and is not prayer at all; in the second — prayer with words is connected with mental prayer, and this is imperfect, incomplete prayer. Full and real prayer is when praying words and praying thoughts are combined with praying feelings.
There also exists, through the grace of God, prayer of the heart only, and this is spiritual prayer, when the Holy Spirit moves in the heart; the man who prays is conscious of it, but does not do it; it acts by itself. This prayer belongs to those who are seeking perfection. The form of prayer accessible to all and demanded of all is that form through which the mind and feeling are always combined with the words of prayer.
There is yet another form of prayer, which is called standing in the presence of God, when the man who prays is wholly concentrating and inwardly contemplating God as being present to him and within him, with corresponding feelings — either of fear of God and the feeling of wonder and awe before His greatness, or of faith and hope, or of love and submission to His will, or of contrition and readiness for any sacrifice. Such a state comes when a man becomes deeply immersed in prayer by word, mind and heart. If a man prays in the right way and for a long time, these states come to him more and more often, and finally this state can become permanent; then it is called walking before God and in constant prayer. This was the state of David, who says of himself: “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Ps.xvi. 8).
Thus, my brother, if you wish your prayer to bring much fruit, never be content by oral prayer alone, but pray also with your mind and heart — using your mind to understand and be conscious of all that is said in words, and your heart will feel it all. Above all, pray with your heart. Prayer bursting from the heart is like a streak of lightning, which takes but a moment to cross the heavens and appear before the throne of the all-merciful God. God hears it and inclines towards it. This was the prayer with which Moses prayed standing before the Red Sea; and immediately he heard God’s voice: “Why do you cry to Me?” (Ex. 14:15): and God gave him the power to free his people from the danger which threatened them.
How to learn to pray in this way?
I presume that, having read thus far, you will ask: how to learn to pray this way? The answer is: train yourself always to pray precisely in the way indicated; that is, not only in words, but also in mind and heart — and you will learn. How did you learn to read? You began to work at it and then you learned. How did you learn to write? You began to write, and you learnt. In the same way you will learn to pray as I have indicated, if you begin to pray in precisely this way.
You know of course the words of prayer — you were taught them from childhood. They are to be found in our prayer-books and the book of church services. They are prayers that poured out of the hearts of saintly men and women when, moved by the Holy Spirit, they expressed before God the desires of their heart. The spirit of prayer is contained in them; so, if you read them as you should, you too will be filled with this spirit; just as the spirit of a writer is communicated to one who reads with full attention. Everyone has experienced this, and I am sure you have had the same experience.
These words of prayer are collected in our prayer-books, so you have no need to work at collecting them. So get yourself a prayer-book and, at the times fixed for prayer, usually in the morning and evening, read the prayers set out there, paying attention to every word, thinking the thoughts expressed there and trying to reproduce in your heart the same feelings as stir in the prayer you read. This is all there is to it; and this is what all people usually do.
You will say: true, all people do this; but if so, why does not everyone have proper prayer? The reason is, though they do it, that is, open the prayer-book, stand before the icons and read, they do not bring their mind and heart into it; the mind wanders, they know not where, and the heart follows its own pleasures, instead of praying. But when you pray you should confine your mind to the words of prayer and make your heart absorb what they say — and you will at once taste the fruit of such recital of prayer.
Thus, since you have the words of prayer and know what it means to understand and feel them, the rest depends on you: prayer and success in it is in your hands. Strive diligently and you will succeed. Yet I shall add some words of guidance to explain this view.
1) Try to ponder over and feel the prayers you have to read, not at the hour of prayer, but at some other free time. If you do this, then, at the time set for prayer, you will have no difficulty in reproducing the whole content of the prayer you read. As soon as you begin some prayer, the thoughts and feelings contained in it will at once present themselves to your consciousness, and you will utter the words as though they were your own, born in your own heart and pouring out of it, instead of having been brought into it.
2) Having thought about and felt the prayers, take care to learn them by heart. When you have done this, you will assimilate them. While they are in the prayer-book they are outside you; but when you have learnt them by heart, they become within you, so that, whatever the circumstances may be, you will always have your prayer-book with you. Besides, by memorizing the prayers, you engrave the praying thoughts and feelings more deeply in yourself, than if you have merely pondered over and felt their meaning. This study of prayer, when you do not only learn the words by heart but also preserve in yourself the thoughts and feelings they contain, will build in you a structure of prayer. This is the best method of forming the habit of proper prayer.
3) When the time comes for recital of prayers, do not begin to say them as soon as you have torn yourself from your ordinary occupations, but first prepare yourself: “stand for a while in silence, until your feelings calm down” as the prayer-book teaches, and remember what you are about to approach and to perform, who you are, who are about to pray, and who is He and before Whom you are about to recite your prayers, what exactly you are to say and how? This preparation is made necessary — in the morning, because the soul is heavy from immersion in sleep and because the cares of the coming day flood you immediately upon awakening — and in the evening by the varied impressions of the day, and especially things that stand out as striking, whether pleasant or unpleasant. Try to sweep all this out of your consciousness, so that the work of prayer occupies your whole attention and you can devote the time before you exclusively to prayer. If some matters have struck you, and you have not succeeded in dealing with them, turn them into a subject for prayer, or thanksgiving, or ask for help and liberation, or commit them, yourself and all that you have to God’s will.
4) Just before you begin to recite prayers, bring yourself to the consciousness and feeling of standing in the presence of God with reverent awe, and bring to life in your heart the faith that God sees and hears you, that He does not turn away from those who pray to Him, but looks with benevolence on them and on you in this hour of prayer. Let your prayer be winged with hope that He is ready to grant, and will actually grant your request, if it is for the good of your soul.
5) Having brought yourself to this state, say your prayers, with the deepest attention, taking every care to make them come from the heart, as though they were your own, although they were learned by heart. Do not let your attention wander off, nor your thoughts slip away. As soon as you notice this happening, bring your thoughts back within, and resume your prayers from the point at which your attention strayed to something else. Remember that attention does not stray when the heart is filled with feelings of prayer. So your first care should be for these feelings. Do not let yourself hurry in reciting prayers, but continue to the end reverently and with patience, as befits a sacred doing.
6) If, while saying prayers, observing this method and attitude, some subject of prayer especially touches your heart, captures your attention as something very akin to your own circumstances, and incites you to pray in your own words, do not let this occasion slip by, but pause and pray in your own words, until the need or feeling for prayer that had arisen is satisfied.
7) If you strive to practice the recital of prayer in this way, you will gain the spirit of prayer, which you must try to preserve in force as much as you can. For this reason, do not throw yourself at once into daily affairs and never think that, having performed your rule of prayer, you have finished with your duty to God and can now give rein to your thoughts and feelings. No, for the rest of the day you must also try to keep yourself as during your prayer rule. To succeed in this never forget that you are walking before God and that His hand alone keeps you above the abyss of nothingness. Keeping this in mind, do everything, both great and small, as God wishes it, asking His blessing and turning everything to the glory of His name. Acting thus you will retain the right state for prayer up to the hour of your evening rule. Having performed the evening rule in the same way, you will sleep rightly at night. Thus you will have lived a day and a night in a good prayerful state. In this way pass day after day, and in a few months, or perhaps even weeks, you will see your prayer gain in strength and, like a lamp that never goes out, prayer will constantly burn in your heart. 8) I will add another small rule, namely, the necessity for this work of prayer to go on without interruption from the moment it is begun until some success is attained ... But if today you pray well and keep the state of prayer in you, but tomorrow become slack and spend the day dispersed, then, acting thus you will never achieve any success in prayer. It will be the same as building and pulling down. In the end, prayer may dry up altogether and the soul may become incapable of it. Having once begun, one must patiently remain in prayer, never weakening and pandering to oneself by special dispensations and indulgences.
* Note: "Mina El Khalas" Magazine – St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, Troy, Mich. USA.
OCTOBER SECOND SUNDAY
THANKSGIVING TO GODLET US GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE HAS COVERED US
Please read Psalm 103:1-22, the attached material entitled “The Prayer of Thanksgiving”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON To be thankful to God at all times; He has covered us.
MEMORY VERSE
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” Psalm 10 7:1
PLEASE EMPHASIZE
Opening Questions:
V What’s the first thing we pray at a divine liturgy? At a baptism? At a funeral? Why?
† Let us Give Thanks
- Thanksgiving as a principle of the relationship with God has been established by our Lord Jesus. As He established the Lord’s Prayer, (Luke ll:2-4), He also established the thanksgiving prayer when He said: “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me”, (John ll:41-42). Jesus also said: “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes” (Luke 10:21). Remember that Jesus did this Thanksgiving Prayer to teach us, on one hand, and to thank the Father on our behalf for His love and the salvation, on the other hand.
- Therefore, thanksgiving as an attitude of communication between man and his creator is established by our Lord Jesus. The reverse to thanksgiving is dissatisfaction and un-appreciation.
- The Israelites thanked the Lord after He brought them out of Egypt and passed through the Red Sea. However, later on they became dissatisfied with both God and Moses and wanted to go back to Egypt. When our Lord Jesus came, they rejected Him as they rejected John the Baptist and nothing could make them satisfied or thankful. “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not weep’. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’. The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”’ (Luke 7:31-34)
† Please tell the miracle of healing the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19).
- We must learn to say thank you. A person who is thankful is much easier to deal with than a person who is always complaining and dissatisfied.
- Please read Psalm 103.
- Benefits of thanksgiving are:
1) God does not need our thanksgiving. But when we thank God, we remember His blessings for us, His love to us and as we are assured of God’s love to us we develop a loving relationship with God. And in this way we benefit from thanksgiving.
2) When we thank God we remember what He had done for us in the past and this gives us hope that God is going to help us in the future too and we rely on Him more.
3) Our thanksgiving to God gives us more blessings from Him. St. Isaac the Syrian said, “No blessings are without increase except those that are without thankfulness.”
† Read the prayer of thanksgiving and mention to the students that this is the first prayer in all services in our church. Discuss this prayer with the students.
† He has Covered us:
- Focus on “He has covered us”. So many times we sin against God but He does not let this be known to others so that they do not think bad of us. This implies that we are confessing that we are sinners and we need to be covered. If God declares to other people all our thoughts, all our hidden plans and all our lusts and sins, we lose respect in their sight.
- The covering also means that at the last instant we might be in trouble but the Lord comes to our rescue. Tell the story of the wedding in Cana of Galilee as an example. Jesus covered them, i.e. He was kind to them.
- God knows all our weaknesses and sins and He does not declare them and He has mercy on us. But the people, if they knew them, they may not have mercy on us, “Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14).
- Even for the sins that we confess and declare, God, because of His mercy, allowed confession to be in secret and to one person: the priest. The priest is committed to church laws that do not allow him to say a word of the people’s confession.
- The Bible says “With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Mark 4:24). This means if one wants God to cover him, he must also cover the sins of others. God who is Holy covers me, a sinner, then I must cover my brother who is also a sinner like me.
Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
1) Let us be thankful and not chronic complainers. Let us thank the Lord at all times for He has covered us.
2) We must never rejoice in people’s sins or problems. But we must cover them up and not tell anyone.
SONGS AMEN AMEN AMEN
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.
Let us then entreat Him, the Almighty Lord our God, to keep us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.
O Master, Lord, God Almighty, Father of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, we thank Thee upon every condition, for any condition, and in whatever condition, for Thou hast covered us, supported us, preserved us, accepted us unto Thee, had compassion on us, sustained us and brought us unto this hour.
Wherefore, we pray and entreat Thy goodness, O lover-of-mankind. Grant us to complete this holy day and all the days of our life in all peace with Thy fear. All envy, all temptation, all the works of Satan, the intrigue of wicked people, the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, do Thou cast away from us and from Thy people, and from this, Thy holy place.
Whereas of things that are good and useful dost thou grant us, for thou art Him that gavest us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and every power of the enemy. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Through the grace and mercies and love of Thine only Begotten Son, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, through Whom is due unto Thee, glory and honor and power, together with Him and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is consubstantial with Thee now and ever, and to the age of all ages.
Amen
OCTOBER THIRD SUNDAY
WHEN WE MEET JESUS OUR LIFE WILL CHANGE -ST. MOSES THE BLACK
Please read the attached material entitled “St. Moses the Ethiopian, His Life and Spirituality”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON: To learn that when we repent and come back to the Father, He forgives us and accepts us for we are His children.
MEMORY VERSE
“I am the light of the world” John 8:12
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
† Introduction:
A sin is an action against God and it separates the sinful man (whose heart becomes dark and impure) from God (Who is all-Light and all-pure). Repentance is a change of heart and change of life from a sinful and dark life to pure and enlightened life.
Repentance should not be Delayed:
In the parable of the prodigal son who left the house of his father, when he realized that he is in trouble away from his father, he said: “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you’ (Luke 15:18). He did not delay repentance. Please read Luke 15:11-32.
Repentance is not just Words, it is a Change of Heart:
When “a woman in the city who was a sinner” came to the Pharisee’s house, she stood at Jesus’ feet behind Him weeping, she began to wash His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. This woman did not say one word. She showed what is in her heart: tears, kissing and anointing Jesus’ feet. She showed a change of heart.
† Highlights of Saint Moses the Ethiopian:
(Please read and mention the details as in the attached material.)
- St. Moses was born about 332 A.D. He was a slave, was driven out of the house of his master because of his dishonesty and then he became the head of a gang of seventy robbers.
- Early Life: His life is a good example of repentance moving from a very sinful life to a high spiritual life. He is similar, to some extent, to St. Augustine who said about himself, “for what sin could I not have committed?”
- With St. Macarius at Scetis: We do not know the circumstances of Moses’ conversion. When next we see him, he was in Scetis in the western desert of Egypt. An elder found him and led him to St. Macarius the great at Petra in the northern end of Scetis.
- Moses with his Spiritual Director: Moses was received by the priest of Scetis St. Isidore. He was fortunate enough to have such an experienced and pious elder as his spiritual director. As a catechumen, Moses received the basic Christian teachings from St. Isidore. During his confession, St. Macarius saw a tablet which was all black representing the sins of Moses. An angel was wiping off every sin when it was confessed until finally all the tablet became white.
- Struggle against Temptation: For Moses, the white robe of baptism and the monk’s style of life did not mean that he entered into the domain of contemplation. He entered into a fierce struggle with the flesh, the devil, and the world. He was successful by fasting, prayers, and the support of the angels who were sent to help him.
After he exhausted all his power in fasting, prayers, and manual work, St. Isidore gave him his conclusive answer “In the name of Jesus Christ, from this time onward the devils shall have no sway on thee. Draw nigh then, and participate in the Holy Mysteries, and thou shalt be free from all impurity both in the flesh and of the spirit.” And it happened and all the suffering of Moses came to an end. In fact he was casting away demons and was given the power to heal the sick.
† Spirituality of St. Moses:
- His Humility: At the council of Scetis, the Fathers wanted to test him saying, “Why does this black man come among us? We don’t want a thief in our midst.” He kept silent. When they asked him, “Father, were you not troubled?” He said, “Although I was troubled, yet I said nothing.”
- His Love: There was a council in Scetis that was called to discuss the fault of an individual. When St. Moses was invited, he carried a basket with a hole in it, filled it with sand and carried it upon his shoulders. When the monks saw him coming in this shape, they asked him “What is this, Father?” He said to them, “These are my sins which are running down behind me, and I have come today to judge the errors of another.” Then the council ended on this note.
- His Crown of Martyrdom: In the year 407 AD., when the Berber attacked the desert tribes, St. Moses gained the crown of martyrdom.
Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) We must never lose hope. No matter of how bad is our life, let us now commit ourselves to live with Jesus. His arms are widely open to receive us.
(2) True repentance means we do not fall into the same mistakes again. But we must learn from our mistakes, be careful and not fall again.
SONGS
CHANGE MY HEART O GOD
Change my heart O God make it ever true Change my heart O God may I be like You
You are the potter I am the clay Mold me and make me this is what I pray
SAINT MOSES THE ETHIOPIAN HIS LIFE AND SPIRITUALITY (332 A.D. — 407 A.D.) *
Early Life:
Had Saint Moses the Ethiopian written his autobiography, he would have given us similar words to what St. Augustine gave in his Confessions,
“What evil is there that I have not wrought by my deeds, or if not by my deeds at least by my words, or if not by my words at least by my will? ... For Thou hast forgiven in me so great and so many wicked deeds, and hast dissolved my sins like ice ... for what sin could I not have committed? .,. All these sins I acknowledge to have been forgiven; both those which, by my will, I have committed, and those which, by the help, I have not committed. I fell from Thee, Oh my God, and wandered far, too far from thy stability in that youth of mine; and I became unto myself thereby a land of want and misery.”
But Moses who lived to become one of the fourth century Desert Fathers did not leave an autobiography. We have some sketches of his early life from Palladius. He was born about 332 A.D. 332. In his youth he was the slave of a high government official who could not tolerate his dishonesty and his violence. It was said that he even went so far as to commit murder. Finally his master drove him out of his house. Moses became the head of a gang of seventy robbers. He was a strong and fierce man of huge stature. Once, he wanted to kill a shepherd who pastured his sheep on the other bank of the Nile, which was then in full flood and more than a mile across. Moses put his sword between his teeth, placed his clothes on his head and swam across the river. The shepherd was able to hide by burying himself in the sand. The sheep were left for Moses, who chose four of the best rams, slew them, and tying them with a rope he took them with him back across the river. He then came to a small village where he skinned the rams, ate the best portions of them, and sold the rest for wine.
With St. Macarius at Scetis:
We do not know the circumstances of Moses’ conversion. But the wind blows where it wills, and every night should have an end. It was mentioned that he used to address the sun saying, “If thou art the god let me know, and thou the God whom I know not lead me to Thyself.”
When next we see him, he was in Scetis in the western desert of Egypt. An elder found him and led him to St. Macarius the Great at Petra in the northern end of Scetis. It was about the year A.D. 365 when Moses arrived there, Thousands of monks had followed St. Macarius after he came to the area about A.D. 340 They first settled in the northern part of the valley. There they dug a well and built a church. It is now the area of the Monastery of Our Lady, Al-Baramus. Soon Scetis extended to the south, and when St. Cassian visited it in A.D, 385, he found there four flourishing monastic settlements with four churches. These early monasteries were not localized places surrounded by walls as we see the monasteries now; each monk, however, had to build his cell or live in a cave which he roofed with palm branches. Monks only met in church on Saturdays and Sundays every week where they celebrated the Eucharist and heard the teaching of St. Macarius or of one of the elders chosen by him.
Moses and his Spiritual Director:
Moses was received by the priest of Scetis St. Isidore. He was fortunate enough to have such an experienced and pious elder as his spiritual director. Had St. Isidore done nothing except leading Moses safely during a very turbulent period of his life, he would have proven himself a great saint. St. Rufinus and St. Jerome consider him, one of the great elders of Scetis. He was one of the early Fathers who moved from Cellia with St. Macarius when he came to Scetis in A,D. 340. Although we have only a few of his sayings in the ‘Apophthegmata Patrum’, yet they are enough to show us a very loving Father who was strict with himself, but knew how to be tolerant to his brethren and spiritual sons. He used to say, “When you are working in a certain place, the strength is not in departing from there because of too much labor; as for me, I wrap myself up in my cloak and I go to the place where labor is, and labor becomes unto me a pleasure.” Till his old age he used to plait a bundle of palms every night. When the brethren advised him to have some rest, he answered, “Even if Isidore was burned, and his ashes thrown to the winds, I would not allow myself any relaxation, because the Son of God came to the earth for my sake.” Actually his main labor was not the manual work, but prayer to which he set no time limit whether by day or by night. According to him sanctity is reached by denying oneself and denying one’s own will for the sake of following God’s will.
His brotherly love was reflected in the one teaching he often repeated when he addressed the monks in the church, “My brethren, it is written, ‘Forgive thy brother that thou mayest be accounted worthy of forgiveness.”’ (Matt. 6:14, Luke 6:37). From the day he became a monk, he never allowed himself to be angry with anybody. Once he went to sell some goods in the market place and was about to lose his temper; he simply left his goods and fled. When any of the elders wanted to dismiss a brother who was sick, or careless or abusive, St. Isidore used to take charge of him, and by his long suffering, he would lead him to salvation.
Baptism:
As a catechumen, Moses received the basic Christian teachings from St. Isidore. The light was too much for the newly converted Moses, heavily burdened with sin. Frequently he exploded in tears and had to find relief in kneeling before his director and confessing his sins. When time for his baptism came, he confessed all his past evil deeds publicly in the church. During his confession, St. Macarius saw a tablet which was all black representing the sins of Moses. An angel was wiping off every sin when it was confessed till finally all the tablet became white.
Struggle with the Carnal Desires:
For Moses, the white robe of baptism and the monk’s style of life did not mean that he entered into the domain of contemplation. On the contrary, he had in front of him many years of strife and fierce struggle with the carnal desires, the devil and the world. Although he was surrounded by giants of the spiritual life whose counsel he could seek any time, and he was aided by the church mysteries and means of grace, yet it was with utmost difficulty that he won the long, successive and violent battles of the flesh. After he came to the desert, he still enjoyed his former bodily strength; but also his old evil passions were as powerful as before. Of the former, Palladius mentions how, after a seven day fast, he could overpower four thieves who went into his cell. He tied them all together with cords and lifted them up on his shoulders like a bag of straw and brought them to the church and said to the monks, “Since I have not the power to do evil to any man, what do you want me to do with these who rose up against me to slay me?” When the thieves knew that he was the former robber they were quickly led to repentance.
On the other hand, Palladius describes how the saint was tempted against chastity to such an extent that he nearly failed in his resolution, “And whilst fasting often, and during the time of prayer and silent contemplation, that devil of error, who bringeth back to the remembrance of the mind the wickedness of former habits, would come to him, and tempt him to such a degree that even as he himself hath told us, it wanted exceedingly little to make him fall from his covenant.”
He used to go to St. Isidore asking his advice. At first the saint advised him to stand firm and continue his fasting and prayer; his temptations would finally be subdued. He told him that these were only the beginnings, and he gave him the example of a dog that is accustomed to go to a meat market. Once it finds the market closed up and no one gives it anything, it stops going.
Moses increased his disciplines. He ate only ten ounces of dry bread daily and had to recite fifty prayers every day. But the more he dried up his body, the more he was vexed and consumed by dreams. On one occasion it came to the point that he could not endure being in his cell. St. Isidore advised him to return to it, but he refused. The old man then took him up to the roof of his cell where Moses could see many devils on one side and innumerable angels on the other side. He was convinced that he had much more heavenly help as compared to the power of the enemy. He took courage and returned to his cell without fear.
Once more he went to another one of the Desert Fathers and asked him, “What shall I do, for thoughts of lust which arise from my former habits attack me?” He was advised to increase his prayers, vigils and fasts in order to dispel those images from his mind. Moses took the advice literally, went back to his cell, and plunged for seven years into more severe ascetic practices. Was he mistaken in leaving his regular spiritual director and, contrary to the desert tradition, asking the advice of another Father? He spent whole nights standing for prayer and would not lie down or even bend his knees or close his eyes. After this he used to get out during the nights, go to the cells of the old monks, take their water pitchers and fill them with water without their knowledge. The monks lived far from one another and those cells were two to five miles from water. Moses consumed his body doing this for years, with long vigils and strict fasts, till one night he lost his consciousness and fell beside the water well. Palladius attributed this to the devil who gave him a blow across his back. The next morning he was found half dead by one of the brethren and he was carried to the church. During his sickness that lasted for one year, he was taken care of by St. Isidore. He advised Moses to give himself rest, because “there is moderation in everything, even in the works of ascetic life.” Still Moses argued with his director and insisted on continuing to wage war with the devils till they departed from him. The wise and experienced Abba Isidore gave him his conclusive answer,
“In the Name of Jesus Christ, from this time onward the devils shall cease from attacking thee. Draw nigh then, and participate in the Holy Mysteries, and thou shalt be free from all impurity both of the flesh and of the spirit.”
With this Moses returned to his cell. Abba Isidore came to him after two months and asked about his condition. Moses said he no longer suffered anything. He even had power over the demons as Palladius adds,
“Now he was also held to be worthy of the gift of Divine Grace, and he could chase away the devils from many folks…, and as flies take to flight before us so did the devils depart from before him.”
But why did Abba Isidore advise St. Moses that it was time to put a limit to his ascetic disciplines? The Apophthegmata, or the Sayings of the Fathers, later addressed itself to this question,
“Because at the beginning Abba Moses was ignorant of the rule of the ascetic life, and because he was healthy of body, he worked over much, and he thought that he would be able to prevail mightily against devils by the multitude of his works alone, and that he would be able to vanquish them. Therefore, because the devils perceived his object, they attacked him more severely with frequent wars, both secretly and openly. But Abba Isidore, wishing to teach him the truth, and to make him acquire humility, said unto him, ‘Without the power of the Spirit which our Lord gave us in baptism for the fulfilling of His commandments, that which is confirmed in us each day by the taking of His Body and Blood, we cannot be purified from the passions, and we cannot vanquish devils, and we cannot perform the works of spiritual excellence.”’
Life of St. Moses in Scetis and his Ordination:
St. Moses enjoyed great fame among the Fathers of Scetis because of his humility, his meekness and his love for strangers. His solitude was frequently interrupted by the influx of visitors. He went to complain to St. Macarius, “Father, I desire to live in silence, but the brethren never leave me.” The saint advised him to move to an isolated cell in Petra. Petra (literally ‘rock’) is the northern rock of Scetis, known also as Calamus. It was a far area and difficult to reach and its water was scanty. Moses became tired on his way to Petra, and he said to himself, “How can I bring water for myself into this place?” Then he heard an assuring voice, “Go on and fear not.” One day, a large number of visitors came to see him and his small supply of water ran out while he was boiling some lentils for them. But through his prayer a great amount of rain poured from heaven and filled all the water vessels.
St. Moses lived in Petra for six years in a cave which he dug for himself in the rock. He came to be known as Abba Moses of Petra. The cave remained at least till the eleventh century when it was mentioned by a Coptic historian. A monastery named after the saint was established around it.
St. Moses was later chosen to be a priest in Scetis — either to assist the old Isidore or in his place in the church of northern Scetis, when he moved to the south with St. Macarius to the new monastic settlement which became the nucleus of St. Macarius’ monastery. This must have been after 384 A.D. because it was Pope Theophilus who laid his hand on him. On the day of the ordination the Pope wanted to prove the sanctity of Moses. He ordered the priests to drive Moses out of the sanctuary once he came. When he came, the priests abused him and drove him out saying, “Outside, black man.” When he went out he was heard saying to himself, “They have treated you rightly, O you whose skin is dark and black; and since you are not human, why do you come to meet men?” The saint passed the test beyond all expectation. When after his ordination he was dressed in the white priestly ephod, the Pope addressed him, “Behold Abba Moses, now you are entirely white.” He answered, “I would wish that this is also from the inside as it is from the outside.”
Spirituality of St. Moses:
Like the other Desert Fathers, St. Moses based his spiritual life and teaching upon Scripture. One of his famous sayings,
“Four virtues aid the young monk: Continuous meditation on the word of God, watchfulness, fervent prayer, and considering himself as nothing.”
One of his other sayings may summarize for us his spirituality, “Humility of heart precedes all virtues, and the desire of the belly is the source of all passions. Pride is the basis of all vices, and love is the origin of all goodness.”
Humility:
Once the Fathers in Scetis were holding a council, and they treated St. Moses with contempt in order to test him, saying, “Why does this black man come among us? We don’t want a thief in our midst.” The saint kept silence, and when the council was dismissed, they asked him, “Father, were you not troubled in your heart when you were reviled?” He answered, “Although I was troubled, yet I said nothing.”
We can understand his attitude from some of his sayings in the Apophthegmata Patrum, “If you bear disgrace and affliction in the name of the Lord, you become a martyr. If you show your feebleness and poverty before Him, He sustains you. If you become foolish for His sake, He makes you wise.”
“Accepting rebuke and scorn will lead you into humility.”
“Whoever denies himself lives in peace, and whoever thinks that he is without fault, has already in himself all faults.”
When the sanctity of Moses became well-known, he had to flee away from fame. The governor of the region came once to Scetis to see him. When Moses heard he fled to the marsh. But there he was met by the governor and his companions who asked, “Old man, tell us where the cell of Abba Moses is.” The saint said, “What do you want with him? He is a fool who has no place to go to.” The governor then went to the church and told what happened to the monks. They were offended and asked, “What kind of an old man who dared to speak like that about the holy man?” The governor described him saying, “A big black old man wearing old clothes.” They knew then that it was none other than St. Moses himself. The governor went away greatly edified.
Fasting:
St. Moses knew how fasting helped him in his early spiritual combats. He used to say,
“You should not yield to gluttony, otherwise Amalek may surround you.”
“These four lead to fornication: eating and drinking, oversleeping, negligence and decoration of clothes.”
“If you want to repent to God, beware of living in luxury, for this stimulates all passions and dispels the fear of God from the heart.”
“Control of the body diminishes the effects of other desires. Desire of food awakens the passions and emotions; they are controlled by fasting.”
Love:
The grace of God worked in Moses to the extent that as much as he hated mankind before his conversion, in Scetis he came to love everybody. He received all his visitors with joy. The Apophthemata mentions the story of a brother who came to visit St. Arsenius. Offended by the cold reception he received, he then asked to see St. Moses who did not fail to welcome and refresh him. On another occasion a private fast was declared in Scetis. During the week fast some brethren came from Egypt to Abba Moses. While he was preparing some food for them, the neighboring monks saw the smoke of his fire rising up and wondered how St. Moses did not keep the fast. They told the clergy who promised to settle the matter with him in church. The clergy knew the habits of t 1e saint, and when he came to church on Saturday, they spoke to him before the whole assembly of monks saying, “O Abba Moses, though you break the commandment of men, you establish that of God.”
Love of the neighbor was one of the main virtues he stressed to his disciples. Lacking this leads us to judge one another. Among his sayings are:
“Let us love all with sincere love in order to get rid of jealousy and envy.”
“We must always honor our neighbors, in order to escape judging them.”
“Never suffer yourself to hear about the fall of a brother lest you should judge him without knowing it.”
“Four things darken the mind: Hating a brother, despising, envying or suspecting him.”
Once a brother in Scetis committed a fault and a council was called to discuss it. Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to come. The priest went to him saying, “Come, for all the people are expecting you.” He rose up, took a basket with a hole in it, filled it with sand and carried it upon his shoulders. When the monks saw him coming in this shape, they asked, “What is this, Father?” He said to them, “These are my sins which are running down behind me, and I have come today to judge the errors of another.” When they heard this, they forgave the brother and the matter was not further discussed.
Solitude:
A brother went to Abba Moses and asked him for a word of advice. The old man said to him, “Go and sit in your cell and your cell will teach you everything.” Of his other sayings, “Discourse with men of the world and mixing with them darken the soul and make her forget contemplation.”
Watchfulness:
The Desert Fathers were strict in disciplining themselves everyday till the last day of their lives, We can learn this in the life of St. Moses from his sayings which were collected in his last years and kept by St. Poemen. He asked the saint to write them for him. Poemen went to Scetis about A.D. 390 Among these sayings are:
“Be prepared to meet the Lord so you may do His will, Examine yourself here to detect what you lack so as to escape trouble at the time of death.”
“Do not think that you have reached any good till the end of your life. Do not be proud ... for you can never trust your enemies. Never trust yourself as long as you are in the flesh.”
“Salvation of the heart is in continual watchfulness. Too much sleep gives birth to improper visions, but vigil with knowledge, is better than whoever keeps vigil in vain discourse. Mourning dismisses all types of sins.”
Crown of Martyrdom:
About 370 A.D., St. Moses, St. Evagrius, St. Cronius, St. Pambo and three other Desert Fathers went to visit St. Macarius the Great in the southern rock of Scetis. When he saw them he said, “My brethren, I see one of you worthy of the crown of martyrdom and he is going to shed his blood in the wilderness.” St. Moses answered at once, ‘Probably I am the one, in order to fulfill the words of the Lord: “all they that take with the sword shall perish with the sword.’”
The prophecy of St. Macarius was fulfilled in A.D. 407 when the Berber, the Macarius desert tribes, made their first raid over Scetis and destroyed its four churches. St. Moses was seventy-five years old and he had under him seventy disciples.
On the day of the raid St. Moses was sitting with seven of his disciples and he told them, “Behold, today the barbarians are coming to Scetis; rise up and flee.” They asked, “Will you not flee, Father?” He said to them, “I have been waiting for this day to come for many years past, so that the words of our Savior may be fulfilled, ‘Those who take the sword shall perish by the sword”’ (Matthew 26:52). The monks preferred to stay with their Father. After a while he said, “Behold, the barbarians have drawn near to the door”, and the barbarians entered and slew them, One of the monks fled and hid behind the palm leaves, and he saw seven crowns coming down and crowning them.
The monks of Dair Al-Baramus at Scetis have faithfully kept the body of St. Moses, which remains till this day beside the body of his spiritual father, St. Isidore inside the main church of the monastery. Even in death, the disciple was not separated from his director.
The church calls him in the Divine Liturgy, ‘the mighty Saint Abba Moses’, The Coptic Church commemorates him on June 18 (Bawunah 24), when her hymns rise in his praise saying,
“The first saint and martyr who was better perfected in the mount of Scetis is our Father and saint Abba Moses.
“For he became an athlete and was feared by the demons, He stood upon the rock (Petra) as if on the Cross.
“With his great patience and travail of tortures he was given the crown of martyrdom.
“He went in spirit to heaven, to the places of rest which the Lord had prepared for those who love His holy Name.
“And for us he left his body and his holy cave where we may fulfill his blessed commemoration.
“In which we cry saying: Oh God of Abba Moses and of those perfected with him, have mercy upon our souls.
“And let us gain the promises prepared for the saints who satisfied Him from the beginning by their love for Him.
“Ask the Lord for us, Oh my master and Father Abba Moses and his sons the crossbearers, so that He may forgive us our sins,
* Note: From the books of Fr. Tadros Malaty – St. George Church, Alexandria, Egypt.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
OCTOBER FOURTH SUNDAY
THE ECUMENICAL COUNCILS – (1)
Please read the attached material entitled “The Great Ecumenical Council”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON In this first lesson in a two-lesson series about the ecumenical councils, we cover an introduction about the Councils and the Council of Nicea.
MEMORY VERSE
“tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” Matthew 18:17
PLEASE EMPHASIZE Opening Questions: Why are there different denominations of Christianity?
† Introduction
The Lord Jesus gave great importance to the judgment of the church. So in dealing with a sinning brother, Jesus said, “tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17).
If we read the book of Acts Chapter 15, we will find that there was a major problem in the early church regarding acceptance of the people that were not originally Jewish (i.e., heathen) into Christianity. The Apostles met in Jerusalem with St. James as the chairman and discussed this problem and reached a solution with the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15). This was the first council in the history of the church. (Please describe briefly the issue in this council (Acts 15:1-2) and the resolution of this council (Acts 15:22-29).
† Types of Councils in the Church:
a) Local Councils: These are the councils of all the Bishops to discuss and solve church matters. They are usually held twice a year or when there is an urgency.
There are also the councils of a Bishop with his priests and deacons to discuss local matters in their area of service.
b) Ecumenical Councils: These are the councils in which Bishops from all over the world meet. These councils are generally held when there is a wrong teaching (heresy) or a controversy which requires that the church take a stand.
And in the history of the church there were only three canonical Ecumenical Councils:
1) The Council of Nicea — Year 325 AD. This is the first Ecumenical Council and it dealt with the heresy of Arius.
2) The Council of Constantinople — Year 381 AD. It dealt with the heresy of Macedonius
3) The Council of Ephesus — Year 431 AD. It dealt with the heresy of Nestorius.
The Council of Nicea (The Great Ecumenical Council):
This council was held in year 325 AD., in the city of Nicea in Asia Minor. The reason for holding this council was to discuss the Arian controversy that Jesus is created, not born, and that God the Father is greater than the Son.
Emperor Constantine invited 318 bishops from all over the world in the city of Nicea in year 325 to discuss this serious teaching.
From Alexandria attended Abba Alexandros with twenty of his bishops and his deacon Athanasius who was 25 years old. Athanasius later on became the Pope of Alexandria. St. Athanasius was the hero of this council. His talents, awareness of the scriptures and eloquence of speech made him the target of the Anians throughout his life. But he withstood and overcame all and at the end, his spiritual and moral victory was total. Because of his victory to defend the faith, he was called “St. Athanasius the Apostolic”. The fruit of this council was the formation of the first part of the Creed as follows:
“We believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth the visible and the invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus the Christ, the only begotten Son, born of the Father before all ages, light of light, true God of true God, begotten not created, consubstantial with the Father by whom were all things made; this is He Who for us humans and for our salvation came down from heaven and was made man by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; He was incarnate, crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures. He ascended up to heaven and sitteth at the right hand of His Father, from whence He shall come in glory to judge the living and the dead for whose kingdom there is no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit.”
“As for those who do not believe in the above, let them be Anathemized”.
Emperor Constantine considered the creed as a revelation of the Holy Spirit speaking through the saints.
Note:
Please ask the children to summarize what was talked about and give prizes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
Our Coptic Orthodox church has had a leading role in maintaining the true faith. Let us follow the teachings of our church.
SONGS SAINT ATHANASIUS THE APOSTOLIC
The Defender of the Faith, The great Saint Athanasius, Who rescued the whole Church From the heresy of Arius.
When he was yet a child, Playing on the beach, He solemnly preformed A sacrament of the church.
But he was not aware, That the Pope, Saint Alexander, From his palace afar Was watching with wonder.
The Pope then decided To adopt him as a son, And that was the start Of the course he had to run.
He studied the scriptures And the Gospels, word by word, Till he found the mystery of The divinity of the Lord.
When Arius began to deny The divinity of the Son, He knew that he was destined For a war that has to be won.
Against the heretics He began to preach and write, Proclaiming the truth of God. With all courage and might.
At the Council of Nicea, The Faith he did uphold, Defending the Trinity, And the doctrines taught of old.
He fought for the Faith, By word and by deed. And when the war was won, He bequeathed to us the Creed.
When the Pope’s time had come That before Christ he should stand, He called Saint Athanasius And laid upon him the hand.
Pope Athanasius endured, For forty years and some, Defending all his flock From whatever may come.
Time after time, To exile he went, Carrying the Cross, with Him Whom the Father sent. |
