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THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRICHARCATE ST. GEOERGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM
GRADE TEN
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 M3B 1M1 CANADA (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 CONTENTSINTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM EL-NAYROUZ (I) AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM EL - NAYROUZ (II) FEAST OF MARTYRDOM, ST. POTAMIAENA, THE PURE VIRGIN THE CROSS-DAY FEAST “THE LIFE OF GROWTH” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (I) “INTRODUCTION TO THE SACRAMENTS AND THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (II) “THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (III) “THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (IV) “THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY COMMUNION” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (V) “THE SACRAMENT OF THE UNCTION OF THE SICK” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (VI) - “THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY” CHURCH SACRAMENTS (VII) - “THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY ORDERS” REVIEW OF THE CHURCH SACRAMENTS AND THE LIFE OF ST. MENA IN COMMEMORATION OF HIS MARTYRDOM FEAST THE MUSIC OF THE COPTIC CHURCH HOW CAN MY SOUL BECOME THE BRIDE OF CHRIST? KEY VIRTUES IN THE VIRGIN MARY’S LIFE SOME OF THE LESSONS BENEFITED FROM THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THE BAPTISM OF THE MESSIAH AND THE LESSON OF SANCTIFICATION THE PERSONALITY OF ST. PAUL (I) - “GOD’S CHOICE FOR ST. PAUL” THE PERSONALITY OF ST. PAUL (II) – “THE STRONG PERSONALITY” OUR SOCIAL BEHAVIOR (I) - BE A PEACE MAKER NOT A TROUBLE MAKER OUR SOCIAL BEHAVIOR (II) - HOW TO RELATE TO AUTHORITY SOUL SEARCHING (I) TO WHOM DO YOU BELONG, AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WHOSE ARE THESE IN FRONT OF YOU? TO WHOM DO YOU BELONG, AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WHOSE ARE THESE IN FRONT OF YOU? THE SPIRITUALITY OF FASTING (I) - THE IMPORTANCE OF FASTING THE SPIRITUALITY OF FASTING (II) - FASTING AND THE BODY THE SPIRITUALITY OF FASTING “III” - CONSECRATE A FAST PALM SUNDAY - MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS CONTEMPLATION ON GOOD FRIDAY - CHRIST IS THE SACRIFICE OF LOVE AND GIVING CONTEMPLATION ON GOOD FRIDAY - SACRIFICES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT VERSUS THE LORD’S SACRIFICE THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE RITE OF JOYOUS SATURDAY - (APOCALYPSE NIGHT) ST. ATHANASIUS THE APOSTOLIC (I) – HIS LIFE AND BACKGROUND SAINT ATHANASIUS THE APOSTOLIC (II) - INTRODUCTION TO HIS THEOLOGY ASCENSION: THE ROAD TO HEAVEN VERSUS THE ROAD TO EARTH THE HOLY SPIRIT (I) - UNITY OF THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH THE FATHER THE HOLY SPIRIT (III) - THE HOLY SPIRIT STRIVING WITH THE WORLD THE HOLY SPIRIT (IV) - THE WORKINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH (A) THE HOLY SPIRIT (V) - THE WORKINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH (B) THE HOLY SPIRIT (VI) - THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE HOLY SPIRIT (VII) - THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE APOSTOLIC ERA (I): THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE APOSTOLIC ERA (II): THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE APOSTOLIC ERA (III): THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE APOSTOLIC ERA (IV): THE CONFRONTATION WITH THE JEWS THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE APOSTOLIC ERA (VI) : CHRISTIANITY IN THE WHOLE WORLD THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE APOSTOLIC ERA (VII): THE WORSHIPPING SYSTEM IN THE APOSTLES’ CHURCH
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.
ACKNOLEDGEMENTS 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 10 (Adolescence: Age 15 to 16)
1) By definition adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood. The potential intellectual ability reached during this period 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, 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, about 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 is 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, and 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 must be well informed, and must know where he can find information, but also because he 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
WHAT IS ZEAL?
Please read (Luke 7:28-35), (Nehemiah Chapter 2), (James 3:13-17), the attached article entitled, “What is the Meaning of Zeal?”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To study why St. John the Baptist was called the greatest man among those born of women. Some of his major characters were zeal and courage to declare the truth. We would like to define the holy zeal and bad zeal.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Because zeal for your house has eaten me up.” Ps.69: 9
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
(A) The life of St. John the Baptist (as a model of Holy Zeal):
V St. John the Baptist was a great man. We would like to mention two observations, on his greatness:
(1) Many people were declared great by other people, but St. John the Baptist was declared great, from heaven, “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15) and “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11). Please read in the class. He was not only great, but the greatest man. This is by the declaration of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:7-11). The greatness of John was in the sight of God (Luke 1:15) “great man in the sight of the Lord.”
(2) Why was St. John so great? (Luke 1:15-17)
V Because he was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. He is the only regular person to be filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born.
V Because of his mission “He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God”, “He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord”.
V St. John the Baptist completed his great mission in a very short time, around 6 months. His mission was to declare to the world that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of God.
V How did St. John the Baptist achieve the goals of his mission?
He achieved the goals of his mission by the action of the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth. So John declared the complete truth in a very strong way:
(1) When he was asked, “who are you?” he confessed, and did not deny, “I am not the Christ”. Please read (John 1:19-28).
(2) Please read John’s testimony about the personality of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:28-36).
(B) The Character of Holy Zeal
V One of the main characteristics in the life of the Saints and the martyrs is “holy zeal”. St. James talked about the holy zeal and the bad zeal, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (James3:13-17). The source of the holy zeal is the action of the Holy Spirit in the individual. The holy zeal is then based on the Divine love without partiality. It lies in the fire about which the Lord said: I came to cast fire upon the earth so that the Divine love will drive man to be jealous for the Glory of God and the salvation of all people. The holy zeal accompanies him or her. Whereas the bad zeal comes from lack of love, lack of knowledge about the truth of things, personal desires and competition.
V Examples of the Holy Zeal
(1) St. John the Baptist
Please read Mark 6:17-29 about the position that St. John the Baptist took towards King Herod. St. John the Baptist was then martyred and gained the heavenly crown. (2) St. Paul the Apostle
His zeal is an excellent example for the holy zeal that all of us, as Christians must have. Please read (Acts 20:17-34) and (Cor.6: 4-8).
(3) Nehemiah from the Old Testament
Nehemiah is a model of the holy zeal that does not favor forces or fear people or enjoy the comfort of the palace but was ready to sacrifice his comfort for his zeal. Please read Nehemiah Chapter 2 (and tell the story). “So I answered them, and said to them ‘the God of Heaven Himself will prosper us, therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem’” (Nehemiah 2:20).
(C) The Character of Bad Zeal
Please see examples of the bad zeal as mentioned in the attached article entitled, “What is Zeal?”
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) The greatness of an individual is determined according to the action of the Holy Spirit inside him or her and his or her mission in life. The Holy Spirit of course acts in the humble people.
(2) We always have to tell the truth as St. John the Baptist did.
(3) The holy zeal as a result of our true faith must be shown in all our actions. We must be careful not to fall in the bad zeal that is always destructive.
SONGS
FEAST OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST: VERSES OF THE CYMBALS
Hiten ni epresveya ente Through the intercessions pisengenees en Of the kinsman of Emmanuel Emmanueel Youannis John the son of Zachariah epshiri en Zakhareyas, O Lord grant us the Epchois.. forgiveness of our sins.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ZEAL By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
Zeal is kindling the heart and the will, as if with fire, to do what one believes to be good... One might become enthusiastic and taken over by zeal, for something wrong, like St. Paul when he said about his past, "concerning zeal, persecuting the Church. " (Phil 3:6)
While there is a holy zeal, as the Psalmist talked about, "Because zeal for your house has eaten me up, " (Ps 69:9), there is also a sinful zeal as in Gal 5:20, and, “jealousy as cruel as the grave" (Songs 6:8). Therefore the Apostle said, "But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always. " (Gal 4:18)
There is a zeal that is not
good, like what the Apostle talked about to the Romans, "For I bear
them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to
+ One might ignorantly become
zealous, enthusiastic to fight something without knowledge or
investigation; without accuracy, just for what is heard, as Jesus said,
Therefore, do not become zealous hastily, but mix your zeal with knowledge...
Do not believe everything said to you about others' faults or requirements of reform...
Think, study and investigate everything, stick to the good attributes.
+ Jealousy could be wrong in its means and way of expression...
For example, Peter's zeal for
the Lord, which made him raise his sword and cut off the ear of the slave.
Also John and James who, when one of the Samaritan cities
One could be filled with zeal
which makes one fall in abusing and defaming or hurting and bashing or
rebelling and ruining. Such a person changes into a tool of
This is also a kind of jealousy which is not according to knowledge because the person does not know the right spiritual way to express his zeal.
It happened that forty Jewish persons vowed not to eat and drink, till they kill Paul...
+ There is a wrong zeal which is mixed with selfishness and bias...
An example of this is Joshua's zeal for the sake of Moses, when he saw two persons prophesying, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets..." (Num 11:29)
SECOND SUNDAY
THE WORD “I”
Please read Luke 9:23-26, the attached article entitled, “The self-centered love”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
We must not concentrate on our achievements and ourselves. We must glorify the name of God, who helps us. To be winners in life, on earth and in heaven, we have to practice in all our actions, not to be self-centered.
MEMORY VERSE:
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V There is nothing that can hurt a person more than the concentration on the word “I”. When a person concentrates only on himself, his future, his career, his appearance and his benefits, then he looses his relationship with God and with other people. In losing God and people, the person destroys himself.
V St. Paul said “So that I live, not I, but Christ lives in me”. We all have received the status of “I live, not I” when we were baptized. We were buried in the baptism and our old person who was born with sin and being self-centered died.
V The expression “Not I” means not my will but God’s will. So, a Christian individual will follow God’s will, according to the Holy Bible, not his own. If I am truly a son or a daughter of God, I like to wait to hear His voice in my life and follow it. Remember Lot “chose for himself” when he was talking to Abraham about dividing the land between them. But Abraham let God choose for him. (Please tell the story from Genesis 13).
V Therefore the basic principle of life in Christ, is to deny ourselves. This is why Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23)
V The majority of problems between people occur because of the word “I”. Remember the prodigal son when he came back to his father, the older brother complained saying “I have been with you all these years.” The older son was self-centered because he concentrated on himself and forgot his brother. (Please tell the story from Luke 15). Similarly, Martha said to Jesus “My sister Mary is leaving me to work alone…” She concentrated on her efforts and the need for her sister’s help. (Please tell the story from John).
On the other hand, people who do not concentrate on “I”, win everything and are at peace with God and people. When Abraham started his relationship with God, he left the concentration on himself. God told him “Leave your family, your homeland and your father’s house and go to the land, which I show you”. Abraham followed God’s will and he gained all the blessings.
With concentration on one’s self come several sins and spiritual problems. Adam wanted to give a justification for his actions and said to God, “The woman you gave me told me to eat”. Eve communicated with the serpent because she thought of herself when the devil said through the serpent “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) In our daily life, we should base our actions on what is good, beneficial to all and according to God’s will. We must stop being self-centered.
(2) We should cooperate at home, in the church, at school and in all our dealings with people.
How nice it is to gather today in love as our God did say When two of you gather in My name know I am there just the same
REFRAIN Oh Lord come now and hear us we call on You to be with us Give us the peace that comes from within and keep us from the harm of sin
The Lord is the One that makes us sure in all the ways that we endure And a friend when no one is there who keeps our hearts with loving care
The Lord is always by our side and in His care we’re satisfied He hears us when we call His name and by our side He will remain
THE LOVE OF ONESELF By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
The true love of oneself comes by training ourselves to love God, His permanent dwelling in us and our submission to the work of His Spirit...
There is no way for the self
to enjoy God's dwelling in it except through purity and humility so it
would not resist the work of the Spirit or prefer its own ignorance
In that way, self-love truly shows, in self-denial.
Self-denial in working, where
you say, "... yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. " (1
Cor 15:10)
Self-denial means also abandoning self-praise and
Self-denial also shows in dealing with God and with people.
Here, one prefers others to himself in everything, "... in honour giving preference to one another. " (Rom 12:10)
This is the basis of practical love to all others, not only in honour but also in giving, sacrificing and labouring for the sake of others. One sacrifices for others' sake to the extent of sacrificing oneself. One would not even object to carrying others' sins and relating them to himself, depriving himself from everything to give others..
But some love themselves in a wrong worldly way. While trying to build, they will destroy it and instead of lifting it up, they will lose it.
The Lord Jesus Christ said, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it." (Mt. 10:39)
Those who left worldly pleasures for the sake of God are considered lost by people of the world, although they have actually found the real way to build the self. Among such people are the monks, the spirit-borne and all those who consecrated themselves to serve the Lord. They are all those who said with Peter, ".. we have left all and followed You. " (Mt. 19:27)
The one who loves himself walks in the narrow path for the sake of God, carrying the Cross every day...
This person does actually love himself...
As for the one who satisfies all his worldly and physical desires, he does not love himself but loves the world and its desires...
THIRD SUNDAYEL-NAYROUZ (I) AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM
Please read the attached materials entitled “Exercises on Self-Control”, “An exhortation to Martyrdom”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
This is lesson one in a series of two lessons on the above subject. What does Martyrdom mean to us? Commitment to Christ, our church, and our values is a must for us as Christians no matter what the pains and sufferings that we go through. The Lord will help us to endure. The rewards are great here on earth and in heaven.
MEMORY VERSE:
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V Martyrdom may be taken by an individual against any of the forms of temptation, persecution, impious words and reproach. Not only are these outward martyrdom that others can witness, but also secret martyrdom that involves the devils attacks on our thoughts and feelings. X What about secret martyrdom? V We should fight the evil inclination of our hearts and thoughts that are coming towards us from the devil and all his evil powers. We must struggle to control ourselves supported by God’s help, controlling ourselves in lusts, anger, hatred, and judgment of others. We must control our tongues, be slow to speak and careful what to say. Can we train ourselves to train our eyes, our ears and our thoughts? Can we train ourselves in controlling our time? We must pray for help and do our best.
X Endurance
V We are called to endure, “In stripes, in imprisonment, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting” (2Cor. 6:5).
V We must pray constantly that our soul will be guarded by the peace of God, which passes all understandings. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks giving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7).
X The Reward:
V Eternal life. Please read (Matthew 19:27-29) and (2Cor. 1:5) and (Songs 2:10-11)
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) We must stick to the commandment of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ and resist all temptations from the society. In this process we must never lose our love, respect and tolerance for others. But ultimately not everything is correct and we have to be honest in our opinion and express it carefully. (2) We must exercise self-control and endurance. Fasting, kneeling down in front of God in our prayers, controlling our tongues, controlling our thoughts and being very slow in getting angered; all this will help us to grow spiritually and follow the footsteps of the martyrs who followed God’s commandments literally.
THE MARTYRE AND NAIROUZ
Come, Ye faithful people, come to the heavenly Jerusalem Where there is eternal life and we’ll live in peace with our Saviour
Nairouz is the beginning of the year when we remember our martyrs Who defended faith without fear and lived in peace with our Saviour
Our ancestors were brave for their faith their lives they gave Now in Heaven they are crowned And lived in peace with our Saviour
Our martyrs won their crowns when they laid their lives down And they opened Heaven’s doors now live in peace with our Saviour
Never flinched they from the flame nor from the tyrant’s sharpest aim They shed their blood for His Name Now live in peace with our Saviour
By their faith they saw the land where triumphant now they stand They put their souls in His hand And lived in peace with our Saviour
If Satan comes to divide us the voice of God will gather us And His peace will be with us And we‘ll live in peace with our Saviour
Lord, deliver us from all sin that eternal life we may win And lead us to Thy Kingdom O our King, and our Saviour
Exercises on Self-Control By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
During the period of fasting it is appropriate that you practice self-control and body restraint.
+ Self-control clearly appears when you keep yourself from something you desire or is affected by, you do not submit to a certain feeling or internal motive but you control yourself. And Solomon the Wise said, "he who rules over himself is better than he who rules over a city. "
+ For example try to control
yourself at the time of anger... to control your heart from spite, rage
and hatred, and your tongue from condemning others, from fury,
+ Also try to control yourself against excitement, hastiness and rashness and calm down yourself; do not hasten to speak or give a quick opinion. Do not interrupt others or judge them unless you are sure you are right...
+ You can control yourself
against any desire that comes to your heart and you long to fulfill. Do
not submit to every desire but restrain your feelings, instincts, wishes,
and yearning. Do not make your desires dominate over you but
+ Also control yourself in defending your honour or revenging for yourself and remember the words of the Apostle, "We then who are strong ought to bear the scruples of the weak." (Rom. 15:1)
+ Control yourself with regard to your thoughts; if you are thinking improperly or in trivials, try to stop such thoughts or change their course.
+ Control your senses especially your hearing and looks, do not allow yourself to hear or see something indecent.
+ Control yourself at the time of prayer so that your mind might not wander or stand without reverence before God.
+ Try to control yourself with regard to time; do not waste it in pleasures, for your time is too valuable to be wasted in this way.
If you have controlled yourself completely, then you can say you have succeeded in your fasting.
An Exhortation to Martyrdom
This article is a condensed abstract to one of Origin’s writings on Martyrdom in the third century.
X Introduction
Martyrdom is a part of the covenant that we make with God when we undertake the Christian life. Jesus Christ said:
“Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me” Mark. 8:34
Origin wrote: “If we wish to save our soul in order to get it back better than a soul, let us lose it by our martyrdom”.
Origin writes that martyrdom may take the form of temptation, persecution, impious word, and reproach. Not only is there outward martyrdom that others can witness, but also secret martyrdom that involves demoniac attacks on our thoughts and feelings. Origin writes that the devil is present at every trial wishing to defile us with evil thoughts of denial or of doubt or of any plausible argument urging us to behave hostile to our martyrdom and our perfection.
Many afflictions come in the form of temptations. Origin states, “We must suppose that the present temptation has come about as a testing and trying of our love for God”. Thus Moses wrote in the Torah: “For the Lord is tempting you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Adversity comes so that our attention will be drawn away from the material and towards God. Thus God said: “I THE LORD, YOUR GOD, AM A JEALOUS GOD” (Ex. 20:5).
Those who reject martyrdom desert the easy and light burden of God:
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Matt. 11:30
And they subject their souls to the yoke of demons and to bear the burden of the heaviest sins. Even if they are physically comfortable their souls are in constant anguish.
King David wrote: “I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:13). Origin explains that the cup of salvation in the Psalms, is the death of the martyrs. Origin writes that the death does not refer to the common physical death, but rather death to one’s own sinful nature, death to one’s desires, lust and pride, “a special kind of death, Christian, religious and holy.”
Origin wrote to Ambrosia and Protoctetus, his followers, that their afflictions were permitted by Jesus “to go with you and to give you speech, wisdom...., and to complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. He is with you to show you the way to the paradise of God and how you may pass through the Cherubim and the flowing sword that turns every way and guards the way to the tree of life”, (Gen. 3:24).
Martyrdom is of great benefit to the soul. “We glory in tribulations also”, wrote St. Paul, “knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint”, (Rom. 5:3-5).
X Endurance
V We are called to endure, “In stripes, in imprisonment, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting” (2Cor. 6:5).
V How are we to deal with afflictions?
Origin writes: “We turn our governing mind from our sufferings and look not at the present sufferings, but at the prizes kept for athletes who by their endurance of these tests compete according to the rules in Christ by the grace of God”.
V What shall we do when we “perceive our soul drawing back”?
Origin tells us to let the mind of Christ which is in you say “why are you cast down O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God for I shall yet praise Him” (Ps. 42:11).
V We must pray constantly that our souls be guarded by the peace of God, which passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7).
V What are we to do when we hear impious words said against us or against God?
(3) We are to follow the example of King David who wrote “But I,
like a deaf man, do not hear and I
am like a mute who does not open his mouth. Thus I was as a man that
hearts not.” V If we are reproached, and scorned and rebuked, what are we to do?
(4) We must allow no one and nothing to turn our hearts away from Jesus. We are to do as King David said “All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten you, neither have we dealt falsely in back” (Ps. 44:17-18). V We are not alone in affliction. St. Paul writes “We have been made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men” (1Cor. 4:9).
Origin explains “The whole world and all the angels of the right and the left and all men those from God’s portion and those from the other portion will attend to us when we contest for Christianity.” If we endure, the holy angels will further assist us, and men of unbelief, seeing our courage will be converted while men of belief will have their faith strengthened by witnessing our example.
X What of secret martyrdom?
V We should fight the evil inclination of our hearts and the thoughts that the evil one throws at us.
Origin exhorts us to “let the fire of the Holy Spirit be kindled also in you to destroy every one of your thoughts that is earthly and drawn toward the body.”
X From where does endurance come?
Origin writes that it is “the conviction that the eye of God is present with those who endure”. The seven brothers in II Maccabees, after enduring great suffering, said “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us”.
If we are willing to endure and ask God to inflame our hearts with His love then we will have what Origin calls “the spell of love for God which is immensely more powerful than any other love spell. Human weakness does not live in the same city with this spell of love for God”. It is this power that made King David say, “The Lord is my strength and song” (Ps. 118:14). Jesus Christ said “…But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Mark 13:13).
We must fight the denial of God during Martyrdom and not to be ashamed of temptations, misfortunes and evils directed against us, even if the world looks on them as shameful. “We must neither deny the Son of God nor be ashamed of Him or His word,” writes Origin “Jesus once endured the cross, despising the shame and those who imitate Him by despising the shame will be seated with Him and will rule in heaven.”
King Solomon wrote, “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding but he who is impulsive exalts folly” (Prov. 14:29).
Origin writes “Let us endure a hard struggle with sufferings being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction and joyfully accepting the plundering of our property.”
X The Rewards
St. Paul wrote, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). He called hardships “light affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17) because they were light when compared with the weight of Eternal glory. To follow Jesus Christ means to expect suffering as part of His commandment: “If you do not shrink from what following Him means”, writes Origin, “you will pass through the heavens climbing above the heavens and their mysteries”.
St. Peter said to Jesus Christ “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” So Jesus said unto them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me, will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:27-28).
Jesus asked “... Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” (Matt. 20:22). Origin claims, “He means cup by martyrdom and cites as reference to the verse:
“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as You will” Matt. 26:39
V The person who drinks the cup, which Jesus Christ drank, will sit with Him and rule and judge with Him.
V We must go through winters of adversity in our life but we must remember that God will one day say to us “Rise up my love my fair one and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone” (Song. 2:10-11).
Origin writes “you cannot hear the winter is past any other way than by entering the contest of this present winter with all your strength and might”.
V We are never alone in suffering. Jesus the Afflicted One is always with us and our souls are comforted by the sweet presence of His Spirit as it is written “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.” (2Cor. 1:5).
Origin wrote “Those who share in sufferings will share also in the comfort in proportion to the suffering they share with Christ”. This comfort is with us even when we have no physical comfort, as Origin writes “We are persuaded we have a better possession that is not earthly or corporeal but one that is invisible and incorporeal and we look not to the things that are seen since we realize things that they are transient while the others are Eternal”.
“All of us have built ourselves a house,” writes Origin. This house is our spiritual soul and when the winter comes it, will be severe. There will also be rain from the spiritual wickedness of our enemies, the principalities and powers and harsh winds from the world’s rulers of this darkness. These will break themselves upon our house. “If we have founded the house on a rock, the house will not fall”. This rock is Jesus and Origin writes.
“By Him we shall be nourished, in Him we shall receive manifold wisdom…. By the true and unceasing light of knowledge our minds will be enlightened to gaze upon what is by nature to be seen in the Light with.... Eyes illuminated by the Lord’s commandment.”
Reference:
“Origin, An Exhortation to Martyrdom Prayer and selected works” Translated by Rowan A. Greer, The Classics of Western Spirituality.
SEPTEMBER FOURTH SUNDAY
EL - NAYROUZ (II) FEAST OF MARTYRDOM, ST. POTAMIAENA, THE PURE VIRGIN
Please read the attached materials entitled “Feasts of the Martyrs and “Potamiaena, the pure virgin,”, “Christianity is a religion of Strength”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To try to understand the life and the feeling of a martyr moments before martyrdom. Martyrs were strong to the last breath. They never lost their love, they never lost their faith and they never lost sight of heaven. Being a humble Christian does not mean that the individual is not strong.
MEMORY VERSE:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Phil 1:21
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V It is very hard to know the feeling of a martyr. This is why the fathers of our church say that martyrdom by blood shedding is one of the mysteries of the church equal to baptism. The martyr bears all sorts of tortures without any complaint or objection. At that time he actually experiences the conquering of death and sees the crown of eternity. The memory verse “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”. V Because the martyr is looking up to heaven and to the happy life waiting for him, he cannot stay on this earth anymore.
V The book of Acts describes to us the last moments in St. Stephen’s martyrdom; which may be an example of other martyrs. His face was shining, he prayed for the people who were stoning him, he looked up to heaven and saw Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father and gave up his soul in the hands of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 7:55-60)
V Discuss the life of St. Potamiaena:
à St. Potamiaena loved God more than anything in the world. à She wanted to dedicate her life to God. à She insisted on her principles by asking not to have her clothes taken off and to be inserted in boiling oil instead of water. à She gained the crown of martyrdom and also gave the officer “Basilides”, who treated her with dignity, a good example of our loving God. Basilides also gained the martyrdom crown.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) We must be strong in our struggles against the devil and declare our Christianity to all people and never hide it.
(2) Be a leader, not a follower. Stick to your values and what you believe in.
SONGS
THE MARTYRE AND NAIROUZ
Come, Ye faithful people, come to the heavenly Jerusalem Where there is eternal life and we’ll live in peace with our Saviour
Nairouz is the beginning of the year when we remember our martyrs Who defended faith without fear and lived in peace with our Saviour
Our ancestors were brave for their faith their lives they gave Now in Heaven they are crowned And lived in peace with our Saviour
Our martyrs won their crowns when they laid their lives down And they opened Heaven’s doors now live in peace with our Saviour
Never flinched they from the flame nor from the tyrant’s sharpest aim They shed their blood for His Name Now live in peace with our Saviour
By their faith they saw the land where triumphant now they stand They put their souls in His hand And lived in peace with our Saviour
If Satan comes to divide us the voice of God will gather us And His peace will be with us And we‘ll live in peace with our Saviour
Lord, deliver us from all sin that eternal life we may win And lead us to Thy Kingdom O our King, and our Saviour
Christianity, Relegion of Strength By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
The gentleness and humility, that Christianity calls for, are no indication whatsoever that it is a religion of weakness, but it is a religion of strength. The Bible describes the faithful as, " sharp arrows of the warrior. " (Ps 120:4). And about the Church, the Bible says that it is, "Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners. " (Song 6:10).
This power is what the Holy Spirit gives to the faithful.
Therefore, God said to them, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me. " (Act 1:8)
The Bible also says, "And with great power the Apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all, " (Act 4:23) as if "... the Kingdom of God present with power. " (Mk 9:1)
The summit of power, in Christianity is shown in the Apostle's saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. " (Phil 4:13)
He also says about the strength in serving "...I also labour, striving according to his working in me mightily. " (Col. 1:29) It is power, inspite of obstacles, as the Lord said to Paul, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you and no one will attack you to hurt you. " (Act 18:9,10).
It is power with authority over all devils...When the Lord Jesus sent His Disciples, He "...gave them power and authority over all demons. " (Lk 9:11). We also thank Him in our prayers as He has, "...given us the authority to trample on serpents, corpions and over all the power of the enemy. " (Lk 10:19).
The Christians are strong because they are an image of God and God is powerful...
The Lord Jesus, despite His gentleness and humility, was powerful. It was said about Him, "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O Mighty One. " (Ps 45:3). He was powerful, "...for power went out from Him." (Lk 6:9).
"The Lord is clothed, He has girded himself with strength." (Ps 93:1). "He has shown strength with his arm. " (Lk 1:51). He showed His power through signs and wonders, "God's arm has made strength. ".
Power in Christianity has a spiritual nature... It is the power to overcome sin, the world and the devils; the power of endurance, the power of working and serving; the power of personality and how it affects and leads others; the power to defend faith. This power is far from faults, violence, attacking or defeating others.
Feast of the Martyrs
The martyrdom by blood shedding is one of the mysteries of the church equal to baptism. Testifying for Christ by the shedding of blood is an actual renewal of the cross, because in Martyrdom, Christ is present in the martyr’s heart, thoughts and soul supporting him/her till the last breath, extending His body and placing His wounds on the martyr’s wounds.
Thus the martyrs bore all sorts of torture without any complaint or objection because at that time they actually experienced the conquering of death and saw the crown of eternity. Together with pain and suffering the martyr gets a taste of Christ’s glory through a tangible vision.
Blessing the martyrs is certainly a definite order of God and their martyrdom is a great joy and Godly glory. The glory received in martyrdom does not mean that the martyr or martyrdom is higher in rank than faith, but that the martyr as human being proclaims his/her faith on the basis of the verse, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21) revealing that the martyr actually lives by faith and by Christ.
The true proof is in his readiness to die believing that death is the door to everlasting life and eternity with Christ since any person who is not ready to suffer and die with Christ or for Christ is not considered to be in the state of perfect faith.
When the martyr reaches the point in sensing the call to this happy journey, which can come in any one of the moments of love, that martyr cannot bear to remain on this earth and no longer worries about torture of any form.
Christians used to surround the martyrs during their last moments to breathe their fragrance, to receive their advice and to be enriched with their supplications. They also crowded to touch their bodies and dip their most treasured belongings in the drops of their blood. The bodies of the martyrs were wrapped in the most valuable shrouds and placed in the most holy places. The crown of martyrdom, which the church insists is one of the rights of the martyrs, always appears around their head.
One of the church’s rituals, inherited from the first centuries, is the commemoration of the saints by singing hymns and praises all night for every Sunday and for the rest of the feasts. In Egypt, the church used to (and still does) make an agape feast after the Mass to feed the congregation and the poor. It used to be called “Agape amanuensis” i.e. “love for memory”).
Commemoration of the martyr has an overwhelming influence on the thoughts of the people because it strengthens them in their struggles against the devil, fortifies them against evil thoughts and imaginations and gives them great peace.
In conclusion, many have witnessed that the martyr’s blood had an aroma that excelled all worldly fragrance. As for those who were martyred through burning, their burning bodies gave out an aroma filled with perfume.
X St. Potamiaena
As a beautiful slave, her master tried to seduce her but that went in vain. He accused her of being a Christian and bribed the ruler to torture her. She was tortured severely, and then ordered to be cast naked in boiling bitumen. St. Potamiaena begged to keep her clothes on but be tortured longer.
Basilides, the officer who escorted her to her death sentence declared Christianity shortly after. He was sentenced to imprisonment where he was baptized; he was also beheaded.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
SEPTEMBER FIFTH SUNDAY
THE CROSS-DAY FEAST “THE LIFE OF GROWTH”
Please read the attached materials entitled “The Cross”, “Crossing yourself”, and “Growth”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
The importance of the Cross in our lives.
MEMORY VERSE:
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” Matthew 10:38
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
V The cross was the worst device of execution known in history among the Romans. It was used for torturing the worst criminals to death. But now in Christianity, the Cross became a symbol of dignity, blessing, and pride. The Cross is now located at the highest point outside our churches (at the top of domes or towers) and inside our churches (at the top of the iconostasis). Many of us have the cross stamped permanently on our hands and many of us wear a chained cross. It became now that Christianity without a Cross is not Christianity at all. What are the reasons for this dramatic change?
(1) Our Lord Jesus Christ completed our salvation by dying on the Cross. When He did that, He proved His love for us; He defeated Satan and tied him up in Hades. He fulfilled all the prophecies about the suffering of the Messiah on our behalf and the Cross, since His crucifixion, became a symbol of victory, glory, and pride rather that being a sign of shame.
(2) Through the Cross, all our previous debts have been paid. “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col. 2:13-14).
V The Cross in the Seven Sacraments of our Church:
In performing all the Sacraments of our Church, the priest uses the sign of the Cross for sanctification, blessing, and for the glory of God. The purpose of this action in the Sacrament to give a heavenly gift through the Sacrament.
V The Cross in our daily life:
à When an individual crosses himself or herself, the devil will flee away because he remembers that he was defeated by the Cross. Thus, crossing ourselves while mentioning the Holy Trinity will give us great power.
à When we resist temptation of the world, we dare to be different from others, to stick to our values, to take any sickness or suffering without complaints, and thank God even at times of trouble, all these actions are example of carrying the Cross in our daily lives. Then we are true Christians.
à Remember that behind carrying the Cross and suffering in our daily lives there is also the inner happiness and the glory of God and all of our works.
V Carrying the Cross would lead to our growth.
Story: A teacher asked the students: “I told you that carrying the Cross means you take sufferings and do not complain about it, would you carry it? Raise your hand please. No one raised their hand. Nobody wants to suffer. Then the teacher asked: “Can you plant a big tree inside a building?” The students struggled a bit with the question, but then arrived to acknowledge the importance of the wind to shake up the tree so that the roots would go deeper, get more nutrition for the tree and the tree would then grow. Similarly, the Cross and suffering have an effect like the wind on the tree. The person will grow, become stronger, more experienced, and victorious. When he carries responsibilities and endures suffering, then he will enjoy the rewards.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) In all our actions, let us follow the Lord Jesus’ footsteps. We must carry all our duties and endure pain without complaining and enjoy the growth in our life.
(2) Let us stick to our values, traditions, faith, and carry our Cross, and its mystery of happiness.
SONGS:
NEAR THE CROSS Jesus keep me near the cross there a precious fountain Free to all, a healing stream flows from Calvary’s mountain
REFRAIN In the cross, in the cross by my glory ever Till my ruptured soul shall find rest beyond the river
Near the cross, a trembling soul love and mercy found me There the bright and morning Star sheds His beams around me
Near the cross, O Lamb of God bring it’s scenes before me Help me walk from day to day with it’s shadows over me
Near the cross, I’ll watch and wait hoping trusting ever Till I reach the golden strand just beyond the river
Crossing Yourself
V We cross ourselves in our personal prayers. In the Holy Sacraments of our Church the priest uses the sign of the Cross: In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
V The Lord Christ emphasized very much the importance of the Cross; at the beginning of His service, in His teachings, in His Life-style and at His death on the Cross.
V Matthew (10:38) “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me”.
V Matthew (16:24) “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me”.
V Jesus concentrated on mentioning the cross because Jesus’ crucifixion was the source of salvation. Everything the Christians are enjoying in the New Testament: Salvation and Forgiveness, was completed on the Cross.
V On the Cross, Jesus paid the price of our sins and died for us so that we might live.
V The Cross is the subject of Glory:
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”. (Galations 6:14)
V The Cross is the subject of Preaching of the Apostles:
“But we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.” (l Corinthians 1:23).
V St. Peter said to the Jews “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:3 6).
V The Cross is the subject of 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).
St. Paul mentioned here that only “The word of the Cross” is the “power of God”. Therefore when we mention the word of the Cross or when we make the sign of the Cross, we are filled with strength.
V The devil is very scared from the sign of the Cross:
Every time we cross ourselves the devil becomes afraid because he remembers that with the Cross Jesus Christ defeated him and gave salvation to his people. The devil then escapes from the sign of the Cross.
X The Cross – Day Feast in the Coptic Church
V The Coptic Church observes two feasts in honor of the Holy Cross of Christ:
à The First On 17th Tout (about 28th Sept.) commemoration of the consecration of the Church of the Holy Cross, which is built by the empress Helena the mother of king Constantine.
à The Second On l0th Baramhaat (about 19th March) in commemoration of the discovery of the Holy Cross by the same empress.
X From the Saying’s of the Church Fathers:
V Hail to the Cross that Jesus was crucified on and stretched his hands to bring everybody to him.
V Adam was dismissed from Paradise because of one tree, and because of the Holy Cross he regained his original rank.
GROWTH By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
One of the characteristics of the spiritual life is continual growth...
Man starts his relationship with God through repentance then he grows from the fear of God to His love. The growth in love continues till it reaches holiness, as it is said in the Bible,.. ".. you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy for I am holy. " (1 Pet 1:15-16)
Would one stop after reaching holiness?
No he has to strive for perfection.
The Bible says, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. " (Matt 5:48)
The one who endeavours on the road to perfection never reaches its end, no matter how far he gets, perfection has no limits...
There are levels of perfection, each level is, higher than the other...
Look at St. Paul, who was a saint. He was caught up to the third heaven and he made wonders and miracles. In spite of all that, he says, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on... I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. " (Phil 3:12-13)
The Apostle concludes his saying about this growth, "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. "
We can see that even the righteous must always strive, "to reach forward. "
God has compared the faithful to a grain of wheat that becomes a seedling and grows. He said, "... and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself, first the blade, then the head and after that the full grain in the head. " (Mk 4:27-28).
Are you like the wheat that grows continually, starting as a seedling becoming an ear of corn then full grains of wheat?...
Try to grow as growth gives continual warmth. To stop growing means no warmth in the heart which leads to one's lukewarmness.
If you feel you are unable to grow, try at least to stop where you are. Bewared of going backwards.
THE CROSS By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
The Cross is a symbol of suffering and three crosses symbolize three cases:
The Cross of Christ is a symbol of suffering for righteousness' sake, While the other two crosses refer to suffering as a penalty for sin. These are divided into two kinds: one suffers because of his sins then repents and returns while the other suffers because of his sins but complains and grumbles, then dies in his sins...
The Cross which is for righteousness' sake is also of different kinds:
The cross of love and sacrifice is like the Cross of Christ who endured suffering to save us, "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down his life for his friends. " (Jn 15:13)
There is another cross in offering. And the greatest offering is that given from the needs where you prefer others to yourself. You become in need to let others take, like the widow who gave all that she had, her whole livelihood.
Another Cross is that of endurance: turning the other cheek and walking the second mile. It is not only bearing people's abuses, but being good to those who spitefully use you and also loving them!...
Who can do that?... It is a cross...
There is another cross in the Spiritual Struggle: in the victory of the spirit over the body, in enduring the hard ships and wars of the world, the body and the devil... It is also in crucifying the body and its desires,... having victory over oneself,... entering through the narrow gate...
It is a Cross to suffer for righteousness' sake. This is only for beginners... As for the perfect, the cross turns into joy and pleasure...
We feel the narrowness of the gate at the beginning of the way. But later on, we find pleasure in carrying out the commandment and love it. By then the way would not be distressful and what at first was a cross becomes a pleasure...
Martyrdom used to be a Cross, then it turned to be a joy. Saints began to desire martyrdom and long for death, and rejoice in it... Labouring and suffering for God's sake became a pleasure and an enjoyment.
Therefore, the Bible considers suffering a gift from God...
"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. " (Phil 1:29)
When will the cross be a joy in our life?
OCTOBERFIRST SUNDAY
CHURCH SACRAMENTS (I) “INTRODUCTION TO THE SACRAMENTS AND THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM”
Please read the attached materials entitled “Introduction to Church Sacraments”, “The Sacrament of Baptism”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
To study the Holy Sacraments of our Church. This is a series of 7 lessons. In this first lesson we will focus on two types of gifts and talents: heavenly and earthly. We get the heavenly gifts and talents in the Sacraments. In the Sacrament of Baptism we get a new life in Christ Jesus.
MEMORY VERSE:
“The Secret of the Lord is with those who fear him” Psalm 25:14
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
(A) Introduction to Church Sacraments:
V What is the definition of a Sacrament?
A Sacrament is a spiritual talent that brings invisible graces to the believers by the Holy Spirit.
V The invisible graces that we get in the Sacrament, are obtained through performing visible rites by a priest or a bishop.
V Our Church has 7 Sacraments: The first 4 are necessary for every believer and the other 3 are necessary only for some people.
V Every Sacrament is founded in the Bible.
V The writings of the Fathers in the early centuries made it clear that there are seven Sacraments.
V The seven Sacraments are: Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Holy Communion, The Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders.
V A Bishop can perform all Sacraments. A priest can only perform 6 Sacraments (i.e. all except Holy Orders). A deacon can only help the bishop or the priest in celebrating the seven Sacraments.
V Do the blessings of Sacraments depend on the life of the priest or Bishop performing them? No. (see the attachment for the reasons.)
(B) The Sacrament of Baptism
V No one is born Christian because every newborn baby is born with the original sin of Adam and Eve. But the person becomes Christian after Baptism (getting rid of the inherited sin). “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:5).
V The Baptism is the Sacrament through which a person is born again and accepted into the membership of the Church. Therefore, it must be received by believers before they can receive any other Sacrament.
V Jesus established this Sacrament after his resurrection when he said to his disciples “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19).
V The word “baptism” comes from a Greek word which means “to dye” or to dip into water.
(C) The Visible signs (Institutions of the Sacrament)
Read to students from the attachment.
(D) The Invisible Grace
Read to students from the attachment.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) It is through the Holy Sacraments of the Church that all the gifts, talents and blessings of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ are transferred to us i.e. without the Blood of the Lord Jesus nothing can be given to us in any Sacrament but all the Holy Sacraments are granted to us because of the everlasting sacrifice that was given on our behalf.
(2) It is a good practice during the year, to celebrate two birthdays; one is our biological birthday and the other (which is more important) is our Baptismal birthday to remember always our new life with the Lord.
SONGS
THE PRIME DOXOLOGY
We worship the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit Hail to the Church the house of the angels
Hail to the Virgin who brought forth our Saviour Hail to Gabriel who brought her good news.
Hail to Cherubim Hail to Seraphim Hail to all the heavenly orders
Hail to John the great fore-runner Hail to the twelve Apostles.
Hail to our father Mark the Evangelist The destroyer of the idols.
Hail to Stephen the first martyr. Hail to George the morning star.
Hail to all the choirs of the martyrs. Hail to Abba Anthony and the three Macarii.
Hail to all the choirs of the cross-bearers Hail to all the saints who have pleased the Lord
Through their prayers O Christ our king Accord to us mercy in thy kingdom.
X Definition
A Church Sacrament is a holy ordinance through which the believer receives an invisible grace under the form of an outward sign, visible or audible.
It should have been instituted by Christ Himself
Some Protestants say that the Sacraments are mere symbols and “signs of the new covenant”. They also believe that they are mere outward rituals through the observance of which “the church of Christ confesses her Lord and is visibly distinguished from the world”.
But our Church believes that there is a real efficacy in the Sacraments themselves and that they truly bring invisible graces to the believers.
V For instance it is said that Baptism brings salvation. “When once the Divine long suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us.” (1Pet. 3: 20-21).
V And the Holy Communion brings true life in this world: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
“Whoever eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day”. “He who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:54 - 58). The same can be said of the other sacraments. X Number of Church Sacraments
V There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Penance, Holy Communion, Unction for the Sick, Matrimony and Holy Orders.
V The first four Sacraments are necessary for every believer and the other three are not necessary for everyone.
X Who has the Right to Perform Church Sacraments?
V A bishop may perform any Church Sacrament but there must be at least three bishops for the consecration of a bishop in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. A priest cannot confer Holy Orders but he can perform the other six Sacraments; a deacon can only help the bishop or the priest in celebrating the seven Sacraments.
V Some Protestants say that Sacraments and all church ordinances can be celebrated by anyone of the laity and that there is no need for the clergy, supposing that all Christians are of the same standing and Christ did not distinguish anyone in His Church.
In reply please turn to what is mentioned in this connection in the Sacrament of the Holy Orders.
V Others think that the Sacraments lose their efficacy if the minister’s life is evil. But our Church teaches that the blessings gotten through the Sacraments do not depend on the life of the minister because of the following reasons:
à The Apostle Paul asserts that the word of grace in the heart does not depend on any human effort but absolutely on God. “Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1Cor.3: 7).
à Though the Lord did not baptize and baptism was left to the disciples, yet was said that it was He who baptized. (John 1:33; 4:1 2).
In the same manner we can say that it is not the minister who performs the Sacraments but God who works in him, with him and through him. “For it is God who works in you” (Phil. 2:13).
“We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1).
“I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1Cor. 15:10). We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20).
à When Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses and against God, took their censers and offered incense in them, they were severely punished but God ordered “The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy .” (Numbers 16:38).
à The Lord ordered us to accept the teaching even of wicked teachers and not to imitate their bad example (Matt. 23:1-3).
à St. John Chrysostom said; “It happens that the leaders are wicked and the laity are righteous. But the grace does not depend upon the life of the clergy. This I say in order that no one should doubt of the legality of ordinances celebrated if he examines the priest’s life because everything depends upon the power of God who alone grants the grace through the sacrament performed”.
à And St. Athanasius said; “The priest does not consecrate the water (of baptism) but merely performs the due service for which he obtains grace from God”.
He also said; “If we baptize, confirm and forgive everything is due to Christ who performs it.”
X The Sacrament of Baptism X
X Definition
Baptism is the Sacrament through which a person is born again and accepted into the membership of the Church after being dipped into water three times in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Of all the Sacraments it is the first because it is considered as the door through which the believer enters the Church and the kingdom of grace according to what was said by the Lord “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:5).
Therefore, it must be received by believers before they can receive any other Sacrament.
X Symbols in the Old Testament
V The Ark of Noah, “When once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us, baptism” (1 Pet. 3:20, 21).
V The circumcision “In Him, you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ buried with Him in baptism” (Col. 2:11, 12).
V Crossing the Red Sea “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our Fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1Cor. 10:1, 2). X Baptism of John the Baptist: Although it was from heaven yet it was “. . . a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Luke 3:3) and had no power of rebirth. It was to prepare the Jews to accept Christ and was at the same time a sign or preparation for Christian baptism.
X Baptism by the Disciples before the Death of Christ
It was said that the disciples used to baptize during the days of our Lord on earth (John 4:2). But this baptism was also to prepare the Jews to accept Christ. St. John Chrysostom says that it was exactly the same as the baptism of John the Baptist.
X Institution of the Sacrament
Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself instituted this Sacrament after His resurrection when He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:18-19)
V The use of water is because Christ was baptized into water (Matt. 3:13-16).
Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
It was thus used by the Apostles and the early Church in the Apostolic age, “Then Peter answered, can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized?” (Act 10:46, 47). “And both Philip and the eunuch went down both into the Water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:3 8).
It has been used since the very beginning of the Church. Water cleans the dirt of the body and baptism cleans the dirt of the soul. V The dipping into water is because:
Christ was thus baptized “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the Water.” (Matt.3:16).
And the early Church in the Apostolic Age thus baptized too. “And both Philip and the eunuch went down both into the water and he baptized him” (Acts 8:38). No doubt the eunuch had some water with him in his chariot and Philip could have used some of it for sprinkling him had it been allowed to baptize with sprinkling.
The word “Baptism” comes from a Greek word, which means “to dye” or to dip into water.
Baptism resembles death and burial with Christ and to bury a dead body is to put it down into the grave “... do you not know, that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3 4).
Therefore it is not right to baptize with the sprinkling of water as others do.
X The Invisible Grace
U Rebirth: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered: “Most assuredly, I say to you: “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3-5).
For this reason the Apostle Paul calls baptism regeneration, “not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy. He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5).
V Remission of sins: “Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:3 8).
V Purification and sanctification: “There is also an antitype which now saves us, baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God)” (1 Pet. 3:21). “..Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:25-26).
V Salvation: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). “There is also an antitype which now saves us-baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God). (1 Pet. 3:21).
V Adoption: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).
X ONE BAPTISM
Our Church teaches that those who have been validly baptized must not be baptized again. This is what St. Paul affirmed “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph.4: 5).
V Baptism is the rebirth or regeneration. As man is born bodily only once so we cannot be spiritually born more than once.
V Baptism is the partaking of Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12). And Christ died and arose only once.
Even when Christians reject the faith and come back again to the church they will not be baptized again. In this case it is sufficient that they perform the two sacraments of penance and Holy Communion.
X Baptism of Infants
Some Churches say that Baptism should be given only to grown up persons. But our Church believes that babies too should be baptized for the following reasons:
V Babies are inheritors of Adam’s sin and it is necessary for them to be purified of it through baptism.
V In the Old Testament babies had to be circumcised in order to be accepted into God’s covenant. And since circumcision was a type of baptism, therefore babies should now be baptized in order to be accepted as members in the Church. It should be kept in mind that circumcision, which was a seal of faith (Rom. 4:11), was applied to children who were incapable of faith. This sign marked them out as recipients of the convenient blessings of God.
V God did not prevent babies from accepting some of the great graces, e.g. Jeremiah was sanctified before coming forth out of the womb (Jer.1:5). John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. (Luke 1:5).
V In the Apostolic Age whole families were baptized and there must have been some babies among those families like the families of Cornelius (Acts 10:48), Lydia (Acts 16:14 - 15), the keeper of the prison (Act 16:33), Stephanas (1Cor. 1:16), etc.
V This was the custom in the Church since the early centuries as is shown in history and the writings of the fathers. Origin said “The Apostles handed over to the church the tradition of baptizing; Babies are baptized for the remission of sins to be washed of the inherited sin”. It was said “Baptizing babies is an Apostolic tradition”. In the Apostolic traditions we read, “They shall baptize the little children first. If they can answer for themselves let them answer. But if they cannot let their parents answer or someone from their family”.
Christ’s Church on earth is composed of all those who profess faith in Him and obedience to His laws together with their children.
X Baptism of Blood
Martyrs who shed their blood for the sake of Christ before being baptized are considered to have received this kind of baptism according to the statement of our Lord “Therefore whoever confess Me before men, him 1 will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”(Matt.10:32). Again “…But whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25).
X Obligations of the Baptized
Before receiving baptism, one must publicly declare:
V Repentance “Then Peter said to them: Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:3 8).
V His Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). In his/her confession of faith he/she must say the Creed.
But in the case of babies who are of course unable to declare repentance or faith before baptism, their parents, godfathers or godmothers should give that declaration instead of them and should promise to rear them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
For the success
of this Sunday HOLY BIBLE
in his/her preparation
OCTOBER SECOND SUNDAY
CHURCH SACRAMENTS (II) “THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION”
Please read the attached materials entitled “The Sacrament of Confirmation”, “The Holy Spirit in your life”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON:
This is the second lesson in a series of 7 lessons. The purpose in this lesson is to realize the heavenly talents that are given to us as Christians. We must utilize these talents for our well-being and the growth of others.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward” 1 Sam. 16:13
PLEASE EMPHASIZE:
(A) Please start by reviewing the previous lesson considering the following with regard to baptism:
V We have only one baptism.
V Our church baptizes the infants. V Baptism of blood: for martyrs who shed their blood before baptism.
V Only a priest or a Bishop can perform baptism.
V The baptized (or his parents or godparents) must first repent and reject Satan and declares his faith in Jesus Christ.
(B) The Sacrament of Confirmation:
V Confirmation is the Sacrament through which the believer is granted the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who alone can confirm him in the new life given to him through Baptism.
V Confirmation is administered directly after baptism.
V The Holy oil (called Mairoun Oil or Chrisma Oil) was first made by the Apostles, out of the spices and ointments that were prepared for the Body of the Lord at the time of burial and after burial (Luke 23:56). St. Mark brought part of it to Egypt and since that time fresh oil used to be made and added to the rest of it.
V The Holy oil (Mairoun) is currently prepared by the Pope, assisted by the bishops, using the oil that St. Mark brought to Egypt.
V Please read in the classroom the highlighted paragraphs in the attached material.
V Through this Sacrament the believer receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20 - 21).
V The priest or a bishop can administer this Sacrament. He would anoint the Baptized person 36 times at his or her joints and openings lay his hands on him or her and breathe on him or her the breath of the Holy Spirit. Thus he or she becomes an altar of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit resides in him or her.
V This Sacrament cannot be repeated.
V This Sacrament is a different Sacrament from Baptism and must not be considered as part of Baptism.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?
(1) Christianity is a heavenly religion. It imparts to the Christians a precious set of heavenly gifts above all the comprehension of the world. We glorify and thank God for this. Our role is to fully maintain our purity, become like candles in the world we live in and be attached to heaven at all times.
(2) As we have the Holy Spirit in us, we must realize that we are different from the non-Christians around us; not only in name but in nature, attitude and life.
(3) We must not work alone in our life. But rather work under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in us.
SONGS
O OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
O our Lord Jesus Christ who caries the sin of the word Count us with Thy sheep who shall stand upon Thy right
And in Thy second coming awesome and full of glory May never hear Thee say I know ye not
Rather may we be worthy to hear Thy tender voice Which is full of joy proclaiming and saying:
Come ye unto Me O blessed of My Father And inherit the life that endures forever
All the martyrs shall come bearing their afflictions And the righteous shall come bearing all their virtues.
The Son of God shall also come in His Father’s glory To reward everyone according to his works
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