A golden opportunity for all kids from K1 to high school to enhance their spiritual knowledge during their summer vacation

Transcription

1 A golden opportunity for all kids from K1 to high school to enhance their spiritual knowledge during their summer vacation

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 4 Part I... 5 Kindergarten The Virgin Mary, a Girl in the Temple Daniel and his love to his God St. Abraam A Nobleman s Son is Healed St. Mark the apostle the preacher of Christianity in the land of Egypt Zacchaeus Rejoices at meeting the Lord Jesus St. Verena The servant of Naaman the Syrian Elijah and the widow of Zarephath The Holy Bread (Corbana) Part II First and Second Grades Dogma Dogma The Father Dogma The Son Dogma The Holy Spirit Saints Story St. Pishoy Purity Purity - Thoughts Anba Abraam St. Simeon the Tanner Purity Actions St. Anthony Purity Restoration St. Mary of Egypt Part III Upper Elementary (Grades 3 5) Be Ready (Part 1): God s Preparation for the Incarnation Be Ready (Part 2) Work Hard: The Parable of the Talents Reject Foreign Thoughts: Saint Samuel the Confessor (Synaxarium 8 Kiahk) Serve Everyone (Part 1): David The Loving Servant Serve Everyone (Part 2): David Served The Distressed And The Weak Joyful In Suffering: Our Church the Mother of the Martyrs Part IV

3 Middle School The Great Ecumenical Councils The Council of Nicaea The Council of Ephesus Introduction to the Creed The Orthodox Creed The Word in the Flesh A True Union: Divine & Human Nature Defender of the Faith : St. Athanasius Pillar of the Faith : St. Cyril Part V High School Lesson Plan The Christian Dogma Saints Stories St. Athanasius The Apostle Purity Church History St. Mark the Apostle, the Founder of the Coptic Church The Ecumenical Councils Nicene Creed - The Symbol of Faith Part VI Apologetics The Existence of God Matter Demands A Maker The Argument from Design Design Demands A Designer The Moral Argument Morality Demands A Moral Law Giver The Uniqueness of Christianity IS CHRIST THE ONLY WAY? The work of Christ The life and teaching of the Apostles Unique in Messianic Prophecies Unique in Conception Unique in Life Unique in Teaching Unique in Death

4 Introduction The Coptic Archdiocese of Northern California and Western United States is delighted to introduce Mahragan el Keraza 2018, all grades summer curriculum, to all our fathers the priests, our brethren the servants, and boys and girls. The theme this year is Be Ready as it says in 1 Peter 3:15, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. The theme covers the following subject areas: dogma, church history, lives of saints, purity, church councils, and apologetics. The objective is to motivate and arm our beloved children with the knowledge of the Orthodox Church s history and beliefs in order to be prepared to respond to others and defend their faith. They will learn from the church councils and great church leaders and defenders of the faith such as St. Athanasius the Apostolic and St. Cyril the Pillar of the Faith. We pray to our Lord that our children benefit from this year s curriculum for the glory of our Lord s name through the intercessions of our Lady and mother of our Savior St. Mary and through the prayers of St. Mark the Evangelist and the prayers of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. Glory be to God in his church forever. Amen. 4

5 Part I Kindergarten 5

6 1.The Virgin Mary, a Girl in the Temple Mary is the daughter of an old man called Joachim. Her mother s name was Anna. Joachim and Anna lived in the city of Nazareth in Galilee. They loved God very much and were always following His commandments. They didn t have any children because Anna was barren. For many years, they didn t stop praying and asking God to give them a child. They always prayed saying, God please give us a child who can make You and us happy. They promised God that if He gave them a child, they would bring the child to the temple to be a servant of the Lord all the days of his or her life. One time, Joachim spent 40 days in the desert praying, until one day, Archangel Gabriel appeared to him saying, I am the angel Gabriel. God has sent me to tell you that your wife Anna will conceive and give birth to a girl that you will name Mary. From her, the Savior of the world will be born. Joachim rejoiced and went back to his house and told Anna his wife everything the Archangel had told him. Anna also rejoiced because Archangel Gabriel had also appeared to her and had told her the same thing. Anna gave birth to a girl that she called Mary. Anna and Joachim taught St. Mary the love of God. When she was 3 years old, they kept the promise they had made to God. They took St. Mary to the temple where she would live and serve God. St. Mary s love for God was increasing day after day. Everyone could see the love she had for God in everything she did in the temple. She was always praying and praising God, and did everything she was asked to do. She used to also clean the temple, and do the jobs that no one else wanted to do. Although she was young, she used to fast, and help the poor. Because her heart was full of love for God, God chose her from among all the women to give birth to Jesus. She became the Mother of God. Even today, everyone praises her as she said, all generations will call me blessed. Luke 1:48 Memory verse: All generations will call me blessed. Luke 1:48 6

7 Virgin Mary 7

8 Virgin Mary and her parents 8

9 (Daniel 6) 2.Daniel and his love to his God Daniel was one of God s people. He was also one of king Darius ministers. Daniel loved God so much and he used to kneel down and pray before God three times every day. Daniel was very successful and honest in his work, and since he was the best minister of all, the king wanted to promote him to a rank higher than all governors and ministers in the kingdom. But the ministers and governors were very jealous and tried to find anything against Daniel to prevent this from happening. Did they find anything wrong that Daniel was doing? Of course not, because Daniel was honest in everything he did. The ministers and the governors thought to harm Daniel by using the fact that he prayed to God all the time. They presented a request to the king saying: Whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days except you O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. The king agreed and signed the decree and the entire kingdom heard about the king s order. But Daniel loved God so much and prayed to Him daily. He refused to obey the order of the king. Just as he did every day, Daniel went up to his room, kneeled down and prayed to God because he knew that God heard his prayers. The ministers and the governors watched Daniel. When they saw him praying to God and disobeying the king s order, they went and told the king and asked the king to cast Daniel in the den of lions. The king was very sad because he loved Daniel, but he had no choice. He had to follow the decree that he made. The king then gave the command and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. The lions didn t hurt Daniel, because the Lord sent His angel to shut the lions mouths and deliver Daniel. God delivered Daniel from the lions mouths? God loved Daniel very much. God not only loves Daniel but He also loves all His children and protects them. Daniel was ready to love God no matter what happens to him. Memory verse: You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you. Job 22:27 9

10 Daniel in the lion s den 10

11 3. St. Abraam St. Abraam was a very nice boy like all of you. He used to go to church every day, learn hymns and songs. He used to read from the bible every day and pray. When he grew up, he was ordained a deacon and after a while he decided to become a monk. While he was in the monastery he would serve the older monks there and cleaned the churches. And when anyone asks him for a favor, he would do it right away. When he became a bishop in the city of Fayoum, St. Abraam began to help the poor people and if any one asked him for money, he would give them even if it was the last penny in his pocket. One day somebody brought him furniture as a gift. He thanked him for the gift. After a while one poor lady came to St. Abraam and asked him for some furniture because her daughter needed them. He let her take whatever she needed. Another time, St. Abraam received a wool shawl as a gift to help him keep warm in the winter. St. Abraam took the gift and thanked the man. One day while he was walking around in the church during winter time, he saw a poor lady shivering from the cold. He felt so sorry for her, and without thinking he took off his shawl and gave it to the poor lady. The lady was so happy. She thanked God for taking care of her, and thanked St. Abraam as well. So let s learn from St. Abraam to always be ready to give to the poor, help each other, be close to God in order to be perfect in everything we do, just like Jesus. Memory verse: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 11

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14 4. A Nobleman s Son is Healed (John 4:46 54) The nobleman was living in a city called Capernaum when his son became very sick. When he heard that our Lord Jesus came to Cana of Galilee, he quickly began the long journey to see Jesus. Well, the nobleman had heard of all the miracles that Jesus was doing and he wanted to ask Him to come to his house to heal his son. The nobleman told Jesus, Please, come with me, my son is very sick. Jesus answered, Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe. The nobleman replied, Sir, come down before my child dies. Finally, Jesus told the nobleman, Go your way; your son lives. At that same moment, his son was healed! It s not strange at all! Our Lord Jesus is God. One word from His mouth does miracles. All we have to do is believe. That s exactly what happened. The man believed what Jesus said to him and returned home. As the nobleman was on his way home, his servants met him and told him, Your son lives! Then he asked them, When did he get better? When they answered him, he realized that it was the same hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives. Because of this miracle, the nobleman and his whole family believed. The Word of God is always fulfilled as He taught us: Memory verse: But the Word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 14

15 Nobleman s Son is Healed 15

16 5. St. Mark the apostle the preacher of Christianity in the land of Egypt St. Mark believed in the Lord Jesus and followed Him and became one of the 70 disciples chosen by Him. Mary, St. Mark s mother, believed also in Jesus and was one of the Marys who followed Jesus and served Him. His father also believed in the Lord Jesus through St. Mark. How did St. Mark make his father believe in our Lord Jesus? One day, when they were on the way to Jordan, St. Mark and his father were faced by two lions. The father realized that they were going to be eaten by the lions and asked his son to escape. St. Mark reassured his father and told him that the Lord Jesus in whom he believes will save them. He prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and asked Him to save them from the lions. He also asked Jesus to not let lions attack this place again. What happened after St. Mark s prayer? The Lord listened to St. Mark s prayer and the two lions perished, and no lions attacked this desert again. What did St. Mark s father do when he saw what happened? Because of this miracle, St. Mark s father believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Mark made his family believe. St. Mark was the one who preached the Lord Jesus in Egypt and instituted the Church there. That s why we call him the Preacher of Christianity in Egypt. St. Mark was always ready to let people know God and believe. Memory verse: But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 16

17 St. Mark the apostle 17

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19 6. Zacchaeus Rejoices at meeting the Lord Jesus (Luke 19:1-10) Zacchaeus was a short man, who lived in a city named Jericho. One day, he climbed up a tree. He wanted to see our Lord Jesus but he was very short and the place was very crowded. Zacchaeus was a very rich man. He was the chief tax collector, which was a very important position. A tax collector's job was to collect money from the people. They collected more than what was required and kept the difference for themselves. That is why people didn t like them and stayed away from them. He wasn t shy to climb the tree because he was ready and wanted to see the Lord Jesus whom everyone loved and Our Lord Jesus was supposed to walk under the tree where Zacchaeus was. But to Zacchaeus surprise, Jesus looked up and called him by his name and said to him, Zacchaeus hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today. Jesus called him by name and wanted to stay at his house! That s amazing! Our Lord Jesus is very kind and loves everyone. When He sees someone like Zacchaeus seeking Him with all his heart, Jesus takes care of him and calls him and asks to stay at his house. So, Zacchaeus hurried down from the tree, his heart jumping with joy, and the Lord Jesus went into his house. What did Zacchaeus do when the Lord Jesus was in his house? There was a big change in Zacchaeus life. He said to our Lord: Behold, Lord, half of my goods I will give to the poor. And if I have taken anything from anyone falsely I will restore it fourfold. Zacchaeus was ready to change. Memory verse: My Heart rejoices in the Lord. 1Samuel 2:1 19

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22 7. St. Verena St. Verena is an Egyptian saint. Her name means truth or truthful. St. Verena was from Upper Egypt. As a child, she learned to love God, to pray every day and to help everyone in need. Her light spread to many places as she served in different countries. She went to Switzerland in Europe, where she used to sew clothes and sell them to support herself. She spoke to everyone about our Lord Jesus. Because of her love and service, everyone liked her and many believed in the Lord Jesus because of her preaching. St. Verena used to help the sick and the needy. She taught people about hygiene and how to clean their houses and their clothes. When the governor of the city, who was not Christian, heard that she was Christian and that she was speaking to everyone about Jesus Christ, he put her in prison. There, she was praying continuously, trusting that God will not forsake her. When the governor became very sick, he brought St. Verena out of prison and asked her to pray for him because he heard that when she prays for the sick, they are healed. She prayed for him and asked God to heal him, and he became well. The governor ordered the guards to release her from prison. She spent the rest of her life offering services to everyone until she went to heaven. After she went to heaven, they built many Churches in her name. Her famous icon is a picture of her with a jar of water in one hand and a comb in the other hand. Throughout her life, she fulfilled the verse that said: She has been a helper of many. The story of St. Verena is truly a beautiful story. She was ready to help everywhere she went. From her, we learn to serve and help everyone in need. Memory verse: She has been a helper of many. Romans 16:2 22

23 St. Verena 23

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25 8. The servant of Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5: 1-15) A long time ago, a young girl from the people of Israel was serving in the house of a man called Naaman in a faraway country. Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army, which means that he was not one of God s people. Although Naaman was not from her people, she was ready to offer him a lot of help. Naaman was sick. He had leprosy, which is a skin disease all over his body. So the young girl talked to Naaman s wife about a prophet in Israel named Elisha who does miracles. She said to her: If only my master was with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would heal him of his leprosy. Naaman s wife told her husband what the servant told her. Naaman took permission from the king of his country who sent him to the king of Israel. When Elisha heard that Naaman was with the king of Israel, he asked the king to send Naaman to him. Naaman went to Elisha and stood at the door of his house. But Elisha did not go out to meet him, instead he sent a messenger to him saying, Go and wash in the Jordan River seven times and you will be healed At first, Naaman didn t want to, but his servants convinced him so he decided to go. So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan River and he was healed. His skin was restored like the skin of a little child and he was cleansed from his leprosy. Naaman was very happy and returned to Elisha and said to him, Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel! The girl helped Naaman who was not from her people and because of that, Naaman was healed. Which means be ready to help whoever needs help... anyone, anywhere, anytime! Even if they weren t being nice. Memory verse: Let us do good to all. Galatians 6:10 25

26 Naaman the Syrian 26

27 9. Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1Kings 17: 8-16) There was a widow who lived in a small city called Zarephath. During that time, there was a famine in the country because the rain stopped and there was no food at all. The widow didn t have any food. Barely, she had just a handful of flour and a little oil in a jar. She went out to gather a few sticks and Elijah saw her. Elijah was a prophet of God. God talked to him at the time of the famine and told him: Go to Zarephath... to a widow... I have commanded her to provide for you. So Elijah went to the widow and saw her when she was gathering the sticks. He called her and said, Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink and a piece of bread that I may eat. When the widow saw him, she knew from the way he dressed that he was a man of God. She answered him and said: I don't have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar, and see I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go and prepare it for myself and my son "that we may eat it-and die." Elijah assured her and said to her do not fear; go and make me a small cake from it first and bring it to me; and afterwards make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: The bin of flour shall not be used up nor shall the jar of oil run dry (1Kings 17:14) Which means that the bin of flour and the jar of oil will remain full until the famine is over and the rain is back and the plants grow again. She believed the word of God that Elijah the prophet told her and she went and did as he said. And she ate, her and her son and Elijah, for many days until the rain was back. She believed in the word of God that Elijah told her, and gave him all what she had, and they all ate and were full. The widow was ready to believe the word of God through Elijah. Memory verse: We have had enough to eat and have plenty left. 2 Chronicles 31:10 27

28 Elijah and the widow of Zarephath 28

29 10. The Holy Bread (Corbana) It is made out of flour: A symbol of the pain which our Lord Jesus Christ had to bear for our salvation. It is round: Has no beginning and no end, a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ who has no beginning or end. It is stamped with a stamp that has: A big cross: A symbol of the cross which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on. 12 small crosses: Symbols of the 12 disciples. Coptic letters: Which are translated Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal Has five holes: Symbolizing the three nails, the crown of thorns and the wound on Jesus side. Memory verse: Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life John 6:54 29

30 The Holy Bread (Corbana) 30

31 Part II First and Second Grades Dogma 31

32 Introduction Church Dogma is a difficult topic to teach to any grade. The servant giving these lessons must have a solid understanding of the Trinity even when giving it to 1 st -2 nd graders to avoid error. The lessons do not go into full depth for each person of the trinity. They do however cover cornerstones which expands the children s knowledge. Dogma The Father Ask the children to start the first sentence of the Creed. We believe in one God, God the Father the Pantocrator who created heaven and earth, and all things seen and unseen. Emphasis that we believe in one God. God has 3 distinct persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is one who created us, the Son is Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is what we received during Holy Baptism. We first see God the Father in Genesis chapter 1 In the beginning God made heaven and earth. Gen 1:1 God the Father is the one who created everyone and everything that is around us. He made the trees, birds, dogs, sounds, clouds, but most importantly He made you and me. And God loved us more than anything else He has created. God the Father loved us so much that He sent us His Only Son, Jesus, to teach us about our faith and save us from death. And after Jesus ascended into Heaven, God the Father sent us His Spirit, the paraclete (Holy Spirit). If we have God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, do we believe in 3 different gods? No! The Creed starts with We believe in one God. However, God has 3 persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All 3 are 1 and each of them are God. They are never separated, always together. And they all have 1 will. Do you know what will is? Will is the urge to do something. Give examples of the children s will to sleep, eat and how their will can be different from their siblings/parents. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have 1 Will and that is for us to be Holy like He is. 32

33 God the Father is unseen and no one has ever seen Him. When the angles stand before Him in heaven, they cover their faces with their wings because of His holiness. In our church, there is 1 icon which has the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit altogether. Do you remember what happened when Jesus was being baptized in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist? God the Father spoke and said: When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Math 3:16-17 Closing Questions: Where do you see each person of the trinity? What did the Father do for us? How many persons are in God? How many God s do we believe in? 33

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35 Dogma The Son Introduction Last week we learned that we believe in one God and that God is a trinity of persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We talked about God the Father, the First Person of the Holy Trinity. Today we will talk about God the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Who is God the Son God the Son is fully God like the Father God the Son, like God the Father has no beginning God the Father loves us so much that He sent God the Son down to Earth to save us God the Son, who always existed, was incarnate (took flesh) from St. Mary and became a man named Jesus Christ Our Lord Jesus Christ is human exactly like us and is God exactly like God the Father Why was God the Son Incarnate? Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Earth because He loves us Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Earth to teach us about Himself and about God the Father o He taught us that God loves all of us all the time (emphasize this point that there is nothing we can do or say that could make God love us any less) o He taught us that God cares about each one of us o He taught us how to pray (Our Father Who art in heaven ) Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Earth to show us how to live a holy life o He showed us that we have to live a obeying God o He showed us that we have to obey our parents o He showed us that we have to love one another like He loved us o He showed us that we have to forgive those that upset or hurt us like He forgave on the cross Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Earth to save us by dying on the cross Exercise Make a prayer rope out of beads and learn the Jesus Prayer: My Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me Learn to say the Jesus prayer every night in my bed. Learn to say the Jesus prayer whenever I am scared. Learn to say the Jesus prayer whenever I feel I need help. Learn to say the Jesus prayer whenever I feel happy and want to thank God. Instead of "have mercy on me" we can say "help me", "I love you", "I thank you", etc 35

36 Memorization We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God 36

37 Dogma The Holy Spirit Introduction Names of the Holy Spirit o The Comforter/The Paraclete/ The Helper (John 14: 26, KJV) o Spirit of Truth (John 14: 17, John 16: 13) o Spirit of Life o The Life Giver, in the creed The Holy Spirit is One of the Holy Trinity: He is One with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is distinct but not separate from the Father and Son, having one and the same essence with them. He is equal to them and eternal with them. He is fully God. Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Creation of the World, The earth was without form, and void; and the darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1: 2) In the Story of Samson, And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. (Judges 14: 6) David, The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. (2 Samuel 23: 2) Holy Spirit in the New Testament The Virgin Mary, And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy one who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1: 35) Baptism of Jesus, And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice from heaven which said, You are My Beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. (Luke 3: 22) Holy Spirit on the Pentecost day The Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, on the fiftieth day after Jesus resurrected, as tongues of fire and began to speak different languages. It gave them the necessary power for the work of preaching. St Peter, who denied Jesus, stood up and talked infant of people about God. Around three thousand people believed and got baptized. St Peter couldn t have done if he didn t have the Holy Spirit in him. 37

38 Holy Spirit in us But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and brings to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14: 26) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me (Acts 1:8) We receive the Holy Spirit in sacrament of The Holy Myron after Baptism. The priest anoints the child with the Myron in 36 different body parts and breath in their face saying Accept the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what connects us with God. It works through us to bring us on the right path whenever we diverge away. If we disobey our parents or annoy our sibling, the Holy Spirit is the one that makes us feel bad about it and keep pushing us to apologize. If we have been slacking off and didn t take communion for some time, it is the Holy Spirit that pushes us to wake up early on Sunday and go to the liturgy. Fruit of the Holy Spirit When we receive the Holy Spirit, we also receive seven fruits. Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-control Memorize (if you haven t) Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. 38

39 Saints Story St. Pishoy Birth St. Pishoy was born in 320 A.D in a small town in Egypt. He had six brothers and his father had passed away. He and his brothers were raised by their mother. One day his mother saw a vision of an angel telling her that the LORD is asking her to give up one of her children to serve him. She answered the angel saying, they re all yours my lord, whichever one He wants, he can have. So, the angel put his hands on St. Pishoy and chose him. But his mother told the angel that St. Pishoy is skinny and weak and that he should choose another. The angel answered her and said The LORD s strength in the weak is perfected. A Monastic Life At the age of 20 the young Pishoy went to the wilderness of Shiheet and became a monk. He was so devoted and passionate in his asceticism. Because of his love to the LORD and his devotion to his monastic routine, he tied up his hair to a hook in a wall in his cave so that if he falls asleep during prayer his hair would be pulled and wakes him up. He practiced fasting for long times to the point that he was able to fast for a whole week and eating only on the weekends. His Relationship with Christ Because of his many sufferings and purity, he was privileged to meet the Lord Christ on numerous occasions. Onetime, Christ appeared to him as a passing by stranger, so St. Pishoy welcomed him in and washed his feet. As he was washing his feet he saw the marks of the cross and realized it s Christ so he worshiped him and Christ blessed him and disappeared. Later, St. Pishoy s disciple came by, so, St. Pishoy told him to drink from the water in the pot. The disciple refused because he knew that pot was the one used for feet washing. So, St. Pishoy insisted he would drink from it (without telling him why). Finally, after a while the disciple agreed, but when he went to drink from it, it was all empty. So, he went back to St. Pishoy and told him that it s empty. St. Pishoy 39

40 then told him the reason he wanted him to drink from that water. The disciple monk was very disappointed and regretted being disobedient to his teacher the saint. The younger monks knew that St. Pishoy has a strong relationship with Christ and that Christ appears to him frequently. So, they asked St. Pishoy to intercede on their behalf so they can meet Christ in person one time. And indeed St. Pishoy asked the LORD and Christ told him the day and the place where he would meet them. The monks rejoiced so much. On the specified day, they ran to the agreed upon place on the mountain, and St. Pishoy being an old monk was going slowly after them at the end. On their way, there was a weak old man sitting on the side, he asked the monks why they re running, and when they told him the reason, he asked them to help him go with them so he too can see Christ. But the monks all thought the old man being weak would slow them down and they might miss the opportunity, so they all gave him excuses and left. Later, when St. Pishoy passed by the old man, the old man asked him if he could help him to go see Christ. St. Pishoy agreed, but he couldn t help the man walk, so instead of giving up on him, he decided to carry him on his shoulders. As St. Pishoy kept walking while carrying the man on his shoulders, at first the man was very light, then later the man became increasingly heavier, however, St. Pishoy didn t complain, but instead he realized that it s Christ appearing in the shape of the old man, so he turned to Him and said The heavens are not big enough, and the earth trembled from your glory, so how can a sinner like me carry you?!. Christ smiled and said to him Because you carried me my beloved Pishoy, your body will never be corrupted. then he disappeared. When the monks later learned what happened from St. Pishoy, they were saddened that they passed by Christ and missed the opportunity meeting him. May the blessings of St. Pishoy be with us all Amen. 40

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42 Purity - Thoughts Purity Introduction Read the following verses: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." - Matthew 5:8 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 What does purity mean? Purity - being without contamination, uncleanness, outside pollution, guilt So how does this apply to us? Lesson Imagine something gave you this really nice shirt that you love. It's clean and white and perfect. Now imagine you wear that shirt out on the street, and someone throws mud all over your new shirt! Wouldn t you be upset? What would you do next? Do you throw mud on yourself and make it even more dirty? No! no! Do you smear the mud you got on your shirt and spread it to your other clothes? Still Do you keep the mud on it and wear it like that forever? Definitely not! Would you wash it as soon as you could? Yes! Would you stay away from places that you knew were dirty? Probably! It turns out that this is very similar to what happens to our spirit. But how? Our Lord Jesus called us to be pure. He gave us our spirit and wants us to keep ourselves clean from all evil. And when we keep our thoughts pure, it's easier to keep our actions pure. But the devil of course wants the opposite. He wants to ruin our spirit and cloud our hearts. He throws bad ideas and images to us to contaminate our minds and hearts and lead us to sinful acts. 42

43 Our job is to not let him! Every time Satan temps us with an evil thought, we should do our best to say no and reject it as soon as we can. There are all sorts of thoughts that Satan might tempt us with. But how do we know whether a thought is bad? We have to examine our thoughts. Any thought that is against God's commandments and his example, we shouldn't trust. For example: Maybe you see a toy that you like that doesn't belong to you but no one would know if it was missing. Maybe you're tempted to take it for yourself. Maybe you're listening to music that has bad language, and you're tempted to start using those words. Maybe you see someone wearing inappropriate clothes and you're tempted to dress like them All these examples are thoughts that are not pure, that are against God's commandments for us. So, what's our strategy? DON'T: DO: We don't keep thinking about them We don't spread them to other people and give them temptation We don't believe them or act on them Shake our heads no Push the bad thought of our head Avoid similar situations that we know can present us with more bad thoughts when we can. If we know a certain song has bad language, maybe we can avoid listening to it.. If we do all these things, we can keep our minds and hearts pure like God wants us to. Review Questions What does purity mean? 43

44 What verses talk about purity? Why is it important to keep our thoughts pure? How do we know if a thought is not pure? What should we do once we get a bad thought? 44

45 Saint Story Purity of Thought Introduction Review the lesson on Purity of thought. Let's look at some examples of people who kept their thoughts pure. Anba Abraam Anba Abraam was a bishop and a very generous and kind man. One time, he was given money and furniture to fix his bishopric (the place where he lived) but instead he gave that money away to the poor and needy! He did not give into thoughts of greed like "I should keep all this money and nice stuff all for myself." He always resisted the temptation to think of himself first. He was known for always giving to those who asked him. He would never stop to think "Do these people really need money? What would they do with it?" He wouldn t give it into judgmental thoughts and would always just give anyway. Because people know who did this, three young men once tried to take advantage of him. Two of them went to him and lied, saying, "Our third friend has died. Please give us money for his funeral." He asked them, "Did he really die?" They lied again and said yes. So he gave them money and said "Take it and bury him." The young men took the money and were laughing about how they tricked him and then found out their third friend had actually died! God would not let someone with a pure heart like Anba Abraam be tricked. May we learn to keep our thoughts as pure as Anba Abraam's and may his intercessions be with us. 45

46 St. Simeon the Tanner St Simeon was a simple tanner (shoemaker) with a lot of faith. Back then, not everyone had water in their homes. Every morning, he would wake up and get water and carry it to the poor and the sick. He did every single day and never gave into thoughts of laziness like "I'm too tired to go today. Maybe I ll go tomorrow instead" or thoughts of selfishness like "Why should I get water for these people if they never did anything for me." Instead he overcame these thoughts every day. St Simeon wanted to be very careful about keeping his thoughts pure. One day though, he saw a woman and he had bad thoughts about her. He remembered the words of our Lord in Matthew 18:9 and decided that he would hurt his eye so that it wouldn't lead him to bad thoughts again. He wanted to be pure so much that he went to extreme lengths to protect his thoughts. God does not want us to hurt ourselves like St Simeon did, but we should follow his example in protecting our thoughts by avoiding those things that we know often tempt us with bad thoughts. Maybe it's certain people who encourage us toward bad behavior, or maybe it's certain media that encourages bad language or ideas. We should always be vigilant about what we feed our minds and hearts like St Simeon. St Simeon's faith was so strong and pure that when Pope Abraam the Syrian needed help moving the mountain to save the Christian people from being killed by the unbelieving rulers, St Mary sent him to St Simeon. Together with all the Christians in Egypt, their faithful prayers to God moved the Moqattam mountain from one place to another so that the rulers of Egypt would believe in God and would spare the Christians from harm. May we be as vigilant of our thoughts and as strong in our faith as St Simeon and may his prayers be with us. 46

47 Purity Actions Introduction What is purity and why is it so important for us as children of God to be pure in our actions? We need to be pure in our actions because we are the children of God and our goal is to be like our Lord and go to heaven. As children of God, we have to be like our Lord, who was the greatest example of showing purity in actions. In fact, the bible says that our Lord "performed so many works in the world that if they were all recorded, the world itself would not be able to hold the books that would be written because there would be too many." [John 21:25] There is pain all around us with our family, friends, and community. We are never too young to; Love our families Make our friends feel better Do good to others Help our parents with chores and obeying what they say Being nice to our siblings Sharing and caring for others [1 Corinthians 6:19] The bible says that our bodies are a temple for the living God? That means that God is living inside of us. If God is living inside of us, we have to be careful of what we do and say. God also does not want to live in a house with garbage everywhere. Also, it is hard to hear God's voice and do his will if our minds and actions are not pure. [Matthew 6:24] - Pick one, you can t be both pure and wicked. Benefits of having Pure Actions Purity in actions does not only benefit us spiritually but also results in many blessings. People tend to love being around those who are kind, caring and pure in actions. Look at our Lord, he had thousands of people following him all of the time including the disciples who never left him. We will also be blessed in our friendships and relationships with our families if we show purity in our actions. 47

48 To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something as beautiful for him. - Mother Teresa How to be pure in our actions? Read the bible and pray every day. Also, confess regularly and attend the holy liturgy on a weekly basis. In addition, love our family, make our friends feel better, do good to others, help our parents with chores and obeying what they say, being nice to our siblings, sharing, and caring for others. 48

49 Saints Story St. Anthony Objective: Learning about a saint who had pure actions. To get to that stage, we need to work towards loving God. Introduction: God knows us very well. He created us in his image and knows each of personally. He knows how weak we are and when we pray to him and participate with him in the communion, he strengthens our weaknesses and he makes us strong. It is easy to follow the commandments of God when we truly love him. We love God by showing it in our actions and today, we will see a saint that gave away everything to live with God in purity and for sure, it wasn t easy. Body: St. Anthony was the first Christian to decide that he will live a life consecrated to God in solitude. Consecrated solitude means a monk who decides to leave everything in the world and go live by himself so he dedicates his life to prayer and purity. He cuts himself off the world. St. Anthony is referred to as the father of all monks. When he was 18 years of age, his parents died leaving his as a guardian of his only younger sister, Dious. Later, St. Anthony entered the church to hear the Gospel, in which our Lord speaks to the rich young man, "If you would be perfect, go sell all you have, give to the poor and come follow me." (Matthew 19:21) He took this advice as a personal invitation addressed to him by God. He sold about 300 acres of fertile land, gave most of the money to the poor keeping only a little for his sister. Then he placed his sister in a Christian home. Then went to stay with another monk. This was the custom of young monks to stay under a master in order to learn the principles of spirituality, prayer, purity and fasting. As Saint Anthony lived in solitude, he was tempted by boredom and discouragement (explain what that means). He had a lot of thought that was coming to him so he began saying, "Lord, I want to be saved but these bad thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do? How can I be saved?" After a little while, he began to walk in the open and saw someone as if it was himself, sitting and working - making mats of palm leaves - and then rising to pray. This was an angel sent by 49

50 the Lord to teach Anthony how to live in the desert. The angel repeated what he was doing several times until Anthony understood that he had to combine manual work and prayer in order to overcome boredom. We need to keep ourselves busy and be honest in it either with our school work or with our daily life. Believe it or not, even in playing, I need to keep God in my mind and know that I love him. Saint Anthony s rule consisted simply of prayers and manual work. He told his disciples that just as Christ was a carpenter and Paul was a tent maker, they also had to keep their hands busy to escape temptations. He also assigned a uniform to the monks. This was a garb of white linen reaching below the knees. A wide thick belt of leather helped the monk to keep erect. This pattern is seen today in many monastic orders all over the world. In 356 A.D., Saint Anthony died at the age of one hundred and five, but his place of burial was never revealed by the two monks, Marcarius and Amatas, who buried him. As an exercise, we need to learn that a way we can stay in purity is to pray, to have a prayer schedule for ourselves, and to keep ourselves always busy either with school work or with helping my parents at home. 50

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52 Purity Restoration TO PREPARE: 10 rocks per kid and 1 paper bag per child. If there are too many kids or an unpredictable amount you can just prepare 1 class set. Write a sin on each rock and as you read them to the kids place it in the bag. Read the Prayer of Absolution that the priest reads at the end of the Sacrament of confession and have students start taking the rocks out of the bag thus releasing their burden. The weight we carry around can be our sins. What does it mean to be a sinner? What are examples of sins? (To keep a secret, lie or steal, or by doing something wrong without apologizing, to disobey our parents, use profanity, or speak bad about others) The very word confession can kind of make us nervous, because we have to talk about our sins. Confession is a major theme of the Gospels, we read in Matthew s Gospel that John required confession of those who came to him for baptism in the River Jordan for a symbolic act of washing away their sins: And [they] were baptized by [John] in the Jordan, confessing their sins (Matthew 3:6). In the Gospel of John, John warns us not to deceive ourselves: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:8, 9). The sacrament of baptism, the rite of entrance into the Church, has always been linked with repentance. Repent, and... be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, Saint Peter preached in Jerusalem, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). In the same book we read that many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds (Acts 19:18). The Prodigal Son One Gospel story in which we encounter confession is the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11 32). Here Christ describes a young man so impatient to come into his inheritance and be independent that, in effect, he says to his father, As far as I m concerned, you have already died. Give me now what would have come to me after your funeral. I want nothing more to do with you or with this house. With Godlike generosity, the father gives what his son asks, though he knows his son well enough to realize that all the boy receives might as well be burned in a stove. The boy takes his inheritance and leaves, at last free of parents, free of morals and good behavior, free to do as he pleases. 52

53 After wasting his money, he finds himself reduced to feeding the pigs as a farmhand. People he had thought of as friends now sneer. He knows he has renounced the claim to be anyone s son, yet in his desperation he dares hope his father might at least allow him to return home as a servant. Full of dismay for what he said to his father and what he did with his inheritance, he walks home in his rags, ready to confess his sins, to beg for work and a corner to sleep in. The son cannot imagine the love his father has for him or the fact that, despite all the trouble he caused, he has been desperately missed. Far from being glad to be rid of the boy, the father has gazed day after day in prayer toward the horizon in hope of his son s return. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him (v. 20). Had he not been watching, he would not have noticed his child in the distance and realized who it was. Instead of simply standing and waiting for his son to reach the door, he ran to meet him, embracing him, pouring out words of joy and welcome rather than reproof or condemnation. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son (v. 21). Here we have the son s confession compacted into a single sentence. It is the essence of any confession: our return to our Father, who made us and constantly awaits our homecoming. Tools for Confession * Tune in by sitting alone with God. * Still yourself in silence and clear your thoughts from any daily tasks. * Say a prayer, can even be as simple as: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner. * Ask God to open your heart and reveal to you the things to confess. * Resist any embarrassment during the Sacrament. * Seek to sin no more, not because you expect perfection from yourself, but rather because you no longer desire to hurt yourself or God. After Confession Prayer +Almighty and merciful God, I truly thank you for the forgiveness of my sins; bless me, Lord, and help me always, that I may ever do that which is pleasing to you, and sin no more. Amen. 53

54 St. Mary of Egypt 1. Color two images of Saint Mary of Egypt The first, from her former life possibly with brighter clothing, youthful skin, etc and the second after her years in the desert as an ascetic. I chose these two images because one depicts the humility needed to bring about repentance, and the second with hope and stronger faith, prepared to meet God at her death. 2. Cut the images out 3. Glue those images, back to back, with a popsicle stick in between 4. Write the word "METANOIA" (or REPENTANCE) on the sticks with the definition "Turn one's life around" on the reverse side. As you retell the story ask the children to show you which side of her we're looking at. Then, you will literally, TURN HER LIFE AROUND, but rotating the sticks to see her as a transformed woman of God, one of the most memorable Saints of our Church. 54

55 St. Mary of Egypt About 500 years after the Resurrection of our Lord, a holy monk by the name of Zosimas lived in a monastery by the Jordan River. He had lived as a monk since childhood and when he was about 50 years old he began to think that he had surpassed all the other monks in virtue and that no one could teach him anything he didn t already know. To prevent such a prideful thought from taking root, God taught him a lesson. It was the custom in the monastery that at the beginning of each Great Lent, the monks would cross the Jordan and scatter throughout the desert where they would stay until Palm Sunday. Each monk would spend this time alone before God, in fasting and prayer, without anyone around to praise him for his struggles. Fr. Zosimas went far into the desert. On the 20th day, as he stopped for prayer, he saw a human shape. At first, he thought the devil was playing tricks with his eyes. But when he protected himself with the sign of the Cross, he saw it clearly: thin, skin baked dark and hair bleached white by the sun, it seemed to glide over the sandy hill. Overjoyed at the thought of seeing a holy man, Zosimas hurried to follow and shouted: Servant of the True God, do not run from me, an old sinner! Forgive me, a voice returned, but I cannot face you, Father Zosimas, for I am a shameful woman. Please throw me your cloak so that I may cover myself and ask your blessing. Terror seized the monk as she called him by name; how did she know it? Turning aside, he threw his ragged cloak her way. In deep humility both saints prostrated before one another in the sand, asking each other s blessing. Finally, the woman said, Father Zosimas, you must give the blessing, having been in the Holy Altar so many years as a priest. Struck with awe by her divine gift of knowledge, Zosimas pleaded with tears, Please give me your blessing, Mother. Grace is not given only to priests, but even more to those who have died to the world and live with God. For God s sake, bless me, for I need your holy prayers. In obedience the woman declared, Blessed is God Who cares for the salvation of our souls. 55

56 Amen, answered Father Zosimas. Then the woman wanted to know why he had come and how Christians lived in the world. He said that by her holy prayers Christ had granted them peace and asked her to continue to pray. Reminding him that he, too, must always pray, she turned toward the East. Father Zosimas heard only whispers and looked at the ground in meek confusion. When he began to think her prayer was very long, he looked up to see her standing in the air about three feet above the ground. Bowing down with tears and begging God s mercy, he begged her to tell him of her life, so that the wisdom and treasure of God might not be hid. My story, said the woman, will make you run as from a snake. You must forgive me for what you will hear, for I lived a shameful life and felt no shame. I ran away from my parents and lived a very sinful life. I lived like that for 17 years and never got tired of any kind of sinning. One day I saw a crowd going to Jerusalem. Since I had no money, I joined this group of wicked men who would take me with them. They agreed. I am amazed, Father, that the ship didn t sink from all the wickedness. But God desires the repentance of even the worst sinner. Within a few days of our arrival, I saw a large crowd hurrying to church, I was told, for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Out of curiosity I joined them. But when my foot touched the doorstep, my body was held back by an invisible barrier. I could not enter, though I tried hard several times. Becoming tired, I let people push me aside and stood in a corner of the porch. Above me I saw an icon of the Pure Mother of God, and I began to understand that my sinful life was keeping me from entering. I turned to the icon in tears and begged the Holy Virgin to help me get inside to see the lifegiving Cross, promising to give up everything and go where she would lead me after that. Joining the crowd again, I easily entered the Church and saw the precious Cross and the Holy Mysteries; there I saw how the Lord accepts repentance. Filled with hope, I returned to the icon where I heard a voice from on high, If you cross the Jordan you will find glorious rest. O Lady, never leave me! I cried and was on my way. Someone gave me coins and I bought three loaves of bread. By the grace of God, they fed me for several years; for the rest of these 47 years I have been fed by the Word of God and plants I find. But, Father, how sinful memories attacked my mind, I was strongly tempted to return to my old life. 56

57 But in my thoughts, I always turned to the Mother of God, and she has always kept me safe, chasing away evil thoughts and restoring peace to my soul. With these words she finished her story, begging the Abba to pray for her soul and not tell anyone about her until she died. The next year, on the day of the Last Supper, Zosimas brought her the Holy Mysteries, and she walked across the Jordan as on dry land to receive them. Seeing such a miracle, Zosimas explained, Glory to You, Christ Our God, who has shown me through this your servant how far away I stand from perfection. 57

58 He gave her Holy Communion and promised to come again the following year. Again, leaving the monastery for Great Lent, Zosimas found her at the appointed place, lying in eternal repose, wrapped in his mantle with her face toward the East. In the sand she had written her name, Mary, and instructions for her burial; she also wrote that she died on the day, a year before, that he had brought her Holy Communion. 58

59 Father Zosimas could not think how to bury the saint, for he was weak and had no tools. But just then a lion appeared, and willingly dug her grave with his paws. Covering St. Mary s feet with tears and kisses, the holy elder committed her to the earth with prayers. Then the lion went off into the desert, and the elder returned to his monastery where he told the story which has been kept to this day, bringing glory to God and hope to sinners. May the merciful God give to us all St. Mary s willingness to repent, and the protection of the Holy Virgin to help us. Amen. 59

60 Part III Upper Elementary (Grades 3 5) This curriculum is adopted from the curriculum published by the Dioceses of Mississauga, Vancouver and Western Canada. 60

61 61 Be Ready (Part 1) God s Preparation for the Incarnation Because of God s great love for mankind, God distinguished man from all other creatures in the way that He created him. Man is the only creature of all creatures who was created with the breath of life from the mouth of God. He is also the only creature created in the likeness and image of God. He is also the only creature granted free will, God told Adam that he could eat from all the trees in the garden except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God could have prevented him from eating from this tree, but because God gave him free will, He gave him the freedom to choose. Unfortunately Adam and Eve ate from the tree and misused the free will that God gave them when they listened to the serpent. They broke God s commandment and fell in sin, and with them, all of mankind was now also subject to the penalty of sin. The penalty of sin is: 1. Death for Adam and all his descendants. God told Adam for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Death means separation from God. Just like a lamp separated from electricity cannot be lit, death and darkness is the state of man away from God. 61

62 62 2. Corruption of human nature. Sin is just like a disease which enters the body, and requires treatment. The human body becomes corrupt and its nature changes after sin. 3. Exile from the Garden of Eden and life away from God. In order to get back our life with God, the penalty of death had to be removed and our corrupted nature had to be renewed. This is where God s plan for Incarnation of His only Son comes in, a plan to redeem us. God prepared mankind for the Incarnation of His Son Jesus Christ throughout the Old Testament with prophecies and symbols, and in the fullness of time these prophecies and symbols were all fulfilled. MEMORY VERSE: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. Galatians 4:4 Be Ready (Part 2) The fullness of the time is the time appointed by God for the world to receive the Savior. God had orchestrated a detailed plan in preparation for the incarnation of Jesus: 1. He Taught Mankind About Who God Is And His Commandments 62

63 63 The first step of preparation was to appoint God s chosen people. This group of believers in the midst of all the people of the Earth would be a source of ministry to spread God s commandments. He gave them prophecies and symbols to prepare them to understand His redemption. Secondly, God used a Greek king, Ptolemy the second, who appointed 72 Jewish elders to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. This resulted in the Septuagint translation. This is important because the Greek Empire was ruling the world at this time, so the Greek culture and language prevailed in all countries. The Greek language was the most popular language in the whole world. Having a single language that all people could understand facilitated communication and made it easy for everyone in the world to learn about God, and to understand the prophecies, which would eventually point to our Lord Jesus birth and His redemption for mankind. This allowed the world to Know God and understand what is written about the incarnation and salvation so they can be ready to receive it. 2. Preparing The Roads After the Greek Empire ended, the Roman Empire ruled the world in the era right before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Before that time, it was difficult to move from one country to another. The Romans began to pave roads between the countries to facilitate travel between them. They also tried to make travelling on 63

64 64 these roads safer by getting rid of the bandits. This was very important as roads made it easy for the disciples to travel to different countries to preach Christian faith. 3. Preparing And Choosing The Characters To Help Us Receive The Savior a) Birth of St. Mary When the right time came for God to be born to save us as He promised, He chose a simple girl from His people. St. Mary s heart was full of love for God and all people. She was humble, full of wisdom and a woman of service and prayer. No one else could have taken the role of the Mother of God so perfectly. b) St. Joseph the Carpenter God chose St. Joseph to take care of St. Mary. He had a key role in protecting her. He took care of her and the child Jesus until He grew up. c) St. John the Baptist He prepared the people so that they would be ready to receive the Lord Jesus. He baptized them with water and told them to repent and return to God. He also baptized our Lord Jesus in the Jordan River. 64

65 65 This is what the fullness of time means: the perfect time for the Incarnation to take place as God had prepared the entire world, not only the people of Israel, to receive the Savior. From choosing a specific group to be the starting point of God s people, to orchestrating a united language, to facilitating transportation and putting in place the perfect people for each role. God really prepared us for the most important moment in history, the Incarnation of His only Son Jesus Christ. MEMORY VERSE: Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. Isaiah 25:9 65

66 66 Genesis 1:1 - Sign Language Write the letter for each sign to spell out he Bible verse, Genesis 1:1 ACTIVITY 66

67 67 ACTIVITY Adam and Eve Cross Word Genesis 3 67

68 68 Parables: Work Hard The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Our Lord Jesus used many parables when teaching the people. A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or a spiritual lesson and makes it easier for us to understand. He often used parables when speaking about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Second Coming. Because of His love for us, after our Lord Jesus was incarnated, died on the cross, and resurrected, He ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us, as He promised: I go to prepare a place for you John 14:2. After His ascension, the angels told the disciples: why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven Acts 1:11. When He comes back, He will take all those who are ready to live with Him forever in everlasting joy, as He promised: To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne Revelation 3:21. 68

69 69 Parable Summary: One of His most famous parables about the Second Coming is the parable of the Talents. The parable is about a man who was traveling to a far country. Before he left he called his servants and gave five talents to one, two talents to another and one talent to the last. A talent is a sum of money, worth 10 thousand denarii. One Denarii was the wage of a worker for one day. It s important to remember that He gave each one according to his own ability because He knew what each of his servants is capable of. For example, if a father has two sons, one is 15 and the other is 20. If he needs one of them to drive him somewhere, wouldn t he ask the oldest? Of course! This does not mean he loves one more than the other, but rather he gives to each according to his abilities. Now the Master never specified what each servant should do with the money, he left it entirely up to them and left for his travels. The servants, not knowing when their Master would return, were left to do with their talents as they saw fit. The one who had received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. Likewise, he who had received two talents, went and gained two more. They worked hard to be ready for their Master s return even though they did not know when that would be. 69

70 70 The last servant, on the other hand, went and dug in the ground, and hid his talent. He did not lose it but did not trade with it either. After a long time, the Master of those servants finally returned and came to settle his accounts with them. As expected, the first two servants who made profit were ready. The Master rewarded them each the exact same reward, saying: MEMORY VERSE: Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. Matthew 25:21 As for the one who had received the one talent, the Master took the talent from him and gave it to the one who had ten talents because he was honest and faithful. Parable Meaning: This parable is quite symbolic The Master is our Lord Jesus Christ The servants represent each one of us The talents represent the skills and abilities that God gave each one of us. 70

71 71 Examples of talents 1. Special skills and abilities: Talents such as art, music, writing, social skills. 2. Time: We are all given 24 hours a day - we have to organize our day to have time to study and play. Time to spend with our family, work on our talents and most Importantly, time to spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible. 3. Our body: A talent that we have to take care of (physical activity and healthy eating). 4. Our community: We should be involved in our communities and help others as much as we can. What can we learn? 1. We learn that success is a result of hard work. We are all expected to work. As Christians we have a mission that our Lord expects us to accomplish. We have to work, use our talents to glorify God, serve our community and produce the return expected by the Master. 2. We learn that God always gives us everything we need in order for us to accomplish what He has called us to do. We are tempted to feel sorry for the servant who received only one talent, but in reality he received several years wages from the Master and buried it in his back yard. He was given more 71

72 72 than enough to meet his Master s expectations. All of us are given enough to produce more, but in the end what matters is how we use what we were given. 3. We learn that we work for the Master, not for ourselves. The money that was given to the servants was not their own. The money they earned was not theirs to keep. Likewise we are only stewards of God s investment, and we do our best with what we have to honor Him and give Him glory. 4. We learn that we will be held accountable. We are responsible for what we do for God with what He gave us, and one day we will be asked about what we did with our talents. What we hear from the Master on that day is up to us. 72

73 73 ACTIVITY The Ten Talents 73

74 74 Reject Foreign Thoughts Saint Samuel the Confessor (Synaxarium 8 Kiahk) St. Samuel the confessor of El-Qualamoun is a great saint who was ready to defend his faith and witness for God anytime and under any circumstances. He was born in El Monofeya, Egypt. His father, Arselaos, was a priest and his mother was Kasmiyana. His parents raised him in the Christian faith and taught him to love God from all his heart. He was regular in praying and fasting and attending the Church. He was ordained a deacon reader (Oghnostos). He grew up and longed to become a monk so he could spend more time with God in prayer. After the departure of his mother, his father took care of him and was praying for him. One day, his father saw a vision at night, an angel telling him: Samuel your son will become a chosen monk and will have many disciples. His father rejoiced over this vision

75 75 After the departure of his father, Samuel sold all his possessions and distributed his money to the poor and headed to the desert of Sheheet. He did not know the way, so God sent him an angel in the form of an old man who told him to go to the monastery of St. Macarius. There he became the disciple of Abba Aghathon who ordained him, as a monk and put on him the Holy Eskeem (a leather belt adorned with crosses). St. Samuel lived with Abba Agathon for three years in total obedience. When Abba Agathon departed, St. Samuel continued to devote himself to many prayers and fasting, and was ordained a priest over the Church of St. Macarius. During this time, when El-Mokawkas was the governor of Egypt and Pope Benjamin was the 38th Patriarch, the Roman State tried to force the Christians to accept the Tome of Leo. (Tome = letter; Leo = the Pope of Rome). The Tome of Leo contained false teaching about Christ. It falsely stated that the Lord Jesus as a human is separated from the Lord Jesus as Divine. This is not true however, as we know, God took the form of a man and was incarnate and born from St. Mary the Virgin. He is fully human and fully divine. He had both a full human nature and a full divine nature. While He did miracles with His Divinity, He ate, drank, slept and suffered as a human. He took a body like us and resembled us in everything except the sin

76 76 The Lord Jesus is one person who has all the attributes of God and all the qualities of a man. He has a human nature and a divine nature but the two natures are united, NOT separated. From the unity of the two natures in the womb of St. Mary, the one nature was formed: the nature of God the incarnate Word. One day an envoy came to the desert carrying the Tome of Leo, read it to the monks and asked them if they agree and believe what is written in it and requested them to sign it. Obviously, the monks did not agree with what was written and did not respond. The envoy was very angry and asked them again if they accepted what was written. St. Samuel was ready to defend his faith, and in his zealousness, he seized the letter and ripped it saying: Fathers, do not be afraid and do not accept this Tome. When the envoy saw what St. Samuel did, he became furious and ordered him to be tortured and beaten. St. Samuel was hit on the face and he lost his right eye. They expelled St. Samuel out of the monastery. But an angel appeared to St. Samuel and told him to go to the mountain of El-Qualamoun. He went there and built a monastery and lived in it, teaching those that gathered around him the Orthodox faith. 76

77 77 St. Samuel was exposed to another test and again he proved that he was ready to defend his faith. When the Barbarians raided the wilderness, they took St. Samuel with them to their country. Barbarians at that time used to take people to make them slaves. They took St. Samuel captive and tried to persuade him to worship the sun. St. Samuel refused boldly and was tortured severely. God strengthened him and he remained faithful. One day, the Master s son fell ill and was close to death. St. Samuel prayed for him and the boy was healed of his sickness. His Master was exceedingly happy and apologized to St. Samuel. He told him to ask for anything so St. Samuel asked to go back to his monastery. The Master allowed him to return. When St. Samuel returned, many of his sons gathered around him and they increased in number becoming thousands. St. Mary appeared to him and told him, This place shall be my abode forever, and the Barbarians never attacked his monastery again. When the time of his departure drew near, he gathered his sons and commanded them to be strong in the fear of God, to walk 77

78 78 according to His commandments, and to stand strong in their faith and in their love of God. Then, he departed in peace. The Church celebrates his feast on the 8 th day of the month of Kiahk. His body rests in his monastery, the monastery of St. Samuel, in the desert of El-Qualamoun. The bodies of the martyrs of the monastery of St. Samuel, who were martyred on 25th of May, 2017 are buried in the monastery in a small Church called the Church of the martyrs. Confessors are people who face torture and persecution because of their Christian faith but are not martyred. St. Samuel is known as the Confessor because he endured much suffering and even lost his eye to defend the faith. He fulfilled the verse that says: MEMORY VERSE: But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 2Thessalonians 3:6 78

79 79 Serve Everyone (Part 1) David The Loving Servant 1 Samuel David, the son of Jesse, who was from the city of Bethlehem, was a shepherd, a king, a commander, and a poet. He was called the sweet psalmist of Israel. He was the youngest of his seven brothers. He also had two sisters. Although he was young, he learned to serve everyone around him. David Served His Father s House He helped his father to care for the sheep with honesty and courage. One day, a lion and a bear attacked the sheep and took one of them. Because David was brave and ready to do anything for his sheep, he ran after the lion and the bear. Since he was faithful with the little he was given, God continued to bless him with more. God chose David to be the king of Israel, instead of King Saul. At first, King Saul was a good king but later, he disobeyed God s commandments and strayed away from God. 79

80 80 God asked Samuel the prophet to anoint David as a king instead of Saul and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward (1 Samuel 16:13). David Served King Saul David assumed his role as a king only after Saul s death, even though he was anointed as king much earlier. In the meantime, David served King Saul in his palace with love and humility. When Saul stopped following God s commandments, the Spirit of God departed from him and a distressing spirit troubled him. David came to Saul whenever the distressing spirit troubled him, and played the harp for him until he became well. Saul loved David and made him his armor bearer. David Served God David offered himself on behalf of his people. A long time ago, before David was chosen to become king, three of David s brothers followed Saul to battle. One day, Jesse sent David to the camp to ask about his brothers and bring him back any news. There, he heard that Goliath, the strongest man among the Philistines, came up to defeat Israel. King Saul and all the people of Israel were greatly afraid from Goliath s threatening words which he kept on repeating for 40 days. David was very zealous and could not tolerate this Philistine talking that way about God s people. With full trust in God, David took 5 smooth stones and a sling and took his staff in his hand and went up to Goliath, who had a sword, a spear and a javelin and told him: 80

81 81 MEMORY VERSE: You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1Samuel 17:45 David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone; and slung it striking the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and killed him, and cut off his head with it. David was able to bring victory to the people of Israel. Serve Everyone (Part 2) David Served The Distressed And The Weak After David s victory over Goliath, the women came to meet King Saul with songs of joy and said: Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. The saying displeased Saul and he was very angry. He became jealous of David and tried to kill him numerous times. So David had to flee to different places, one of them being the cave of Adullam. In the cave of Adullam, everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontent gathered around him. There 81

82 82 were about four hundred men with him. David served them and took care of them. That s why they continued to follow him when he became the king after Saul s death. David Served His Kingdom Finally, David took care of his kingdom and wanted it to be the greatest kingdom among all nations. The first thing he did when he ruled over Israel was to find the Ark of the Covenant and return it to its place in the tabernacle. The Ark of the Covenant symbolized the presence of God among His people. Because of his close relationship with God, there was prosperity during his kingdom as the verse says: MEMORY VERSE: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 82

83 83 ACTIVITY David and Goliath Read 1 Samuel Find and circle each of the words from the list below. GIANT JESSE ELAH VALLEY SLING ARMOR PHILISTINES GATH GOLIATH ARMY BETHLEHEM HARP STONE ISRAELITES SAUL SHEPHERD DAVID 28 83

84 84 84

85 85 Joyful In Suffering Our Church the Mother of the Martyrs In our Church many heroes sacrificed their lives for their faith because they believed in a place much better than earth, which is heaven. That is why they endured hardship and persecutions. And by the power and grace of God they reached their goal and were able to witness for Him in the middle of the persecutions. That is why the Church remained strong over the years and will always be proud of her martyrs. The word martyr in Greek and Coptic is Martyroc. The martyr is a person who loves God and witnesses for Him through his strong faith. He is willing to confess his faith in front of everyone and sheds his blood for his faith. The Coptic Church went through different periods of persecutions. There are many martyrs in the Coptic Church, not only men and women but children as well. That is why we call our Church the Church of martyrs. The Coptic Church is proud that it has provided the greatest number of martyrs in the world. They came forward to die with all courage and joy. With their steadfastness, they kept the faith and enlightened the path leading to our Lord. The martyrs are joyful in their persecution and are not afraid to die through the power and grace that God gives them. He gives this power and grace to all those who are ready to declare their faith and love for Him and those who desire to live with Him forever in heaven, our real home. As the verse says: 85

86 86 MEMORY VERSE: Because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1John 4:4 When we were born again in baptism our real home became heaven. We understand that our life on earth will not last forever. God gave us this life on earth to glorify Him. We have to be faithful and witness to God through our life. All the martyrs understood this very well that is why they have a great place in heaven and here on earth. The Bible confirms that the martyrs have a special place in heaven. During the martyrdom of St. Steven, the first martyr, he saw the heaven opened and he saw our Lord Jesus in His glory. That is why the Church honored them on earth in different ways. 1. The Coptic Church created its own calendar (The Coptic Calendar) in the year 284 AD. That was the beginning of the era of Emperor Diocletian. During his reign the Church endured the greatest era of persecution. That is why the Church calls the Coptic year the year of the martyrs. The Church celebrates the Coptic New Year, the Feast of El-Nayrouz, on the 1st of Tout. From the 1st to the 16th of Tout the Church prays with the joyful tune to celebrate the martyrs. 2. The Church teaches us about the intercession of the saints. They are our friends in heaven who pray for us. We ask for their prayers and intercession. The Church believes in the connection between heaven and earth. 86

87 87 3. When we build Churches we name them after the names of saints. 4. The Church celebrates the saints feasts. It keeps their relics and anoints them with perfumes and spices on their feasts. The Church celebrates different feasts for the saints including their departure to heaven, the relocation of their relics, and the consecration of their Churches. We also celebrate the birthday of some saints like St. Mary, St. John the Baptist and St. Tekla Hemanot. 5. Our Churches are filled with beautiful icons of the saints that reflect their lives, so we can always remember them and try to imitate their lives. We light candles in front of their icons because they were the light for the world. We honor God who is glorified in His saints, we honor their faith and their endurance as God promised those who honor Me I will honor. 6. In the liturgy, the priest offers incense in front of the icons of the saints. Offering of incense indicates the prayer relationship between us and the saints, they pray for us and we ask for their prayers. 7. In the liturgy and in the midnight praises there are special hymns for the saints. We honor them and ask for their intercessions. 87

88 88 8. The Church gives special attention to document the lives of the saints. St. Julius El-Akfahsee was famous for taking care of the bodies of the martyrs. He carried their bodies, shrouded them, and wrote their biographies. The Synaxarium is filled with the stories of the martyrs. We read from it during the liturgies on the feast of each saint. 88

89 89 ACTIVITY The Stoning of St. Stephen Spot 8 differences between the two pictures 89

90 Part IV Middle School 90

91 The Great Ecumenical Councils The Council of Nicaea During the early church history, heresies began to arise. A heresy is a belief contrary to the faith of the Christian church. A heretic is a supporter of such contrary claims or beliefs to the faith of the church. Heresy is distinct from apostasy, which is the clear denial of one's religion. As a result of the rise of these heresies, ecumenical councils were held to address them. Ecumenical councils are meetings in which bishops from all over the world meet to discuss and settle matters of church doctrine. The Jerusalem Council of the Apostles that was held in 50 AD (Acts 15:6-29) was the first council in Christianity. This council was held in Jerusalem and was led by the apostle James, bishop of Jerusalem. The purpose of the council was to study the conditions imposed upon the Gentiles as a prerequisite to their conversion into Christianity. Some apostles agreed that a Gentile should fulfill the doctrines of Moses concerning circumcision first, and then become a Christian by accepting baptism. St. Paul, however, felt that faith in Jesus Christ transcends the Jewish ordinance and all the apostles accepted his opinion. There were other councils held later by other churches; however, the Coptic Church accepts only the following three canonical ecumenical councils: 1) The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) 2) The Council of Constantinople (381 AD) 3) The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) We will only look at two of the three councils: The Councils of Nicaea and Ephesus. The Council of Nicaea The Council of Constantinople The Council of Ephesus Year 325 AD 381 AD 431 AD Number of attendants 318 Bishops 150 Bishops 200 Bishops Place City of Nicaea City of Constantinople City of Ephesus Presiding emperor Constantine the Great Theodosius the Great Theodosius the Young Name of heretic Arius, an Alexandrian Macedonius, anointed Bishop of Nestorius, Patriarch of Important persons in the council priest St. Athanasius the Apostle, a deacon at that time Constantinople Patriarch Theodosius, Pope of Alexandria, Abba Malathius of Antioch, St. Gregory The Enlightener, and St. Gregory of Nyssa Constantinople St. Cyril the Great (Pillar of the Faith), Pope of Alexandria 91

92 The heresy Most important laws issued by the council The denial of Christ s divinity as he claimed that the Son (Word) is not One with the Father in essence. The issuance of the Creed: We believe in one God.whose kingdom has no end. The denial of the essence of the Holy Spirit as he stated that the Holy Spirit is not a person of the Holy Trinity, distinct from the Father or the Son, but a creature similar to angels. The completion of the Creed: Yes we believe in the Holy Spirit He claimed that in Jesus Christ there are two persons or entities and two natures. He also refuted the designation of the Holy Virgin Mary as the mother of God. In other words, he denied the union of humanity and divinity. The introduction to the Creed was written: We magnify you o Mother of the True Light. The Council of Nicaea: Who attended the council? Emperor Constantine invited 318 bishops from all over the world. From Alexandria attended Pope Alexandros with twenty of his bishops and his deacon Athanasius. When did they meet? 325 AD Where did the council meet? Nicaea Why did the council meet? The reason for holding this council was to discuss the Arian heresy. Arius was a priest who began to teach that Jesus was created, not born, and that God the Father is greater than the Son. He denied that the Son was God. The emperor called all the bishops to meet at Nicaea to discuss this matter. When all the members gathered and the council was officially opened they began with taking visual roll call. They counted 319 which confused them because 319 exceeded the maximum number of attendees. They counted a second time by name calling and counted 318. There was a great silence and they understood that the 319 th person was the Lord God in their midst as they remembered the verse that says, For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them thereby blessing the gathering with His presence. St. Athanasius was the hero of this council. His talents, awareness of the scriptures and eloquence of speech made him the target of the Arians throughout his life. But he withstood and overcame all and at the end, his spiritual and moral victory was total. Because of his victory to defend the faith and bear witness to Christ in the same way as the saintly apostles did, he was called St. Athanasius the Apostolic. 92

93 What was the outcome of this council? The fruit of this council was the formation of the first part of the Creed. The council selected three members to word the Creed, and they were Alexandros, Pope of Alexandria, his deacon Athanasius who had so distinguished himself, and Leontius, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia: namely two Egyptians and the third a Syrian. The three agreed that the Creed must affirm the divinity of the Son, so as to be the basis of the true Christian faith of the Church Universal for all time. To increase its forcefulness, they appended to it a statement of anathema that would constitute a warning to those who digressed from the established principles of the Faith, as Arius had done. The first part of the Creed is as follows: WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND OF ALL THINGS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE. WE BELIEVE IN ONE LORD, JESUS THE CHRIST, THE ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD; BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER BEFORE ALL AGES; LIGHT OUT OF LIGHT; TRUE GOD OUT OF TRUE GOD; BEGOTTEN NOT MADE; OF ONE ESSENCE WITH THE FATHER; BY WHOM ALL THINGS WERE MADE; WHO, FOR US MEN AND FOR OUR SALVATION, CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, AND WAS INCARNATE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND OF THE VIRGIN MARY, AND BECAME MAN. HE WAS CRUCIFIED FOR US UNDER PONTIUS PILATE; HE SUFFERED, WAS BURIED, AND ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. HE ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN AND SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF HIS FATHER. HE SHALL COME AGAIN IN HIS GLORY TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, WHOSE KINGDOM HAS NO END. As for those who do not believe in the above, let them be anathemized (cursed). When the Creed and its appended statement were presented to the Council, all members with the exception of three approved and signed it. The three were Eusebius of Nicomedia, Theognius of Nicaea, and Mans of Chalcedon. The zeal of the Emperor was so kindled, however, that he declared that whoever refuses to sign will be removed and exiled. This firm resolve of the Emperor led the three to change their attitudes. The former two signed the Creed but not the anathema ; the third signed both, in spite of his reluctance to do so. Thus, the Creed was signed unanimously. Emperor Constantine considered the creed as a revelation of the Holy Spirit speaking through the saints. To put it into immediate effect, he issued a decree banishing Arius to Illyria. He also ordered that all his writings be burned, threatening those who hid any of them with death. 93

94 Words to know: Ecumenical representing a number of different Christian churches Council an assembly of church clergy Heresy a belief contrary to the faith of the church Heretic a supporter of such contrary claims or beliefs of the church Apostasy the clear denial of one s religion Canonical according to or ordered by church law Anathema a formal curse by a council of the church pronounced on a certain person Dogma an article of faith; a truth set forth by church authority based on the Holy Bible 94

95 The Council of Ephesus Who attended the council? Emperor Theodosius invited 200 bishops. When did they meet? 431 AD Where did the council meet? Ephesus Why did the council meet? In 428, Nestorius was appointed the bishop of Constantinople. Nestorius was an eloquent preacher and an ascetic monk. However, he claimed that Christ was two separate persons - the one divine and beyond the reach of human weakness and the other human and subject to all the weaknesses of the flesh. The divine Christ could neither suffer nor die, and therefore, on the cross it was the human Christ alone who suffered and died apart from the divine Christ. Information of Nestorius teachings reached St. Cyril in Alexandria and Bishop Celestine in Rome. St. Cyril could neither accept this heresy nor keep quiet about it. In his paschal letter of Easter 429 to his own, as well as other churches, and in full-length books, St. Cyril affirmed the reality of the humanity of Christ and insisted on the singleness of His Divine Person. He explained the Orthodox doctrine of the indivisible union of the divine and human natures of Christ, and how this was the faith that was taught both by the scriptures and the Nicene fathers, and to which all true believers should adhere. One of the metaphors that St. Cyril used to illustrate his defense was that of the iron molten in an excessively high degree of heat. In that state, the iron and the heat were united into one, and though their substances were two, their union was complete without mixing, nor fusion nor change. No one could either separate or divide them. Such were the two natures of the Son of God - united in one nature. As Nestorius sermons began to be circulated in Egypt and reached the monks in the desert, St. Cyril thought he had the canonical right to interfere because the problem reached his own jurisdiction. St. Cyril composed his famous and important, Letter to the Monks, which was circulated through Egypt and reached Constantinople and Nestorius. Nestorius, in his response to St. Cyril s Letter to the Monks, considered the letter as an act of aggression. In his first letter to Nestorius, St. Cyril mentioned that it was Nestorius, not him, who was the cause of the dispute. St. Cyril also explained that he was acting to defend the Orthodox faith by responding to the queries he received from Egypt and outside (including Rome) concerning Nestorius wrong teachings. 95

96 Another point made by Nestorius and strongly contested by St. Cyril was related to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Orthodox believers glorified and honored her by calling her the Theotokos or Mother-of-God. Nestorius had spoken out against this title, and here, again, St. Cyril made his stand crystal clear. I am astounded, he said in one of his letters, that some can hesitate to call the Blessed Virgin Theotokos. If Jesus Christ is God, it follows that His mother is the Mother who bore Him forever. This is what the apostles taught us and the doctrine of our Fathers. The nature of the Word did not originate with St. Mary but within her was formed the sacred Body to which the Word was united. Therefore, we exclaim with St. John the Evangelist, the Word was made flesh. And just as the human mother, has no share in creating the soul of her child, yet is considered the mother of the whole person and not merely the mother of His physical nature; so St. Mary is the Mother of Christ in His entirety and hence is indeed the Mother-of-God. Finally, in November of 430, Emperor Theodosius sent official invitations to the bishops to gather for an ecumenical council to be held at Ephesus on June 7, 431, the Feast of Pentecost. Many of the hierarchs began to arrive before Pentecost. Nestorius was the first to arrive with 16 bishops. The representative of the Emperor, Count Candidian, arrived with an armed guard. Count Irenaues came with Nestorius in a private capacity. St. Cyril arrived a few days before Pentecost with 50 bishops. St. Shenouda the Archimandrite accompanied him. St. Cyril was highly welcomed by Bishop Memnon of Ephesus and his local clergy and people. Bishop Memnon of Ephesus gathered 52 bishops from his province. Juvenal of Jerusalem arrived on June 12 with 16 bishops. Flavian of Philippi arrived with a delegation from Macedonia. Bishop Celestine s delegation, 2 Italian bishops and one priest, arrived after the opening of the council on July 10th. The Bishop of Carthage was represented by Deacon Basil who informed the Council about the death of Saint Augustine (who died in August 430) and the attack of the barbarian tribes which made the coming of bishops from North Africa impossible. John of Antioch was late in his arrival. He arrived with 26 bishops on June 26th. What was the outcome of this council? Nestorius was requested three times to attend the council but refused each time. The bishops assembled and held several sessions during which they discussed the heresies taught by Nestorius. There were two very important outcomes of this council. First, Emperor Theodosius announced the final decision of the Council of Ephesus which was the excommunication of Nestorius. Second, just as St. Athanasius had saved the faith concerning the Logos in the Nicene Creed, so did St. Cyril in defending the Theotokos and maintaining the Orthodox Doctrine concerning the incarnation of the Logos in the Introduction to the Creed which he wrote. 96

97 Words to Know: Divine of or from God Theotokos Greek word that means mother of God ; theos means God and tokos means bearer; that is she who bore God in her womb Excommunicate officially exclude someone from participating in the sacraments and services of the church **Note: We strongly encourage the children to memorize both the Introduction to the Creed and the Creed. Introduction to the Creed We exalt you, the Mother of the true Light, and we glorify you, O saint the Theotokos, for you brought forth unto us the Savior of the whole world; He came and saved our souls. Glory to You, our Master, our King, Christ, the pride of the Apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the firmness of the churches, the forgiveness of sins. We proclaim the Holy Trinity in one Godhead. We worship Him. We glorify Him. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless us. Amen. The Orthodox Creed We believe in one God, God the Father the Pantocrator who created heaven and earth, and all things seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the scriptures, ascended to the heavens; He sits at the right hand of his Father, and He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. 97

98 And in one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen. The Word in the Flesh The Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate. "And the Word became flesh" (John 1:14). And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh (1Timothy 3:16). There are three types of evidence for the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and that He is God manifested in the flesh. 1) Biblical Verses: The Gospel of St. John concentrates and specializes in showing the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Greek expression for the Word is Logos. Logos means mind or wisdom. The Word has the same divine nature, for He is eternal from the beginning. He was with God the Father and is God the Son. The Word = Jesus = God (John 1:14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God sent his only begotten Son the true "Logos" born from the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. Therefore Jesus is not a prophet but He is God Himself appearing in the flesh. (John 10:30) I and My Father are one. When the Lord Jesus says, I and my Father are one He is referring to His divinity. (l John 5:7) "For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." Here also, the Divinity of Christ is clear. The term "the Word" in the above verse is in place of "the Son" in (Matthew 28:19). 2) God s unlimited characteristics that existed in the Lord Jesus Christ: He is omnipresent (John 3:13) No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven and as such, the coming of Jesus Christ to the world and the fact that He was still in heaven is like the sun s ray that comes out of the sun and it still exists in the sun. 98

99 (Matthew 18:20) God is present everywhere and also the Lord Jesus is present everywhere, and He said: For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Similarly, when St. Stephen was gazing into the heavens, the Bible said:. And saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55). He is timeless (Romans 9:5) St. Paul the Apostle writes, "And from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God Amen." The phrase 'over all' gives power to Christ's Divinity; He is not God of certain people only, as the pagan gods are. And the expression 'eternally' signifies the continuity of His worship and the infinity of His Divinity. (John 8:58) When the Lord Jesus was talking to the Jews who were proud to be related to Abraham the patriarch, He told them: Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am. (John 17:5) Christ was before the whole world existed or rather before the ages. In His last prayer that showed what was in our Savior s heart, He said: And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. He is the creator St. John the Evangelist says about the Lord Jesus Christ "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." (John 1:3) Here the Evangelist does not only mention that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator but also that none of the creation was made without him" (John 1:10). God created the world by His Son, i.e. His mind, the word or logos. When God came to our world in the flesh, He performed miracles of creation. 1. Feeding the five thousand (the only miracle mentioned in the four gospels). In this miracle, the Lord created a large quantity of bread and fish to feed the multitude and had 12 baskets filled with leftovers. 2. Feeding the four thousand (Matthew 15) - The disciples took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left over. Here also the Lord created new matter which had not existed, and the ability to create is attributed to God alone. 3. The miracle of changing water into wine in Cana of Galilee (John 2) - This miracle is also an act of creation because water consists of oxygen and hydrogen only, so from where did the alcohol and the other constituents of wine come? The Lord Jesus Christ created all these elements in this miracle. The power of this miracle is that it happened by Christ s mere inner will, without him doing any action or blessing or even giving an order to the water to change into wine. He only said, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, 'Draw some out now'". Thus the 99

100 water changed to wine merely by His will. He willed to create the substance of wine and it was created, even without a command. 4. He created eyes for the man born blind in John 9. Here the Lord Jesus Christ created eyes which had not existed before and created them out of mud, as He had created the first man. Mud, which if put on seeing eyes causes blindness, was put by the Lord into the sockets of the blind man, and two eyes were created. What adds to the power of this miracle is that the Lord ordered the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Normally, washing mud dissolves it, but in this miracle, when the man washed with water, the mud was reinforced in his sockets as eyes and the water tied them with blood vessels, muscle and tissue. And the man born blind said to the Jews: "Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind' (John 9:32). Here we are faced with an important theological question: How can Christ be the Creator if creation is attributed to God alone unless He is God? He is the life-giver God is the life-giver. The Lord Jesus raised many people from the dead: 1. Raising Lazarus Lazarus, come forth, and he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes... (John 11:43-44). 2. Raising a widow s son Young man, I say to you, arise. So he who was dead sat up and began to speak (Luke 7:14-15). 3. Raising Jairus daughter Little girl, arise. Then her spirit returned and she arose immediately (Luke 8:54-55). He has total authority over nature 1. Jesus calms the storm Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when He got into the boat, the wind ceased. (Matthew 14:25; 32). 2. The Lord said to Peter:... go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you (Matthew 17:27). He has total authority over the angels and the demons 1. Authority over the angels And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him (Mark 1:13). During His passion; And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his 100

101 hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:51-53). 2. Jesus casts out an unclean spirit The Lord Jesus conquered the demons and cast them out of many people with great authority. But Jesus rebuked him saying, Be quiet and come out of him! And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him (Mark 1:25-26). 3. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, You are the Christ, the Son of God! And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ (Luke 4:41). 3) The Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension 1. The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ on the mountain before His disciples Peter, James and John is evidence of His divinity in that the Lord permitted His divine light to emit from within Him, even for a short blink of an eye: and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2). His divinity is also evident in the manner of His capacity to bring Elijah and Moses to be present with Him. 2. The Resurrection and Ascension Jesus rose by Himself without anyone raising Him. The glory of the resurrection was so great. He conquered death and the devil by His own death and He raised us with Him. He even appeared to His disciples and to chosen people for forty days:... whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father,... Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven (Acts 1:2-3, 9, 11). 101

102 A True Union: Divine & Human Nature Our Lord Jesus Christ is God Himself, the Incarnate Logos, who took to Himself a complete manhood. His divine nature is united with His human nature in a complete hypostatic (personal) union without mingling, confusion, alteration, or separation as the priest declares in the confession in the liturgy when he says: I believe, I believe, I believe and confess to the last breath; that this is the Life- Giving Body that Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ took from our Lady, the Queen of us all, the holy Theotokos Saint Mary. He made it one with His divinity without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration. Furthermore, the unity between the divinity and humanity occurred without transmutation. This means that the divine nature did not change to the human nature and the human nature did not change to the divine nature. Neither nature became the other. The divine and human natures did not mingle as sugar and salt would when put in the same bowl and mixed together. There was no confusion between them as would occur when you add milk to tea. Finally, there was no alteration no change occurred to the divine or human nature as a result of their unity. Furthermore, there was no separation of the two as the priest says in the liturgy: Truly, I believe that His divinity parted not from His humanity for a single moment nor a twinkling of an eye. 102

103 The Divine Logos united with the human nature that He took from St. Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit as it says in Luke 1:35, And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. As a result of this unity between both Natures, Divine and Human, inside the Virgin s womb, One Nature (entity) was formed: The ONE Nature of God, the Incarnate Logos. The Term One Nature does not refer to either of the Two Natures (Divine or Human), but it refers to the result of the union of both natures into this One Nature which is the Nature of the Incarnate Logos. Let s take a look at two examples that will help explain this. The first is the example of the iron and fire which is the same illustration St. Cyril used during the Council of Ephesus. The second is the example of the human body and spirit. **Note: These examples are intended to clarify some aspects of the union but they are not perfect, just like our human language is not perfect. The imperfections are put between brackets {}. An excellent explanation and visual of the union of the divine and human natures of our Lord Jesus Christ can be seen and heard in this link: 1. The union between fire and iron: St. Cyril used the illustration of iron and fire in his defense of our Lord Jesus Christ s divinity and humanity at the Council of Ephesus. In the union of iron and fire, the iron is not changed into fire or the fire into iron. They are both united, without mingling, confusion, or alteration, resulting in a fiery, hot iron. {At a certain temperature the iron will change and extinguishing the fire will separate them.} 2. The union between the human spirit and body: The nature of the human spirit unites with the physical earthly nature of the body without mingling, confusion, alteration, or transmutation {they will separate by death and then they reunite}. This union of the two natures, spirit and body, results in ONE nature - that is the human nature. The term ONE here doesn t refer to either of the two natures, spirit or body, but it refers to the result of this union of BOTH natures into this ONE human being. Therefore, just as we say that the person is ONE nature consisting of two elements, spirit and body, we can also say about the Incarnate Logos that He is ONE entity of two natures, Divine and Human. The union of the spirit and body is a hypostatic one. So is the union of the Divine Logos and the Human Nature in the St. Mary s womb. A hypostatic, real, self-essential union not a mere connection that separates as Nestorius claimed. Although a person is formed of two natures, 103

104 spirit and body, nobody refers to him/her as two. All the person s acts are attributed to this ONE nature, not to the spirit alone or the physical body alone. Similarly, all the acts of Christ should be attributed to Him as a whole, not to His Divine Nature independently or to His Human Nature independently. Words to Know: Incarnate God in human form; God in the flesh Hypostatic Union the union of the divine and human natures in the person of Christ Mingling mix together Transmutation changing one form into another form Confusion mistaking one thing for another Alteration the action of changing or being changed Defender of the Faith : St. Athanasius Our theme this Mahragan is Be Ready. Here are a few questions we should keep in mind and ask ourselves as we examine the life of one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith, St. Athanasius. 1. How much do you know about your Christianity? 2. If you know enough, are you ready to defend it in front of a group of people despite your age? 3. If you did defend it, how long will you bear persecution, suffering and losing your loved ones? There are 15 bible scriptures that talk about being ready for Jesus coming on judgment day as in Mathew 24:44, Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Just as we ought to be ready for our Lord Jesus Christ s second coming, so we also should be ready to answer whoever asks us about our faith and defend if needed as it says in 1 Peter 3:15, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. This means that we always have to be ready to defend our faith or answer any questions regardless of our rank in the church or our age. St. Athanasius is one of the most esteemed popes and saints in our church of all times who defended our Orthodox faith against the Arian heresy and his great work about theology. He was given many titles such as Athanasius of Alexandria, the Protector or Defender of the Faith, 104

105 Athanasius the Great, but mainly known as Athanasius the Apostolic. Also, he was the first pope to wear the monastic tunic from St. Anthony who also taught him a lot about asceticism. St. Athanasius was born to pagan parents around AD. After his father s death, his mother brought him to Pope Alexandros, who taught him the principles of the Christian faith and baptized him. He was just a deacon of about 20 years old when Pope Alexandros took him to the Council of Nicaea. He couldn t bear the false claims of Arius about Jesus Christ and refuted the claims made by Arius. Arius, who was a priest in Baucalis in Alexandria, Egypt, simply said that since Jesus is the Son of God, then there was a time when He didn t exist. St. Athanasius became the pope, in 328 AD, after the departure of Pope Alexandros who had recommended Athanasius for the papacy. Because of his courage against Arius and the Arians, and even the Roman emperors at that time, St. Athanasius was exiled five times and was accused of shameful crimes. Some of these accusations were of rebellion, assaulting a priest, killing a bishop, and sorcery. He was proved to be innocent of them all but after years of suffering in exile, running away from persecution, and watching his bishops and the Copts being killed by the hands of the emperor or the Arians. Because of his continuous fight against the Arians and his struggle to protect the faith, St. Athanasius was told, The world is against you, Athanasius to which he replied, And I am against the world. He was on the Apostolic Throne for about 45 years of which he spent around 40 years running away or being exiled because he defended the Orthodox faith and did not fear the emperors despite of their threats against him, killing his congregation or bishops. He wrote several books about the Arians, on the Incarnation, on the life of St. Anthony and other subjects. Abba Cosma, the 44 th patriarch, praised these publications by saying: "I ask anyone who would find the books of Athanasius to write them on paper, and for those who could not find paper, to write them on their clothes." 105

106 Pillar of the Faith : St. Cyril St. Cyril was the son of the sister of Pope Theophilus (23rd patriarch). He was raised by his uncle at the school of Alexandria where he was educated in its theological and philosophical subjects needed to defend Christianity and the Orthodox faith. After he learned a great deal of these subjects, his uncle sent him to the monastery of St. Macarius in the wilderness. There, he became a disciple to a righteous old monk named Sarabamon. He taught him the church books, and the sayings of the pure fathers. After he spent five years in the wilderness, Pope Theophilus sent him to Abba Sarapion, the honorable bishop, so he increased in wisdom and knowledge. Shortly after, the bishop sent him back to Alexandria. His uncle rejoiced, ordained him a deacon, appointed him a preacher in the cathedral and made him his scribe. Whenever St. Cyril gave a sermon, he captured the hearts of his listeners with his eloquence, fluency, and his strong influence. Since that time, he became well known for his vast knowledge, his great righteousness, and his deep influence in his teaching. When his uncle Pope Theophilus departed, they enthroned St. Cyril in his place. The church was illumined with his knowledge and he gave special attention to resisting paganism and defending the Christian faith. He started to refute the falsity of Emperor Julian the Infidel in his ten essays that had been written after his apostasy. These were the favorite readings of the pagan young people of Alexandria and their pride, for they believed that it destroyed the principles of the Christian faith. Pope Cyril refuted them in terms that were clear, strong and convincing. When the heresy of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, emerged, a Universal Council convened. He denied that the Virgin was the mother of God (Theotokos). Two hundred bishops assembled in the city of Ephesus during the reign of Emperor Theodosius II, known by Theodosius the Less. St. Cyril, Pope of Alexandria, presided over this council. He debated Nestorius, explained to him his heretic opinion, and threatened him with excommunication and 106

107 exile from his Chair, if he did not change his erroneous opinion. St. Cyril composed twelve discourses wherein he explained the true faith, refuting the error of Nestorius. Anba John, Patriarch of Antioch, and some of the bishops of the East disagreed with him, taking Nestorius' side. Nevertheless, shortly after, they came back and agreed with St. Cyril who was victorious over the enemies of the church. He wrote many discourses and valuable epistles, confirming in them, that God the Word is One Nature, One Will, and One Person incarnated. He anathematized anyone who differed from this true faith. The Emperor exiled Nestorius in 435 A.D. to the land of Egypt, and remained in the city of Akhmim until his death in 440 A.D. He received various descriptive titles of honor such as The Daring Lion, The Burnished Lamp, The Second Athanasius, and more specifically The Pillar of the Faith. One of the noblest legacies bequeathed by Saint Cyril to the Church is the Liturgy which bears his name. According to tradition, it had been given orally by St. Mark himself, but St. Cyril completed it and wrote it. It is an ancient custom in the Coptic Church to chant it during Lent and during the month of Kiahk. When he finished his strife, he fell sick for a short time and departed in peace. He remained on the Alexandrian Chair for 31 years. 107

108 Part V High School 108

109 Lesson Plan Overview The Mahragan study period will take place over 13 weeks. The first week is a preliminary introduction. The following 10 weeks cover the assigned lessons. The last two weeks are designated for an overall review. Each lesson meeting s time is 45 minutes. Test questions are built entirely, and only, from the study materials provided. Subject Lessons Lessons Objectives Number of Meetings that Cover the Lessons Dogma What is Dogma? By the end of the lessons, students should learn: Saints Stories Purity St. Athanasius, The Apostle The life of Repentance and Purity 1. The definition of Christian Dogma 2. The three most basic dogmas of the Christian faith 3. How to be dogmatic 4. Dogma is based on truth and love 5. Coptic asceticism is not an isolation from men By the end of the lessons, students should learn: 1. The childhood life of St. Athanasius 2. The persecution of St. Athanasius 3. St. Athanasius fight against Aries heresy By the end of the lesson, students should learn: 1. The definition of purity 2. The signs of purity 3. The true measure of attaining purity 4. The effects of vanities on purity 5. The fruits of the spirit One Meeting One Meeting One Meeting 109

110 Church History The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt By the end of the lessons, students should learn: 1. The origin of the word Copts 2. The role of St. Mark in bringing Christianity to Egypt 3. The contribution of the Copts in spreading Christianity all over the world 4. The contribution of the Copts in defending the Christian faith. 5. The contribution of the school of Alexandria 6. The establishment of Monasticism in Egypt 7. The role of Patriarchs and Popes of Alexandria in Christian theology 8. The Copts believe in two natures "human" and "divine" that are united in one 9. The Copts persecution 10. The seven Coptic canonical sacraments 11. The intercession of Saints 12. The three main liturgies in the Coptic church 13. The seven major Holy feasts and seven minor Holy feasts By the end of the lessons, students should learn: Three Meetings Apologetics Two Meetings The logistics of defending and proving the existence of God Church Councils The Ecumenical Councils By the end of the lessons, students should learn: Two Meetings 1. The 3 councils of the Orthodox church 2. The purpose of the councils 110

111 3. The false doctrine of the Alexandrian priest Arius 4. The false teaching of the Arian bishop of Constantinople, Macedonius 5. The false doctrine of Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople 6. The meaning of the word Creed 7. When the symbol of faith is recited? 111

112 The Christian Dogma Excerpts from articles by Fr. Tadros Malaty and Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem What is Dogma? Dogma is defined as a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. In Christianity, dogma is the body of biblical doctrines proclaimed by, and accepted by Christians. The dogma of the Christian religion is that which is preached from the pulpit, taught by Christian leaders, and believed by followers of Christ. To be orthodox, Christian dogma must align with the teaching of the Word of God. The three most basic dogmas of the Christian faith, those which all Christians are taught and must believe, are what separate Christianity from all other religions. The three are the deity of Christ (John 1:1, 14), His substitutionary death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:21), and salvation from sin by grace through faith and deeds (Ephesians 2:8 9). There are many other Christian dogmas, including the doctrines of the Trinity; the inspiration, inerrancy, and sufficiency of Scripture; the virgin birth; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; and others. But the three doctrines mentioned above are the core doctrines of the faith, for upon them rests the eternal destiny of every human being. To be dogmatic, that is, to have a strong set of beliefs about faith and doctrine, is often frowned upon in today s pluralistic culture. Yet believers in Christ are commanded to be dogmatic: Brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings [the dogma] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Dogmas, to the Coptic Orthodox Church, are not merely theological concepts concerning God, man, church, eternal life, heavenly creatures, demon etc., to be discussed among clergymen, scholars and laymen, but are, in essence, daily experiences each member of the church has to live. In other words, dogmas representing our faith in God through various aspects, have one message, i.e. our communion with God the Father in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, by His Holy Spirit. Thus, we conceive of our redemption, and our membership of the church, a deep understanding of the Holy Bible, an acceptance of the Kingdom of God within our souls, a communion with the heavenly creatures and the experience of eternal life. The Christian Church is not merely a school involved in researches and teaching dogmas, but an institution which worships God and serves mankind. It works for the transformation and the renewal of this world, and hopefully awaits the world to come. Truly, the Christian Church 112

113 would not be the church as we know it without Christian dogmas. Dogmas interpret our whole philosophy of the church through repeated practice of our faith through the holy tradition (the holy Scriptures, worship, behavior and preaching). All these elements represent different aspects of the one inseparable church life. Dogmas in fact are mirrors of the Holy Scripture. They explain the Holy Scriptures and attract men to enjoy its spirit. Similarly, we can say that dogmas are the way in which believers are guided to worship God in truth and in spirit. True worship reveals our dogmas in simplicity. Dogmas are what is believed, taught, confessed and practiced. Dogma correlates to asceticism and is biblical. The early Alexandrian theologians and clergymen were true ascetics, and as a result asceticism still strongly affects our theology. This is not by denying the needs of our bodies, as some scholars charge, but by insisting on the soteriological aspect: The early Coptic ascetics were involved in enjoying the redeeming deeds of the Holy Trinity, i.e. in enjoying the sanctification of the soul, mind, body, gifts etc... through communion with the Father in His Son through the Holy Spirit. It did not hate the body, its senses and capacities, nor did it deny the human free will, or despise earthly -life and all its properties. Coptic asceticism in its essence was not an isolation from men, but rather enjoying unity with God. The Dogma is based on Truth and Love. It`s the interpretation of our experience of God, in the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ. This experience throughout the ages does not alter, for Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:18). The disciples and apostles (and bishops afterwards) did not sit around a table and agree to teach new dogmas, but rather they preached their Christian experience. As St. John says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" I John 1:3. Thus all Christian dogmas resulted from Church's experience of the Crucified and Risen Christ, "Truth and "Love" at the same time. We receive these dogmas as the unchangeable truth that we must holdfast, with "love." The Coptic Orthodox Church is well known as a conservative church, especially in dogmas and doctrines. At the same time, it progresses not by embracing new doctrines or new "articles of faith," but by explaining the same faith "once given to the saints" (Jude 3) in a contemporary language. Monotheism and Trinitarian Faith, our faith in its essence is a call to enjoy the experience of the One God, Lover of mankind. The Old and the New Testaments confirm the belief in the One God, but the Old Testament deals with this matter in its passive aspect, for its aim was to keep 113

114 the believers away from idols and from practicing the abominations of nations that accompanied paganism (2 Kings 21:2). The New Testament witnesses to the One God in a positive aspect, for it does not only declare the oneness of God but it also deepens our faith in God by revealing the "Trinitarian" faith. In fact, this faith does not oppose "Monotheism," but emphasizes it by revealing some mysteries of the One God and giving interpretation to these mysteries. 114

115 St. Athanasius The Apostle Saints Stories Excerpts from: Molloy, Michael E. Champion of Truth: The life of Saint Athanasius Early Years of St. Athanasius St. Athanasius the Great was born into a devout Christian family around the year 297 during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, and was baptized and chrismated while still an infant. In year 303, Emperor Diocletian issued an edict calling for the destruction of the churches. In year 304 Christianity was made illegal and punishable by death. From age five to fifteen, Athanasius knew clergy, friends, relatives, and playmates who had been arrested, imprisoned, tortured, exiled, and murdered. Persecution continued until Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity. During this time of peace, Alexander was chosen as Patriarch of Alexandria. Shortly after, Athanasius caught his attention when a group of children, including Athanasius, were playing at the seashore. The Christian children decided to baptize their pagan playmates. The young Athanasius, whom the children designated as bishop, performed the Baptism, precisely repeating the words he heard in church. Alexander observed all this from a window. He commanded that the children and their parents be brought to him. He conversed with and determined that the Baptism performed by Athanasius was done according to the Church 115

116 order. He acknowledged it as real and sealed it with the Chrism. From that moment, the Patriarch looked after Athanasius spiritual upbringing. Athanasius received his formal education at the School of Alexandria. He not only studied theology, but also studied philosophy and Greek classics. At the age of nineteen, St. Athanasius wrote two lengthy letters to his friend Macarius. The first letter was called Against the Gentiles, which was an apology for the Christian faith and refutation of paganism. The second letter is On the Incarnation, in which Athanasius explains that Christ became man in order to save mankind from sin and death. During his youth, Athanasius also spent time with the great Saint Antony in the desert. It is possible that his parents might have sent him into the desert for a period of time during the great persecution. Athanasius said that he had poured water over Antony s hands, showing that he was Antony s disciple. The length of time Athanasius spent with Antony is unknown, but during this time he developed a lifelong friendship with St. Antony. He not only gained much spiritual insight and wisdom from their relationship, but also developed a keen fondness for all monastics, which continued throughout his lifetime. Athanasius was ordained a deacon to the church. His duties included assisting at the services and coordinating assistance to the needy. Patriarch Alexander also appointed him to be his archdeacon. Athanasius always accompanied the Patriarch, scheduled all of his appointments, and always sought to his needs. St. Athanasius and the Council of Nicea Athanasius who was a deacon at that time, attended the Council of Nicea with Pope Alexander. Athanasius not only refuted the Arians, but also composed the Nicene Creed on behalf of Pope Alexander, which is now known as the Orthodox faith. St. Athanasius the Patriarch of Alexandria Two and a half years after the Council, Pope Alexander, realizing he was nearing the end of his life, chose Athanasius to be his successor. On his deathbed, Alexander called for Athanasius, but the archdeacon was nowhere to be found. After Alexander s death, Athanasius was elected and consecrated as the 20 th Patriarch of Alexandria on June 8, 328 One of his first efforts as Patriarch was to visit the many churches in Egypt. He also visited the monasteries, including those of Pachomius. At the monastery of Pachomius, Athanasius addressed the monks, prayed in the church, and visited their cells. The First Exile 116

117 After many attempts and false accusations, the Arians were able to convince Emperor Constantine to exile Athanasius by falsely claiming that Athanasius threatened to starve the city of Constantinople by stopping the grain shipments from Egypt. During this exile, Arius lied to Emperor Constantine and said that he had accepted the faith. Against the wishes of the Church, Arius was ordered to take communion the following day, but died that evening due to a hemorrhaging in his bowels, thus never receiving communion. After the death of Constantine, Athanasius was released from exile. The Arians responded by claiming that Saint Antony was Arian, but the monk came from the desert, refuted the Arians, and spent few days in the city. The Second Exile In year 338, a council convened in Antioch between the Emperor of the East, Constantinius, and Bishop Eusebius to remove Athanasius as patriarch and replace him with Gregory of Antioch. After Gregory was installed as Patriarch, Athanasius met with Constans, the Emperor of the West and Constantinius brother, in Milan to convince him to assemble a council. The Emperor agreed and both Emperors attended the council. There, the council deposed the Arian bishops and ordered Athanasius to be returned from his exile. Athanasius remained in his second exile from April 339 to October 346. The Third Exile After the death of Emperor Constans, Emperor Constantius ordered the arrest of Athanasius. On February 8, 355 soldiers stormed the Cathedral of Saint Mary where Athanasius was praying midnight vigil with the people. Athanasius instructed the deacons to chant Psalm 135 while the people escaped. God blinded the soldiers, who could not recognize Athanasius. When the last person had left the church, the clergy and monks carried Athanasius out of the church. By 356, Athanasius had returned to the Egyptian desert and hid in the monastic cells of Upper and Lower Egypt. During his exile from 356 to 362, Athanasius wrote The History of the Arians, The Four Discourses Against the Arians, The Letter to Serapion on the Holy Spirit, and The Life of Antony, which, during his lifetime, was his most influential book. During this third exile, the Arians placed Gregory of Antioch as Patriarch over Alexandria. George persecuted the Church, but eventually persecuted the pagans who fought back. The pagans attacked, arrested, and eventually hanged George on Christmas Eve. After the death of Emperor Constantius, Julian became the new Emperor and immediately called for the return of all who had been exiled by Constantius, including Athanasius. 117

118 After returning from his third exile, Athanasius held a small council called the council of the saints and the confessors among the bishops of Alexandria to determine what they should do about those who strayed to Arianism during the most recent persecution under George. The council s decision was to use mercy. Those who returned were ask to deny Arianism and were to confess the true Nicean Faith. Fourth Exile Not long after Athanasius was allowed to return under Emperor Julian, the Emperor denounced Christianity and became a pagan. From then, he became known as Julian the Apostate. He ordered that Athanasius once again be exiled. When the government began pursuing Athanasius, he traveled by boat up the Nile. The government forces followed him with orders to arrest and remove Athanasius from Egypt. As their boats drew nearer, Athanasius ordered that the steersman turn to the boat down river, towards the pursuers. As the government s boats drew nearer, the authorities hollered out whether their party had seen Athanasius on the river. Athanasius called out He is not far off. The authorities thanked them and continued up river. Athanasius moved along the monasteries until he settled in Akhmim. When Athanasius learned that Julian the Apostate had been slain, he assembled a council and wrote a letter to the successor, Emperor Jovian, which included the Nicene Creed. After meeting with the Emperor, Athanasius was told that he may return to Alexandria. He arrived home in 364. The Fifth Exile After Athanasius had arrived in Alexandria, Emperor Jovian died and Valentinian became Emperor. He published an edict ordering the expulsion of Athanasius. Athanasius remained in the home of a virgin woman. The people were outraged, and riots continued for months. The Empire had grown fearful because of the people and decided that it was more convenient for the Church to have their Patriarch back. Athanasius was returned by imperial order in 366 after nine months of exile. Conclusion St. Athanasius returned to Alexandria during his thirty-seventh year as Patriarch. Over half of that time had been spent in exile. He spent the final seven years of his life in Alexandria. In his Paschal letter of year 367, Athanasius became the first Father of the early Church to put into writing a list of the canonical books of the Bible. In year 369, Athanasius assembled a council in Alexandria to confirm the Orthodox Faith. 118

119 After living to be seventy-six, and having spent forty-five years on the Apostolic throne, St. Athanasius departed on May 15, 373 Purity Defining Purity Excerpts from Pope Shenouda III Book; The Life of Repentance and Purity Purity is the positive component in the life of repentance, the fruit of the change of life. In it disappear the desire for the world, the body, and sin; the desire of the heart becomes holy in the life of righteousness and the love of God. The penitent is not influenced any more by the love of sin. One of the signs of purity is that man practices virtue without struggle, without labor, without wrestling. There is nothing within him to resist it. If you find yourself wrestling between good and evil, then you have not yet reached purity but are struggling to attain it. If you labor to reach the life of righteousness, then you are still in the virtue of struggle and have not reached purity yet. With purity, peace reigns over your heart, and the wrestling is stopped by the victory of good. With purity you find rest in God, and also your desire and happiness. Purity covers your entire life, your expressions, senses, body, heart, and thoughts. You become a dwelling for the Holy Spirit, from which the fruits of the Spirit appear. So long as the perfection of repentance is hatred of sin that is, the heart completely purified from every love for sin or conformity to it then purity of heart is one of the signs of perfect repentance. Perfect purity is purity from every sin, in all its images and types, whether by deed, or by thought, or by senses, or by feelings of the heart, or by falls of the tongue; whether in the relationship with God, or with people, or with the self. It is a comprehensive purity, not merely liberation from a certain sin which used to afflict you. Purity from Sin There is a big difference between victory and lack of fighting. If you find yourself not falling into a certain sin, this does not mean that you have been purified from it completely; your lack of falling into it means that the devil is not presently fighting you with it. Or perhaps you are not falling in it now because circumstances are not favorable. So you do not find war, no stumbling, nor will you find whatever stimulates you to sin. 119

120 Your true measure of your attaining purity is that no sin among the sins has authority over you. True purity starts with complete hatred of sin, by knowledge, true insight, and sound understanding of the Holy Spirit of what is good and what is evil, to those who are full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised. (Hebrews 5:14), such that the conscience is completely sound in its judgments, not being deceived by the devil in anything, and the person s deeds are pure. We do not want by means of purity to cleanse the outside of the cup only (Matthew 23). In treating the sins of the tongue, the matter does not end with an exercise of silence, for sinful speech has its origins from within the heart. The Bible says: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). We should be concerned, then, with purity of heart, so that its expressions are spontaneously pure. Take lying, for example. It is not enough to merely avoid it from the outside, but we must treat the reason for it within the heart, whether it is fear, pride, or reaching a certain goal, since lying is the result of these inner sins which need purifying. Be concerned, then, with the inside. Purity of Thoughts, assumption and Dreams In addition to purity from sin, there is purity of thoughts and assumptions. One of the saints said: It is not only your external deeds which show your reality, but more often your thoughts and assumptions. He gave an example of this: A person is standing in a dark place, and seen by three people. One of them thinks that he is a robber, hiding and waiting for the opportunity to steal. The second thinks that he is an evil person waiting for a woman, whereas the third person thinks that the man is standing in the dark, in a place where nobody can see him, to pray. In this way, our thoughts and assumptions will accord with the condition of the heart. Of this, the Bible says: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil (Luke 6:45). As the saying goes, every vessel brings forth what it contains. Therefore, if your assumptions are evil, your heart has not yet been purified. The person who has a pure heart always has pure thoughts and thinks no evil. As much as he can, he perceives matters in innocence and purity. In this way nothing makes him stumble, nor does he judge any work except the obvious sin, which carries its judgment within itself. He also takes the brighter side of any matter that has two sides. Because of this he is on good terms with other people, for he never links any sin to anyone and excuses every person for his actions. You may ask if this means that the pure heart is never attacked by assumptions and evil thoughts. Yes, he is still attacked from the outside, without these thoughts coming forth from within him. On the contrary, he rejects them from the inside. He does not accept them, but 120

121 dismisses them quickly. The deception to which some people are subjected is that they allow the evil thought to remain, even using the excuse of examining or attacking it, or hoping with a certain curiosity to see where it will end. The result is that the thought defiles a man and makes him lose his purity. The correct attitude is to dismiss the thought quickly, because the pure heart is disgusted with sinful thoughts and does not accept even their examination. Among the measures of purity, then, is the purity of assumptions and thoughts. Another measure of purity is the purity of dreams. There is a person whose conscience may be cautious, guarding the purity of his thoughts, but his dreams contain many sins because his subconscious, which has not yet been purified from its visions, stories, and memories, contains remnants of old sins. His memory is either still defiled by its evil storage, or there are feelings in the heart hidden deep inside him that have not yet been purified. They are the source of his sinful dreams, which stain the purity of his mind. This person needs to be purified from his past, to match his present purity. Whatever the condition, purity of dreams requires the passage of time before a person reaches a state far from evil dreams. With time and lack of repetition, the sources of these dreams will disappear from memory. The subconscious will store instead pure and sanctified matters suitable to the life of repentance and purity which he now lives, and they will be the source of perfectly pure dreams. Among the measures of purity of heart, then, is purity of thoughts, assumptions, and dreams. Purity from Vanities There remains another level for the perfect or the mature, which is purity from vanities, that is, purity from transient or futile matters. For example, a person concerned with transient or futile matters spends much time speaking about insignificant things that are considered neither sin nor righteousness. Or, he spends time thinking about such matters or is preoccupied with them. He demonstrates by this the fact that his mind or heart can be readily occupied with these trivialities, and as a result he wastes time he could have spent with God in prayer, meditation, spiritual reading, praise, or other pursuits which suit the condition of a pure heart. Transient matters are neither good nor evil in themselves, but are trivialities that delay the positive spiritual work. These vanities are the ones which the Apostle Paul waned us, saying: We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). The person who does not look at things which are seen is the one who says with David the Prophet: Bas as for me, it is good to cling to God (Psalm 72:28). This perfect clinging to the Lord does not come except by purity of heart. 121

122 We live in a world full of transient images. Must close our eyes so that they do not see it, if we follow the apostle s saying: We do not look at the things which are seen? No, we shall not close our eyes, but we should not be concerned with what we see and hear. That is, if our eye falls on something to see, we refrain from meeting it. This also applies to the rest of our senses. It is said that the senses are the doors of thought. What our senses gather is then considered our mind, or at least becomes one of the thoughts entering our mind. Here we are faced with a choice between two actions. Our thought about these matters pass and fade like smoke and this is one of the conditions of purity of heart or the thoughts remain in us for a shorter or longer period and work within us at levels that surpass a limit or time, according to our purity. These transient thoughts, at the least, waste time. Time is part of your life. God has not given it to you to waste, but to benefit from for the salvation of your soul, for the purification of your heart and mind, and for binding your feelings to God. So do not waste it in trivialities. The mind that is occupied with trivialities demonstrates its lack of love for God. One s heart is not tied to God in a complete and permanent unity, and there are also trivial matters which divert the mind from God, even chattering, which has no benefit. When will you be purified from all of this, so that all that remains in your heart is God alone? The perfectly pure heart is the heart that has entirely died to all vanities of the world, so as to live entirely to the Lord. Its mind becomes unoccupied with things which can be seen, because of its constant occupation with the unseen. The mind works tirelessly and thinks continuously. Its thinking differs, however, according to the matter with which it is occupied. It is one of two things, either images or unseen matters. The occupation with divine matters which are unseen is the ideal condition of purity. The Positive Side of Purity The love of God possesses the pure heart in place of the love of the world. It does everything for the sake of its love for God, and not merely out of obedience to His orders or to execute His commandments. Even the departure from sin occurs because a much deeper love has taken its place, which makes the heart feel the insignificance of the love of sin and as well as its defilement. With the love of God, purity enters into a new positive role. The fruits of the Holy Spirit appear in the life of this repentance person, of whom the Apostle said: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22). That is, he has moved from the stage of laws and commandments to the stage of love. Your relationship with God is transformed into love, like the relationship of a friend with his friend, a son with his father, or one who loves his beloved. You find every delight in the presence of God. Your prayers will be transformed into refuges of love; no longer a duty, nor a 122

123 church deed, nor one of the characteristics of the spiritual person, they will become merely an expression of the great love present in your heart toward God. The rest of your spiritual deeds will be done in the same way. Love is the first of the fruits of the Spirit. There are other fruits, and these will inevitably appear in your heart with the life of purity. You might ask, Are all the fruits of the Spirit necessary in the life of purity? Yes, because He said: Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8), and also: Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:2). Struggle, then, with all your power to attain these fruits. 123

124 Church History An Abstract of the History of the Christian Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt Excerpts from the official site of St. Takla Church of Alexandria. St. Talk.org The word Copt is derived from the Greek word Aigyptos (Αἴγυπτος), which was, in turn, derived from "Hikaptah", one of the names for Memphis, the first capital of Ancient Egypt. The modern use of the term "Coptic" describes Egyptian Christians, as well as the last stage of the ancient Egyptian language script. The Coptic Church is based on the teachings of Saint Mark who brought Christianity to Egypt during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero in the first century, several years after the Lord's ascension. He was one of the four evangelists and the one who wrote the oldest canonical gospel. Christianity spread throughout Egypt within half a century of Saint Mark's arrival in Alexandria as is clear from the New Testament writings found in Bahnasa, in Middle Egypt, which date around the year 200 A.D., and a fragment of the Gospel of Saint John, written using the Coptic language, which was found in Upper Egypt and can be dated to the first half of the second century. The Coptic Church, which is now more than nineteen centuries old, was the subject of many prophecies in the Old Testament. Isaiah the prophet, in Chapter 19, Verse 19 says "In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border." The Copts have survived as a strong religious entity who pride themselves on their contribution to the Christian world. The Coptic church regards itself as a strong defendant of Christian faith. The Nicene Creed, which is recited in all churches throughout the world, has been authored by one of its favorite sons, Saint Athanasius, the Pope of Alexandria for 46 years. Egypt was the refuge that the Holy Family sought in its flight from Judea: "When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son" [Mathew 2:12-23]. The contributions of the Coptic Church to Christendom are many. From the beginning, it played a central role in Christian theology, and especially to protect it from the Gnostics heresies. The Coptic Church produced thousands of texts, biblical and theological studies which are important resources for archeology. The Holy Bible was translated to the Coptic 124

125 language in the second century. Hundreds of scribes used to write copies of the Bible and other liturgical and theological books. Now libraries, museums and universities throughout the world possess hundreds and thousands of Coptic manuscripts. The Catechetical School of Alexandria is the oldest Catechetical School in the world. It became the most important institution of religious learning in Christendom. Many prominent bishops from many areas of the world were instructed in that school under famous scholars. The scope of the school of Alexandria was not limited to theological subjects, because science, mathematics and the humanities were also taught there. Today, it has campuses in Alexandria, Cairo, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, where priests-to-be and other qualified men and women are taught, among other subjects, Christian theology, history, Coptic language and art. Monasticism was born in Egypt and was instrumental in the formation of the Coptic Church's character of submission and humbleness. Saint Anthony, the world's first Christian monk was a Copt from Upper Egypt. Saint Pachom, who established the rules of monasticism, was a Copt. Saint Paul, the world's first anchorite is also a Copt. Other famous Coptic desert fathers include Saint Makarios, Saint Moses the Black, and Saint Mina the wondrous. By the end of the fourth century, there were hundreds of monasteries, and thousands of cells and caves scattered throughout the Egyptian hills. Under the authority of the Eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople (as opposed to the western empire of Rome), the Patriarchs and Popes of Alexandria played leading roles in Christian theology. They were invited everywhere to speak about the Christian faith. Saint Cyril, Pope of Alexandria, was the head of the Ecumenical Council which was held in Ephesus in the year 430 A.D. Politics started to intermingle with Church affairs. It all started when the Emperor Marcianus interfered with matters of faith in the Church. The response of Saint Dioscorus, the Pope of Alexandria who was later exiled, to this interference was clear: "You have nothing to do with the Church." These political motives became even more apparent in Chalcedon in 451, when the Coptic Church was unfairly accused of following the teachings of Eutyches, who believed in monophysitism. The Egyptian Church has never believed in monophysitism the way it was portrayed in the Council of Chalcedon! In that Council, monophysitism meant believing in one nature. Copts believe that the Lord is perfect in His divinity, and He is perfect in His humanity, but His divinity and His humanity were united in one nature called "the nature of the incarnate word", which was reiterated by Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Copts, thus, believe in two natures "human" and 125

126 "divine" that are united in one "without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration" These two natures "did not separate for a moment or the twinkling of an eye". The Coptic Church is one of the founders of the World Council of Churches. It has remained a member of that council since 1948 A.D. The Coptic Church is a member of the All African Council of Churches (AACC) and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The greatest glory of the Coptic Church is its Cross. Copts take pride in the persecution they have sustained as early as May 8, 68 A.D., when their Patron Saint Mark was slain on Easter Monday after being dragged from his feet by Roman soldiers all over Alexandria's streets and alleys. The Copts have been persecuted by almost every ruler of Egypt. Their Clergymen have been tortured and exiled. To emphasize their pride in their cross, Copts adopted a calendar, called the Calendar of the Martyrs, which begins its era on August 29, 284 A.D., in commemoration of those who died for their faith during the rule of Diocletian the Roman Emperor. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons and in the Coptic Church Lectionary. The Coptic language remained the language of the land, and it was not until the second half of the 11th century that the first bi-lingual Coptic-Arabic liturgical manuscripts started to appear. The adoption of the Arabic language as the language used in Egyptians' every-day lives was so slow. Up to this day, the Coptic Language continues to be the liturgical language of the Church. The Christian face of Egypt started to change by the beginning of the second millennium A.D., when Copts, in addition to the "Gezya" tax, suffered from specific disabilities, some of which were serious and interfered with their freedom of worship. For example, there were restrictions on repairing old Coptic Churches and building new ones, on testifying in court, on public behavior, on adoption, on inheritance, on public religious activities, and on dress codes. Slowly but steadily, by the end of the 12th century, the face of Egypt changed from a predominantly Christian to a predominantly Muslim country and the Coptic community occupied an inferior position and lived in some expectation of Muslim hostility, which periodically flared into violence. It is remarkable that the well-being of Copts was more or less related to the well-being of their rulers. The position of the Copts began to improve early in the 19th century under the stability and tolerance of Muhammad Ali's dynasty. The Coptic community ceased to be regarded by 126

127 the state as an administrative unit and, by 1855 A.D., the main mark of Copts' inferiority, the "Gezya" tax was lifted, and shortly thereafter Copts started to serve in the Egyptian army. Despite persecution, the Coptic Church as a religious institution has never been controlled or allowed itself to control the governments in Egypt. This long-held position of the Church concerning the separation between State and Religion stems from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, when he asked his followers to submit to their rulers: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'' [Mathew 22:21]. Today there are millions of Copts who pray and share communion in daily masses in thousands of Coptic Churches in Egypt. This is in addition to millions of emigrant Copts who practice their faith in hundreds of churches in the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Brazil, and many other countries in Africa and Asia. Inside Egypt Copts live in every province but are the minority. Individual Copts have reached prestigious academic and professional stature all over the world. Copts observe seven Coptic canonical sacraments: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Priesthood, Matrimony, and Unction of the Sick. Baptism is performed few weeks after birth by immersing the whole body of the newborn into especially consecrated water three times. Confirmation is performed immediately after Baptism. Regular confession with a personal priest, called the father of confession, is necessary to receive the Eucharist. It is customary for a whole family to pick the same priest as a father of confession, thus, making of that priest a family counselor. Of all seven sacraments, only Matrimony cannot be performed during a fasting season. Polygamy is illegal, even if recognized by the civil law of the land. Divorce is not allowed except in the case of adultery, or other extreme circumstances, which must be reviewed by a special council of Bishops. Divorce can be requested by either husband or wife. Civil divorce is not recognized by the Church. The Coptic Orthodox Church does not have and does not mind any civil law of the land as long as it does not interfere with the Church's sacraments. There are three main Liturgies in the Coptic Church: The Liturgy according to Saint Basil, Bishop of Caesarea; The Liturgy according to Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople; and The Liturgy according to Saint Cyril I, the 24th Pope of the Coptic Church. The bulk of Saint Cyril's Liturgy is from the one that Saint Mark used (in Greek) in the first century. It was memorized by the Bishops and priests of the church till it was translated into the Coptic Language by Saint Cyril. Today, these three Liturgies, with some added sections (e.g. 127

128 the intercessions), are still in use; the Liturgy of Saint Basil is the one most commonly used in the Coptic Orthodox Church. The worship of Saints is expressly forbidden by the Church; however, asking for their intercessions is central in any Coptic service. Any Coptic Church is named after a Patron Saint. Among all Saints, the Virgin Saint Mary (Theotokos) occupies a special place in the heart of all Copts. Her repeated daily appearances in a small Church in Elzaytoun district of Cairo for over a month in April of 1968 was witnessed by thousands of Egyptians, both Copts and Muslims and was even broadcasted on International TV. Copts celebrate seven major Holy feasts and seven minor Holy feasts. The major feasts commemorate Annunciation, Christmas, Theophany, Palm Sunday, Easter, Ascension, and the Pentecost. Easter is usually on the second Sunday after the first full moon in Spring. The Coptic Calendar of Martyrs is full of other feasts usually commemorating the martyrdom of popular Saints (e.g. Saint Mark, Saint Mena, Saint George, Saint Barbara, Abba Teklahimanot, Archangel Michael... etc The Copts have seasons of fasting matched by no other Christian community. Out of the 365 days of the year, Copts fast for over 210 days. During fasting, no animal products (meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, butter, etc.) are allowed. Moreover, no food or drink whatsoever may be taken between sunrise and sunset. These strict fasting rules are usually relaxed by priests on an individual basis to accommodate for illness or weakness. Lent, known as "the Great Fast", is largely observed by all Copts. It starts with a pre-lent fast of one week, followed by a 40-day fast commemorating Christ's fasting on the mountain, followed by the Holy week, the most sacred week (called Pascha) of the Coptic Calendar, which climaxes with the Crucifix on Good Friday and ends with the joyous Easter. Other fasting seasons of the Coptic Church include, the Advent (Fast of the Nativity), the Fast of the Apostles, the Fast of the Virgin Saint Mary, and the Fast of Nineveh. The Coptic Orthodox Church's clergy is headed by the Pope, who oversees the priests ordained in their dioceses. Both the Pope and the Bishops must be monks; they are all members of the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod (Council), which meets regularly to oversee matters of faith and pastoral care in the Church. The Pope of the Coptic Church, although highly regarded by all Copts, does not enjoy any state of supremacy or infallibility. Today, there are over 90 Coptic Bishops governing dioceses inside Egypt as well as dioceses outside Egypt, such as in Jerusalem, Sudan, Western Africa, France, England, and the United 128

129 States. The direct pastoral responsibility of Coptic congregations in any of these dioceses falls on Priests, who must be married and must attend the Catechetical School before being ordained. Daily, in all Coptic Churches all over the world, Copts pray for the reunion of all Christian Churches. They pray for Egypt, its Nile, its crops, its president, its army, its government, and above all its people. They pray for the world's peace and for the well-being of the human race. 129

130 St. Mark the Apostle, the Founder of the Coptic Church Excerpts from the official site of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Southern United States The Coptic Church or the Church of Alexandria is called "See of St. Mark"; one of the earliest four sees: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. St. Mark, The Founder The Copts are proud of the apostolicity of their Church, whose founder is St. Mark; one of the seventy Apostles (Mk 10:10), and one of the four Evangelists. He is regarded by the Coptic hierarchy as the first of their unbroken 117 patriarchs, and also the first of a stream of Egyptian martyrs. This apostolicity was not only furnished on grounds of its foundation but rather by the persistence of the Church in observing the same faith received by the Apostle and his successors, the Holy fathers. St. Mark's Bibliography St. Mark was an African native of Jewish parents who belonged to the Levites' tribe. His family lived in Cyrenaica until they were attacked by some barbarians, and lost their property. Consequently, they moved to Jerusalem with their child John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37). Apparently, he was given a good education and became conversant in both Greek and Latin in addition to Hebrew. His family was highly religious and in close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. His cousin was St. Barnabas and his father's cousin was St. Peter. His mother, Mary, 130