Who Is the Lord Jesus Christ?
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THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRICHARCATE ST. GEORGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM GRADE EIGHT Revised Edition 2005 PREPARATION AND WRITING Father Rueiss Awad St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church Toronto, Canada. To Order Write To St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church 141 Bond Avenue Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M3B 1M1 (416) 444-1092 or (416) 447-0108 Copyright © 2005 by St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church All rights reserved No portion of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form without a written permission from St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Saint Mark H.H. Pope Shenouda III 5 To my blessed two sons: Hegomain Fr. Marcous Elias Abdel Massih and Hegomain Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty. Peace and love be with you. Dr. Mahfouz has visited me and brought with him the suggested Sunday school curriculum for the land of immigration. I have studied with him the basic topics of the curriculum without getting into details. Although that I have pointed out some concerns on the doctrine and dogma curriculum, it is clear that the amount of work spent on preparing the curriculum is huge and worth thanking. Nonetheless, the Bible study part of the curriculum needs to be increased. God willing, I will also send you additional details on this curriculum. May the Lord bless all the effort that our son Mahfouz has done in preparing the Sunday school curriculum, in collecting the relevant topics, and in performing the translation of subjects. May the Lord also bless all those who have joined him in preparing this project and those who revised the topics. Let our goal be performing our best to try and arrive at perfection given what we have from abilities. Lastly, I would also suggest the addition of different recognized pictures according to our doctrine, dogma and history to the Sunday school curriculum. May the Lord be with you. Be in peace. Signed Pope Shenouda III 22 August 1986 The feast of St. Mary 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM............................................................................10 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................27 SEPTEMBER ............................................................................................................................................................29 FIRST SUNDAY ....................................................................................................................................................29 “LOVE YOUR ENEMIES”: IS IT PRACTICAL? ..............................................................................................29 SECOND SUNDAY...............................................................................................................................................37 SIGNS OF THE END OF THE WORLD ...........................................................................................................37 THIRD SUNDAY...................................................................................................................................................43 EL-NAYROUZ....................................................................................................................................................43 “ARIANUS, THE PERSECUTOR OF CHRISTIANS.........................................................................................43 BECAME A CHRISTIAN AND MARTYR” ........................................................................................................43 FOURTH SUNDAY...............................................................................................................................................53 THE CROSS - ( I )..............................................................................................................................................53 AS EXPRESSED IN THE READINGS OF THE CHURCH ON THE THREE DAYS OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS................................................................................................................................................................53 FIFTH SUNDAY....................................................................................................................................................65 THE CROSS (II).................................................................................................................................................65 AS EXPRESSED IN THE READINGS OF THE CHURCH ON THE THREE DAYS OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS................................................................................................................................................................65 OCTOBER .................................................................................................................................................................77 FIRST SUNDAY ....................................................................................................................................................77 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA - ( I )................................77 SECOND SUNDAY...............................................................................................................................................85 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA – (II)................................85 THIRD SUNDAY...................................................................................................................................................93 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF..................................................................93 ALEXANDRIA – (III) .........................................................................................................................................93 FOURTH SUNDAY.............................................................................................................................................101 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF................................................................101 ALEXANDRIA (IV) ..........................................................................................................................................101 NOVEMBER............................................................................................................................................................109 FIRST SUNDAY ..................................................................................................................................................109 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA – (V) ..............................109 SECOND SUNDAY.............................................................................................................................................117 WHO IS THE REAL RICH PERSON? .............................................................................................................117 THIRD SUNDAY.................................................................................................................................................123 HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE?...................................................................................................................123 FOURTH SUNDAY.............................................................................................................................................131 LESSON BENEFITED FROM THE LIFE OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM .....................................................131 DECEMBER............................................................................................................................................................137 FIRST SUNDAY ..................................................................................................................................................137 THE FAST OF NATIVITY................................................................................................................................137 SECOND SUNDAY.............................................................................................................................................143 WHAT PRESENT TO GIVE TO THE CHRIST-CHILD?.................................................................................143 THIRD LESSON ..................................................................................................................................................151 7 THE PRINCIPLE OF THE “FULLNESS OF THE TIME” .............................................................................151 FOURTH SUNDAY.............................................................................................................................................157 THE LOVE OF CHRIST FOR US....................................................................................................................157 AS MANIFESTED IN LUKE CHAPTER 1, AND THE SYMBOLISM OF THE CANDY CANES....................157 JANUARY................................................................................................................................................................161 FIRST SUNDAY ..................................................................................................................................................161