THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE ST. GEORGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM GRADE EIGHT Revised Edition 2014 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 Email: [email protected] Copyright © 2014 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. 1 2 3 THE THRICE-BLESSED POPE SHENOUDA III OF BLESSED MEMORY 4 HIS HOLINESS POPE TAWADROS II 5 6 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 7 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ROGRAM .............................................................................. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 16 TEACHER'S GUIDELINES: ................................................................................................................................... 20 FEATURES OF THIS SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM ..................................................................................... 21 THE PREPARATION OF SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS .................................................................................. 23 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 SEPTEMBER ............................................................................................................................................................ 31 FIRST SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................... 31 “LOVE YOUR ENEMIES”: IS IT PRACTICAL? ............................................................................................. 31 SECOND SUNDAY .............................................................................................................................................. 39 SIGNS OF THE END OF THE WORLD .......................................................................................................... 39 THIRD SUNDAY .................................................................................................................................................. 46 EL-NAYROUZ .................................................................................................................................................. 46 FOURTH SUNDAY .............................................................................................................................................. 56 THE CROSS: AS EXPRESSED IN THE READINGS OF THE CHURCH ON THE THREE DAYS OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS ................................................................................................................................... 56 FIFTH SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................... 68 THE CROSS: AS EXPRESSED IN THE READINGS OF THE CHURCH ON THE THREE DAYS OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS ................................................................................................................................... 68 OCTOBER ................................................................................................................................................................. 81 FIRST SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................... 81 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA (I) ................................... 81 SECOND SUNDAY .............................................................................................................................................. 90 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA (II) ................................. 90 THIRD SUNDAY .................................................................................................................................................. 99 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OFALEXANDRIA(III) .................................. 99 FOURTH SUNDAY ............................................................................................................................................ 107 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OFALEXANDRIA (IV) ............................... 107 NOVEMBER ............................................................................................................................................................ 115 FIRST SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................. 115 THE DOCTRINES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA(V) ................................ 115 SECOND SUNDAY ............................................................................................................................................ 123 WHO IS THE REAL RICH PERSON? ............................................................................................................ 123 THIRD SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................ 130 HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE? ................................................................................................................. 130 FOURTH SUNDAY ............................................................................................................................................ 138 LESSON BENEFITED FROM THE LIFE OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM .................................................... 138 DECEMBER ............................................................................................................................................................ 145 FIRST SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................. 145 THE FAST OF NATIVITY .............................................................................................................................. 145 SECOND SUNDAY ............................................................................................................................................ 152 WHAT PRESENT TO GIVE TO THE CHRIST-CHILD? ............................................................................... 152 THIRD LESSON ................................................................................................................................................. 161 THE PRINCIPLE OF THE “FULLNESS OF THE TIME” ............................................................................ 161 FOURTH SUNDAY ............................................................................................................................................ 167 THE LOVE OF CHRIST FOR US .................................................................................................................. 167 JANUARY ................................................................................................................................................................ 172 8 FIRST SUNDAY ................................................................................................................................................. 172 LESSONS BENEFITED FROM THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - “HUMBLENESS AND SIMPLICITY” ................................................................................................................................................. 172 SECOND SUNDAY ............................................................................................................................................ 179 LESSONS BENEFITED FROM EPIPHANY .................................................................................................