Lesson No. ( 38 ) Love for Others and Serving Them

References

Coptic Orthodox Book of Saints, Part 1, St. George & St. Joseph, Montreal.

Notes for Servants

«         Do you love your brothers and sisters?  Do you love all people?

«         What have you done for your brothers or sisters, the poor and the needy?  Did you help them when they were in need?

«         Beloved, ask yourself, is your love for your brothers and sisters a special love? or mere words?  .

Objectives

General: Our love for our brothers and sisters and serving them.

Specific:

The children will be able to...

1. Understand the meaning of charity.
2. Bring donation to help in serving others.
3. Remember their brothers or sisters when buying anything such as chocolate or candy.

Bible Verse

                                                 " Charity never faileth. "

(1 Corinthians 13:8)

Teaching Aids

1. The picture of Anba Sarabuamun.
2. Felt figure and flannel board.

 

Instructions

(1) Review last week's lesson.

(2) Who remembers the verse?

(3) Remind the children about the church occasions for the coming week.

(4) Train the children to put their donation in the church box or Sunday School donation box so that the church may use it to help the needy.

(5) Teacher should prepare the appropriate questions to emphasize the objectives during the lesson.

Story Time

Before Anba Sarabuamun became a monk, his name was Saleeb (means Cross.)  He was born in one of the villages in the Delta Nile of Egypt.  He used to sell oil on his donkey to earn money.  One day, he was accused falsely of killing someone.  At court he asked them to bring the body, then he prayed hard to God and asked Saint Mary to intercede for him.

He ordered the dead man to tell the court about the killer.  The dead man opened his eyes and told the court the name of the man who killed him, then he asked him to sleep again to wait for the judgement day, and the man fell asleep again.  Everyone was astonished and they set him free.  In order to avoid to being praised by the people, Saleeb went immediately to St. Anthony’s Monastery and became a monk.

He was pious and worshipped God honestly and sincerely. They decided to choose him to be the Bishop of a place called Menoufya.  He loved the poor, his brothers and sisters and everybody else.  He used to carry a basket full of wheat and many other things (rise, meat, soap, oil, clothes, etc.) and gave it to the needy.  He used to cover his face with a veil so that no one would recognize him.

One day, a man named Hanna the carpenter saw him and he thought that he was a thief. Hanna did not recognize him. He saw Anba Sarabuamun as a man with clothes that looked strange. His clothes covered his whole body except his eyes. He decided to follow him. When he arrived at a certain house, he knocked at the door and a poor woman opened it. He gave her a basket without speaking to her. Then, he went back.

Hanna the carpenter ran after him and saw his face and knew that he was Anba Sarabuamun. The Bishop warned him not to follow him again and ordered him not to mention what he saw to anyone.  May the blessing of his prayer be with us.  Amen.

Discussion

1 - Follow up the story by talking about it with the children.

2 - Continue the discussion while they do the activity.

Learning Activities

Activity Sheet.