32 - The Holy Week

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen

Lesson No. ( 32 )

References: 

The last chapters of the four gospels. 

Notes for Servants 

May you walk with the Lord while He suffers His Holy Passions... In the spirit of prayer.. attending the Pasch prayer... reading Biblical texts and the appropriate spiritual books (such as the Crucified Jesus) 

 Offer Passion Sacrifices on the altar of love as prayers whether in the early morning or the late night, worshipping God, knocking the chest, helping others and fasting. 

 After the darkness of the grave comes the glory of the resurrection, so do not be afraid of the cross if it comes to you in any form. 

Objectives 

General: Explaining the events of the HolyWeek, how the church celebrates the occasions that the child can attend and be satiated with the rituals of this week. 

Specific: 

The children will be able to ... 

1. Learn why the church reminds us every year about the passion of Christ. 
2. Gain some knowledge about what happened to the Lord at that time according to their level of understanding. 
3. Understand that we repeat his suffering every time we sin. 

Bible Verse 

“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, 

and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.” 

(1 Chr 29:11) 

Teaching Aids 

1. A series of pictures to represent the event of the week. 
2. Video. 

Instruction 

(1) Review last week's lesson. 

(2) Who remembers the verse? 

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

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

Story Time 

What is the name of the week during which it took place? Explain all the events of the Holy week with discussion and questions. 

Sunday: 

The Lord entered Jerusalem. What happened on that day? ... He went back to Bethany. Monday: 

He went to the Temple... Cursed the fig tree - teachings. 

Tuesday: 

Teachings and parables about the destruction of Jerusalem, the second coming and preparation. Wednesday: 

Judas and the High Priest plotted against Jesus. 

Thursday: 

Eating the Passover meal. The establishment of Holy Communion Sacraments. The arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane. Description of what happened... the power of God... they fell back - healing Malchus' ear - the judgment before the High Priest all the night. 

Friday: 

Trial before the public at dawn, Pilate questions Jesus, Herod questions Jesus, Pilate questions Jesus for the second time, Jesus is sentenced to death, He wasto be crucified, the events of crucifixion. (Passions - nails- thorns - etc... the pains He endured for us. The Power of Christ on the cross - the anger of nature - the temple veil split - the resurrection of the dead - the thief goes to paradise) 

Saturday: 

The Lord was in the tomb. He rose on Sunday at dawn. (Questions) 

How the Church celebrates the occasions of this week. The Pascha of the Passover (the angel passed over). Christians in the past celebrated that occasion once every33 years then Aba Demitrius Alkarraam arranged that it would be celebrated once a year. It was customary to read the whole Bible (The Old and New Testaments) during this week, but Aba Gabriel arranged the texts that should be read during this week. (Aba Gabriel the 77th Patriarch) 

The Servant asks why the church is closed inblack, he asks about the sad tones ofthe hymns,why the sanctuary is closed and when it will open again, why prayers are raised in the back outside the sanctuary(because Christ was crucified outside Jerusalem)... we read the Prophets and the Gospels - we hear sad hymns - we are sad because our sins caused Christ to be crucified... (What are these sins?)... We talk with Christ every day... hour by hour... On Thursday we perform the Holy Mass... because on that day Chris gave His body and blood to us. On Friday we remember His crucifixion and we pray from morning to evening and we bury the crucifixion icon among the roses on the altar as a symbol of Christ's burial... We get it out on the eve on the Resurrection (Easter Sunday) after we spend the whole night with the Lord, praising Him and worshipping Him while He is still in the tomb as a sign of our faith and belief in the power of His Cross and His Resurrection. (Questions) 

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.