Jesus Christ taught people to ask God for forgiveness for their sins. He taught us to pray in the following way: "... and forgive us our sins" or in Slavonic: ... and forgive us our debts[2]. What did Jesus Christ teach people to ask God when they sin? How do we ask God for forgiveness of our sins? The Lord has commanded us to love all people as ourselves. We must do good to people, and if they offend us and ask us for forgiveness, then we must forgive them. If we forgive our offenders, then God will forgive us, and if we do not forgive, then He will not forgive our sins or debts to God. Jesus Christ taught about it in the following way. One man owed the tsar a lot of money[3]. The king called him to him and began to demand the debt. The debtor had no money, and he began to ask the king to wait. The king took pity on his debtor and completely forgave him the debt. He left the king and met another man who owed him a little to him, the king's debtor. The king's debtor began to demand the debt from his debtor. He had no money, and he began to ask to wait for the debt. But the tsar's debtor did not want to wait and put his debtor in prison. The king learned of this, called his debtor to him again and said to him: "I have forgiven you all the debt, and you had to forgive your debtor. You did not do this and for this you yourself will be in prison." We sin a lot before God, much more than other people sin against us; but God will forgive us our sins, if only we will forgive people. Jesus Christ taught us to pray for the forgiveness of sins in the following way: "... forgive us our sins, as we forgive our offenders." These words in Slavonic read: ... and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Job was a man of good life, but many misfortunes happened to him at once: all his possessions perished, all his children died, and he himself fell ill. However, Job did not rebuke God and said: Blessed be the name of the Lord from now until forever. A little time passed, and the righteous Job again became rich, children were born to him again, and from his grief he himself became even more righteous and kinder. Bad people are punished for bad deeds, and Job was a righteous man, therefore, God did not punish him, but sent grief so that Job would become even better. When God sends grief to a righteous person to become even better, it is called temptation. What is called temptation? Why does God send him? Not all people can endure grief so as not to murmur against God. If some misfortune happens to us, then perhaps we will not endure any grief or temptation. Therefore, in prayer we ask God:... and lead us not into temptation.

But grief can be done by evil, evil people or our evil enemy - the devil. God can do anything. He can make it so that neither the evil devil nor evil people will offend us. That is why we ask the Lord to deliver us from evil people and from the devil. In prayer we say: ... but deliver us from evil. Who can make us grief? Who can prevent this? How do we ask for this in prayer? This is followed by a coherent memorization of the Lord's Prayer. Note. If this lesson turns out to be beyond the strength of some students, then it is divided into two parts: the first - until the sixth petition, and the second - until the end of the prayer. The doxology is memorized in the second section of the school. The explanation that bread in the Lord's Prayer refers to all human needs is beyond the power of first-year students.^ The division of this petition into two parts is made because of the importance of the length of the preceding explanations.^ See: Matt. 8, 21-35.- Ed.^

Lesson 23. Repetition of the Lord's Prayer and clarification of its content

Methodical Instructions and Lesson Notes on the Law of God

Plan. Repetition questions about the name of the Lord's Prayer; about the Person to Whom we turn in it; about calling Him the Heavenly Father. Explanation and translation of Slavonic expressions up to the fourth petition; The general content of this part of the prayer. Translation of expressions from the fourth petition to the end of the prayer; the content of the last four petitions. Repetition of the text of the prayer. Application. H. We have memorized the Lord's Prayer. This prayer is called whose? Why is it called the Lord's Prayer? To whom do we pray in it? To whom is the Person of the Holy Trinity? What do we call Him? Why do we call him the Heavenly Father? How do you say the words "Our Heavenly Father" in prayer? What do we ask of Him when we say, "Hallowed be Thy name"? Thy kingdom come? Let there be a will?... With all these words, we ask God to help us live holy, to receive the Kingdom of God now, on earth, and after our death in heaven. Repeat this and remember. What do we ask for with the words: Our bread?...... And leave it?...... And don't enter... but save me?... In the words of the Lord's Prayer to the words "Our daily bread..." we ask the Lord to help us live holy, and receive the Kingdom of God, and from the words "Our daily bread..." we ask God to help us live without sorrow and need on earth. Therefore, in the Lord's Prayer we ask God to help us live holy and without sorrow[1]. A repetition of the Slavonic text of the prayer follows. The Lord's Prayer is read, children, by Christians both in church and at home. At home, it should be read in the morning, evening and before meals: before breakfast, before lunch and dinner. In it we ask God for everything we need, and therefore we must firmly know the Lord's Prayer and read it when it is due. Although these words do not fully embrace the content of the Lord's Prayer, the children cannot assimilate more, and therefore in the first section of the school even such a brief explanation is sufficient.^

Lesson 24. The story of the Nativity of Christ and the adoration of the Magi

Methodical Instructions and Lesson Notes on the Law of God

Plan. Remembrance of the life of the Mother of God at the temple and in Nazareth; census order; travel to Bethlehem and stop there in a cave. The appearance of the Angel to the shepherds and his words; the appearance of a multitude of Angels; their song. The Adoration of the Shepherds; showing the picture and repeating. The appearance of a star; The journey of the Magi and their worship. The return of the Magi and the slaughter of the innocents. Repetition on questions and a coherent story. H. Soon, children, there will be the feast of the Nativity of Christ. You know that Jesus Christ was born on earth of the Virgin Mary. She lived at the church until she was 14 years old, and then with a relative of her elder Joseph in the city of Nazareth. Joseph and the Virgin Mary were from the city of Bethlehem. At that time, the king wanted to count and enumerate all the people in the Jewish land and ordered each person to come to his own city. By royal order, Joseph and the Virgin Mary had to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem. A lot of people gathered in Bethlehem at that time. Joseph and the Virgin Mary did not find a place for themselves in the houses and stayed overnight in a cave, where cattle were driven in bad weather. From whom was Jesus Christ born on earth? Where did the Virgin Mary live until she was 14 years old? Where did she live after that? Where were Joseph and the Virgin Mary from? What did the king want to do then? What order did he give? Where did Joseph and the Virgin Mary have to go? Why didn't they find a place for themselves in the house? Where did they stop for the night? Why was the cave needed in bad weather? That night, shepherds were grazing cattle in the field. Suddenly a bright Angel appeared to them. The shepherds were frightened. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; I tell you a great joy for all people: today the Savior, the Lord Christ, was born in Bethlehem. Go into the cave and you will see the swaddled Baby; He lies in a manger"[1]. While the Angel was talking to the shepherds, many Angels appeared around them. The angels sang the following song: "Glory to God in heaven, and joy on earth[2], because God has given His mercy to people." In Slavonic, these words read as follows: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace: good will toward men[3]. You hear these words in church at the Vigil. Now you know what they mean and who sang them for the first time. Where were the shepherds when Joseph and the Virgin Mary spent the night in the cave? Who appeared in the field to the shepherds? What did the angel say to them? Why didn't he tell them to be afraid? Who was born in Bethlehem? Where did the angel tell the shepherds to go? Who will they find there, said the Angel? Where did the Child lie? Do you know what a manger is? Who appeared while the Angel was talking to the shepherds? What song did the Angels sing? How is it read in Slavonic? Where have you heard this song? When? The angels flew to heaven, and the shepherds said to each other: "Let us go to Bethlehem and see what happened there." They went into the cave, saw the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the Child in a manger; worshipped Jesus Christ and told what they had heard from the angels. Here a picture of the worship of the shepherds should be shown, and the disciples themselves find pictures of faces and surroundings. Where did the Angels go? What did the shepherds say? Who did they see in the cave? What did they do? What did they say? When Jesus Christ was born, a large star appeared in the sky, which people had not seen before. Learned people, or in other words, the Magi, saw this star and thought that a new king was born. The Magi lived far from Bethlehem, but still wanted to worship the new king. They went to where the star was and came to the Jewish king Herod. They asked Herod where the new king of the Jews was born. Herod was afraid that the people would rebel, gathered Jewish scholars and asked them where Jesus Christ was born. The scholars knew from the books that Christ would be born in the city of Bethlehem, and they told Herod about it. Herod then decided to kill Christ. He quietly called the Magi to him and said to them: "Go, inquire thoroughly about the Child, and when you find him, come and tell me, for I myself want to worship him." The Magi went, and the star went ahead of them. Joseph and the Virgin Mary moved into the house at that time. The star stopped over this house. The Magi came, worshipped Jesus Christ and brought Him gifts. Here it is necessary to show and explain the picture of the adoration of the Magi.

Herod saw that the Magi had deceived him, got angry and ordered to kill all the boys in Bethlehem from two years of age and younger. The soldiers, on Herod's orders, killed many babies, but did not kill Jesus Christ. While Herod was waiting for the Magi, Joseph with the Virgin Mary and Christ left Bethlehem. To whom did the Magi want to go? What did God reveal to them? How did they go home? What did Herod see? What did he tell me to do? What did the soldiers do? Why didn't they kill Jesus Christ? After that, a coherent repetition of the entire story is made by the teacher of the law. Of course, children cannot repeat the whole story so coherently, but this should not be achieved. The purpose of the lesson is to introduce the children to the understanding of the meaning of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, and it can be considered achieved if the students are able to give answers to the questions posed here. At Christmas, you children go to praise Christ. We praise Him for being born on earth and defeating the devil. In order to better celebrate this feast, we fast before it, and this fast is called Christmas, and the day before the feast is called Christmas Eve. The days after the feast are called holy or Christmastide, because during them we must always remember Jesus Christ and live holy. And whoever only dresses up and drinks at Christmastide does badly. Cf. Luke. 2, 10-11.- Ed.^ The translation is made in relation to children's understanding. Later it can be done more precisely.^ Lk. 2, 14.- Ed.^ Cf. Luke. 2, 15.- Ed.^ Cf. Matt. 2, 8.- Ed.^

Lesson 25. Epiphany

Methodical Instructions and Lesson Notes on the Law of God

Plan. The life of the Savior in Nazareth. The Sermon of John the Baptist. The coming of Jesus Christ to him. The Baptism of the Saviour, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and the voice of God the Father. Message about the feast of Epiphany and the baptism of people. Z. Joseph and the Virgin Mary went to Bethlehem only to register, and then they again began to live in Nazareth. Jesus Christ lived there until he was 30 years old. At that time, near the Jordan River, in an empty place, lived the holy man John. He told people that the Savior would soon come, and he baptized people. When Jesus Christ was 30 years old, He came to John and asked to be baptized. At first, John refused to baptize the Savior, but then agreed and baptized Him in the Jordan River. That is why John is called the Baptist. In which city did Joseph and Mary live after the birth of Jesus Christ? Until how many years did Jesus Christ live there? What kind of holy man lived at that time? Where did he live? What did he say to people? What did Christ ask John for? Did John baptize Him immediately? Where did he baptize later? What is the name of St. John? When Jesus Christ was baptized and began to come out of the water, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus Christ, in the likeness of a dove, and from heaven the voice of God the Father spoke: "This is My beloved Son, with Whom I have mercy"[1]. Look at the picture, what do you see in it? The man who stands on the shore is St. John; he baptizes Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Himself stands in the water, and a dove flies above Him - this is the Holy Spirit. God the Father is not painted in the picture, because He was not visible, and the voice in the picture cannot be drawn. What happened when Jesus Christ came out of the water? Who came down on Him? Who was the Holy Spirit like? What was heard from the sky? Who said that? What did He say? In memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ, there is a holiday in the Jordan River. This holiday is celebrated after Christmastide and is called the Baptism of the Lord. On the eve of Epiphany, as well as on the eve of Christmas, there is Christmas Eve. On Epiphany Eve, water is blessed in church, and on the holiday itself they go to bless it on the river or lake. Jesus Christ sanctified the water in the river by being baptized Himself, and now the priest lowers the cross into the water, and it becomes holy. Jesus Christ was baptized Himself and commanded everyone who believes in Him to be baptized. Whoever is baptized becomes a Christian. See: Matt. 2, 17; Mk. 1, 11; Lux. 3, 22.- Ed.^

Lesson 26. Teaching prayer to the Guardian Angel