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

Methodical Instructions and Lesson Notes on the Law of God

Plan. The struggle of the devil against people; the difficulty of this struggle for man; the help of good Angels; The name is Guardian Angel. The constant presence of a guardian angel with a person and its absence in the sinner; the need to pray to the Guardian Angel. The reading of the prayer by the teacher of the law. Explanation of prayer with a division into invocation and petitions. Explanation of the invocation and the first two petitions. Application. You, children, already know that the devil with unclean spirits always tries to confuse people to do bad things. He is angry when people live in God's way, and then he tries to annoy people with something: he sends grief and misfortune to people. It is difficult for a person to protect himself from an evil spirit, because a person does not see it. But God loves people and protects them from the devil. God assigns a good Angel to every person. We do not see the good Angel near us, but he sees each of us, and he also sees unclean spirits. A good Angel preserves, or, in other words, preserves every person from unclean spirits and from every misfortune. An angel who protects or protects a person is called a Guardian Angel. This means that each person has his own Guardian Angel. What does the devil do when people do only good deeds? What does he send to people? Why is it difficult for a person to protect himself from an evil spirit? Who protects people from the devil? Why does God protect people? Whom does He assign to each person? Can we see the Angel? Why can't we? What does the Angel assigned to him do for a person? What is it called? The guardian angel is a holy angel. Just as good people are not friends with bad people: with thieves, with drunkards, but like to hang out with good people, so the Guardian Angel rejoices when a person does good deeds. If a person sins, then the Guardian Angel grieves and departs from the person. This means that when we sin, we drive the Guardian Angel away from us and are left without his protection. But the guardian angel is not angry with us, and if we remember him, he will come to us again, he will pray to God for us again. We can remember the Guardian Angel through prayer. What are our deeds that the Guardian Angel rejoices in? What does he do when a person sins? What happens to us when the Guardian Angel departs from us? When can the Guardian Angel return to us? What will he do then? How can we remember the Guardian Angel? The prayer to the Guardian Angel is read as follows. Stand up, all of you, and listen more attentively. A clear and separate reading of the evening prayer to the Guardian Angel by the teacher of the law follows. In this prayer we call the Angel Christ's, our holy guardian and protector of soul and body. The Angel is called the Angel of Christ because Jesus Christ saved all people from the power of the devil, and the Guardian Angel helps every person to guard against the Devil. You already know why we call the Angel a guardian and a saint, and now we will talk about why the Angel is called the patron saint of the soul and body. Of course, you have seen a hen with chickens. When it gets cold, the chickens will all gather, and the hen will cover them with her wings. If a hawk or kite appears, it will gather the chickens and cover them with wings as well. In any trouble, the hen covers her children and protects them. People always protect their children. Whoever protects us from misfortune, from cold, from hunger, is our patron. The guardian angel protects us from any trouble, which means that he is our patron. The devil tries to harm both the soul and the body, and the guardian angel protects our soul and our body from the devil, which is why we call the guardian angel in prayer the protector of the soul and body. How do we call an angel in prayer? Why do we call him Christ's, the saint, the patron saint of the soul and body? Memorization of the invocation follows in chorus and alone. When we sin, we offend the Guardian Angel with our sins, and therefore we must always ask him to forgive us our sins. We pray in the morning and in the evening. At night we sleep, and during the day we do various things. This means that we sin more during the day, and therefore we especially need the forgiveness of the Guardian Angel in the evening. In the evening, we need to pray to the Guardian Angel to forgive us everything we have sinned during the day. In prayer we say: forgive me everything that I have sinned today. "All" in Slavonic is all, "me" is mi. "What" - elika, "sinned" - sinners. In the Lord's Prayer you learned that "today" in Slavonic is "day", and "today" is "day". "Forgive me all that I have sinned today" in Slavonic it says: Forgive me all, if I have sinned today. Let's repeat these words and memorize them. What is the Slavic word for "all"? "me"? What do all of them mean? mi? What is the Slavic word for "what"? "I have sinned"? "today"? What does the fir tree mean? mi? all? today? who have sinned? When the Guardian Angel departs from us, the devil tries to confuse us into evil, into sin. He lures man with all kinds of cunning or, in Slavonic terms, with all kinds of cunning, because he always goes against us, he is our nasty enemy. A guardian angel can drive away our nasty enemy from us and deliver us from any of his cunning or cunning. Therefore, we ask the Guardian Angel: "Deliver me from every cunning of the enemy who is contrary to me." In Slavonic, these words read as follows: And deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy that is contrary to me. Memorization of the last words follows. In the prayer to the Guardian Angel, we call him the Angel of Christ, our holy guardian and the protector of our soul and body. We ask Him to forgive us everything that we have sinned today, and to deliver us from all the cunning of the enemy who is contrary to us – the devil. Today we have learned the beginning of prayer, and then we will learn the end of it. Let's repeat the beginning in Slavonic, and then tell us what we call the Guardian Angel and what we ask of him. Let us always remember that the Guardian Angel always lives with us and protects us from any misfortune and sins. When we sin, he departs from us. Do not grieve the Guardian Angel with sins and always try to do only good deeds.

Lesson 27. End of the prayer to the Guardian Angel

Methodical Instructions and Lesson Notes on the Law of God

Plan. Repetition of the beginning of the prayer. The wiles of the devil. Intercession for people of the Mother of God and the saints; conditions of this intercession. Memorizing the text of the prayer. Application. H. Let us repeat the beginning of the prayer to the Guardian Angel. How do we call the Guardian Angel in prayer? What do we ask of him? The devil confuses people to sin with all sorts of tricks. If we sin, then God is angry with us. The Mother of God and all the saints pray for us to God in heaven, if we live in God's way, if we are worthy of their mercy. And if we sin, then we become unworthy of their kindness and mercy. The guardian angel is closer to us than all the saints, so we ask him to deliver us from the cunning of the enemy who is contrary to us, the devil, so that we do not anger God with any sin; we ask the Guardian Angel to beseech God for us, sinful servants unworthy of God's mercy[1], and to make us worthy of the mercy of the All-Holy Trinity, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints by his prayers.

Thus, in the prayer to the Guardian Angel, we call him the Angel of Christ, our guardian, the protector of our soul and body. How are these words read in prayer? We ask him to forgive everything that we have sinned today. How do these words read? We ask him to deliver us from all the cunning of the enemy who is contrary to us, the devil. How do these words read? So that we do not anger God with any sin. How do these words read? We ask the Guardian Angel to pray for us, sinful and unworthy servants. How do we say this in prayer? To show us worthy of all good and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. How do we ask for this in prayer? Now let's read the entire prayer in order. Everything that we say in a prayer to the Guardian Angel, we rightly wish it, and therefore this prayer ends with the word "true" or amen. Remember, children, that the Guardian Angel is our best friend. He protects us from all sorrow and from all misfortune. Try to keep him always with you and don't drive him away from you with bad deeds. Pray to the Guardian Angel, and it will be good for you to live on earth. The word slave is incomprehensible to children, and its explanation can cause confusion in the children's understanding of the All-Good God. Therefore, it is better to leave one word unexplained for the time being than to shake the children's feeling of love for the merciful heavenly Lord.^

Lesson 28. Prayer after lunch and dinner