Holy Tradition

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this module is to help students gain a deeper understanding of the Faith and expand their knowledge on practices of the church. This lesson focuses on the Holy Tradition and its importance and impact on the Coptic Church.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes

Please review the previous week's lesson. (5 minutes)

Ask the students what they think the word "Tradition" means. Ask them to tell about some traditions they have in their family, perhaps on certain holidays or events. Do they know when or why their family started doing that tradition? Explain that the Church also has traditions but in a slightly different sense. Write the word "tradition" on a poster or board twice, once with a lowercase "t" and once with a capital "T." As you discuss the key points below, use these as a reference for the students to be able to differentiate.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Memory Verse: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Additional verses:

• 2 John 1:12
• 2 Peter 1:20-21
• 2 Thessalonians 3:15
• Gospel according to St. John 21:25

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

What is Orthodoxy?

Orthodox Christianity is the One, Holy, Catholic (i.e., Universal), and Apostolic church that is rooted in Holy Tradition. There is a difference between Holy Tradition (notice the capital letters) and traditions in general. A "normal" tradition might be something that we do on a regular basis, such as going to Disneyland the first week of each summer vacation. Holy Tradition is different; it refers to the teaching that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Church.

The Orthodox Church follows the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as He taught it to His disciples, who in turn taught it to their disciples. This is part of Apostolic succession.

• Apostlic succession refers specifically to the laying of hands of Bishops, as it goes from Our Lord Jesus Christ, to St. Mark the Apostle, to St. Anianus, all the way to the current patriarch.
• St. Athanasius, a defender of the Faith, said, "Orthodoxy is what Christ taught, the Apostles preached, and the Fathers kept."

Who is best suited to write about the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ? Those who learned directly from Him The Holy Bible (also known as the Holy Scriptures) is the living Word of God, and is enforced and supported by Holy Tradition.

• If we have a disagreement about a verse in the Holy Bible, or other church related things, where do we look to find the answer? We look back at the writings of the Fathers and Mothers, and refer to the early Church for the answer.

It was the Church Fathers who decided which books and epistles (letters) to incorporate in the Holy Bible. Prior to this, the teachings of Christianity were passed on by oral tradition, as well as liturgical service. Many common Christians were not well read, and it was mainly theologians and scholars who were able to read, understand, and explain the Holy Bible. For example, in the Midnight praise, the Psali and Theotokia are written in alphabetical order (in Coptic) to make it easy to memorize, in order to teach without reading.

The Coptic Orthodox church is deeply rooted in, and depends upon Tradition. Tradition is the doctrine of the apostles, as revealed by Our Lord Jesus Christ, for our benefit. Tradition is what separates the Apostolic church from many other sects of Western Christianity.

Tradition is important because it is how we come to understand the Holy Bible and many of our practices. Where do we derive our traditions? As stated earlier, many things were passed on by oral traditions. As St. John said in his Gospel account, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." John 21:25. This verse shows that there were many things that Christ Himself taught His disciples that were not explicitly written down. The apostles lived and walked with Christ, and were able to constantly learn from His infinite wisdom. Despite many things being written down, there is even more that Christ taught As a result, the disciples of Christ taught their disciples, and so on and so forth.

Where do we get our Liturgical tunes and prayers? Why does the priest do what he does? Where do we get our interpretations of scripture?

• Tradition dictates our liturgical tunes and prayers. In fact, St. Mark was celebrating the Feast of Resurrection liturgy when he was taken to be martyred. Another example of tradition is the dating of feasts. A much more minute example of tradition is the mere action of prostration or making the sign of the cross. All of these things were passed down, without being mentioned in Holy Scripture.

The Coptic language itself has significance in our tradition. The verbiage of the hymns in Coptic (and the vernacular) explain deep theology, history, and tell a story. Outside of the church, Coptic was commonly spoken, until the Arab invasion. The Coptic language became a part of our Coptic identity.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

• What is Orthodoxy?
• What is Apostolic Succession?
• How is Holy Tradition different from other traditions?
• How has the Church preserved the Coptic language as part of Holy Tradition and what is its role?

LIFE APPLICATION - 5 Minutes

Have a discussion with the students about the nuances of the Coptic Orthodox Church's services, and how the Church has come to be today. Emphasize the importance of behaving in a Christ-like manner all the time.

Additionally, How has the Holy Tradition of the Coptic Orthodox Church impacted our lives?" For example, we all feel the Holy Pascha week is a special time, because we were formed in that Tradition.

ACTIVITY - 15 Minutes

Send one student outside of the room. Discuss with the remaining students to make up a sentence. It can be about anything. For example,

"The fast car was red."

Next, remove two adjectives about the words from the sentence, so it becomes:

"The car was ."

Invite the student back inside the room, and try to have them guess the sentence on their own. If they can't, each student can give one hint pertaining to what the sentence is. Explain that the church Fathers and Holy Tradition complement the Holy Scripture. It points us to the right answer, and the more reliable resources we have to rely on, the better we can begin to understand God.

May also chant "As it was..." from the Divine Liturgy.

SERVANT RESOURCES

• The Spirituality of the Rites of the Holy Liturgy in the Coptic Orthodox Church - Bishop Mettaous

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Children should give a summary and some interesting facts about this lesson with their parents. Parents should reinforce the idea and concepts of Holy Tradition. During Vespers or Liturgy, have your child bring a notepad and note the influence of tradition. Furthermore, parents can talk about how the church has remained a backbone of Coptic culture- and its influence on our lives when we are physically not in the church.