St. Philopater Mercurius

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this lesson is to think about how God honors His saints and gives them great glory. When we pray and ask the saints to help us, God wants to do what they ask as long as it is not against His will. The saints can be great friends to us and we gain their friendship through prayer. We want to teach the concept of friendship with the saints and the power of intercession.

INTRODUCTION - 5 Minutes

Last week, we spoke about Saint Pishoy. St. Pishoy loved being in God's presence so much that he tied his hair to the top of his cave so that if he started to fall asleep, the pull of his hair would wake him up. He wanted to be awake as much as possible, so he wouldn't miss out on time to be in the presence of God.

We also learned the Jesus prayer last week. The servant can share with the children times they used the Jesus prayer this past week and ask them how they used it.

HOLY SCRIPTURE

Memory Verse
"To execute on them the written judgement -- This honor have all His saints." Psalm 149:9

LIFE OF THE SAINT - 15 Minutes

Philopater was born to pagan parents, who converted and believed in God. His father Yares became Noah, his mother became Saphina, and Mercurius became Philopater. Philopater grew up to be a soldier in the Roman army under Emperor Decius and he was very brave. As a soldier, he was called Mercurius.

When the Berbers were fighting against Rome, Philopater Mercurius told Decius not to be afraid because God would destroy all their enemies and give them victory. After several days of fighting, Archangel Michael appeared to him and gave him a shining sword, saying "When you overcome your enemies, remember the Lord your God." That is why he is called Abu Sefein or "of the two swords", one is the military sword and the other is the sword of the divine power. Decius was so happy about the victory, that he appointed Philopater Mercurius as a prince.

When Emperor Decius conquered his enemies and Philopater Mercurius came back victorious, the angel appeared to him and reminded him of what he told him previously, that is, to remember the Lord his God.

Decius and his soldiers wanted to offer up incense to his idols to commemorate their victory and Philopater Mercurius refused to participate. When they informed the emperor, he called Philopater Mercurius and expressed his amazement at his abandoning of his loyalty to him. The Emperor reprimanded him for refusing to come and offer incense to the idols. The saint cast his military attire down before the emperor and said to him, "I do not worship anyone except my Lord and my God Jesus Christ."

Decius stripped Philopater Mercurius of his rank and threw him in jail. The saint did not stop praying or singing hymns in prison. At night, Archangel Michael appeared to him and told him not to be afraid of the torture, but to confess his faith publicly. Decius tortured Philopater Mercurius by hanging him between poles and hitting him with sharp nails, cutting his body and burning him, but Archangel Michael always healed him. Decius sent him to Caesarea where he was again tortured and then beheaded.

Many miracles have happened through the intercessions of St. Philopater Mercurius, but a famous story involves St. Basil, who authored the liturgy we pray. St. Basil was in prison and there was a small church, where he and St. Gregory would spend their nights in prayer. One night, while they were praying, an icon of St. Mercurius appeared on one of the pillars of the church. St. Basil asked for the intercession of the saint and said: "Mercurius, God's martyr, ask the Lord to save the church from Julian the apostate." When he went to sleep that night, St. Basil saw St. Mercurius, who told him, "I have killed Julian the apostate." St. Basil woke up and told St. Gregory. They went back to the church and, looking at the icon, they saw that the spear in St. Mercurius' hand was covered in blood. St. Basil and St. Gregory glorified God and, three days later, the news of Julian's death was announced.

But St. Mercurius did not only perform miracles in the fourth century. God has given glory to St. Mercurius in every age, even in recent years. Who has heard of Tamav Erene? Tamav Erene was a little girl who prayed so much and loved God with all of her heart. When she was a young girl, Philopater Mercurius appeared to her and told her that she would be a nun in his convent. Tamav Erene grew to be a spiritual giant through constant prayer and humility. She would always see and talk to Philopater Mercurius and he helped her in all the problems she had in the convent and in her spiritual life. God answered all the prayers of Tamav Erene by sending Philopater Mercurius to help her. Even though Tamav Erene was on earth and Philopater Mercurius was in heaven, they were the best of friends and he would appear to her face to face.

Prayer connects our life on earth with the kingdom of heaven. If we pray and have humble hearts, we will be like the saints and, when we are like the saints, we can have friendships with the saints.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

When we have a problem or are in a challenging situation, is our first thought to pray before we try to fix the problem? Why not?
Talk about relying on ourselves versus relying on God.
Think of all the prayers that you have ever made and make a list of all the times God has answered your prayers, even if not in the way you thought he would. Make a list of all the prayers God has answered over the whole course of your life.
As you go through the next week, each time you want something, need something, or find yourself needing help, turn to God in prayer. Every time God answers a prayer in your life, make a note of it and write it down.

APPLICATION (Action) - 5 Minutes

Think about how St. Mercurius did not hesitate to take off his soldier's clothing and give up his rank instead of denying Christ. All of his fellow soldiers were offering incense and he was the only one who wouldn't participate. Are there times when you see your friends and classmates doing bad things and you have to stand up for your Christian principles? What are some examples you can give? Did you ever imagine that when you stand up for Christianity although all your other friends are doing something bad, that can be a small form of martyrdom?

RESOURCES

Video of Philopater Mercurius (more detailed than lesson story):

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Whenever your child seeks something during the week or complains about anything, remind your child to turn it into a prayer. For example, if your child complains they have too much homework, remind them to pray that God gives them the intelligence and ability to finish their homework and their studies. If a child wants a new toy, remind them to pray to God to help them get that toy.
Help the children focus in their prayers and on being in the presence of Christ and feeling Him surrounding them. Also, help the children learn to rely on God in the small things so that, as they grow older, they rely on Him in all things, big and small.
Encourage the parents and children to ask for the intercession of Philopater Mercurius in their prayers this week.