St. Basil

OBJECTIVE

This age group enjoys helping and likes to be noticed for their helpfulness We would like to encourage this inherent nature in fifth graders and show them how they are like the great saints that are known for giving. These saints took the Lord's commandment to help the poor as a purpose for their Christian lives. Every week of this module will focus on how the holy saints showed their love for Christ by loving and caring for the poor: week 1 -- St. Abraam, week 2 -- Mother Teresa, week 3 -- St.Basil, week 4 -- St. Nicholas. Week 5 is the capstone week to review and apply the concept. Please read through all the lessons in this module in preparation for this lesson.

INTRODUCTION - 10 Minutes

Ask the children to come up with an idea of a place that could help the poor, where sick people can get medical treatment, where travelers and strangers of a city can come and get help, where orphans/foster children can have a place to live and study under monks/nuns. Take time to discuss and see what they come up with. Their answer should resemble something like a modern day hospital. Someone very great did something exactly like this It's St. Basil the Great

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

Review Matthew 25:34-40, and read Matthew 5:13 - "You are the salt of the earth"

LIFE OF THE SAINT - 10 Minutes

The students might not know the following facts about St. Basil, however you can teach them about his life by telling them these amazing attributes

He is one of the great church fathers.
He wrote one of the liturgies that we pray every week.
St. Basil was one of the defenders of the faith just like St. Athanasius.
He comes from a great saintly family (sister St. Macrina, brother St. Gregory Nyssa)
He was close friends with St. Gregory the Theologian.
He was the bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.
He started monasteries after visiting some monasteries in Egypt.

Also, did you know that St. Basil built the first true hospital St. Basil loved the poor and did everything he could to help the poor, sick and needy. He spent all his money helping the poor and building social projects for the poor. He encouraged those with money and resources to help others around them.

St. Basil lived the Christian life by bringing a community of Christians together to help the needs of those around them. His sister, St. Macrina did the same with her Christian friends. They built communities that were the center for service to the poor, sick, elderly, and strangers.

In the year 369 AD, there was a very severe famine. St. Basil gathered all the poor to feed them, giving them soup and meat. Then he built a new city called NewTown that had many buildings surrounding a church in the center of the town. Some of the buildings were used as houses for priests and monks so they can work together in this new city to help the poor and sick. Some buildings were for travelers, some were for the sick to receive medical treatment from professionals. There was a place for orphans and the monks looked after them. Also, NewTown taught various skills and trades to help the villagers build a future for themselves.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 minutes

How did St. Basil and St. Macrina serve Christ? They created communities of Christian believers that all brought together their talents and resources to help their neighborhood.
Talk about the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded Christian friends with a heart for helping others.
Talk about the positive influence you can have on your own family
Ask the students to think of ways to help the poor together.

ACTIVITY - 5 Minutes

Together as a class, "rebuild" NewTown out of cardboard boxes and label/color.
Show the class icon of St. Basil in the attached Activity sheet.

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Your children love to give and we are encouraging their giving nature in this unit as we delve into the lives of some saints known for their love for the poor. Today we spoke about St. Basil the Great and how he encouraged a community of believers to help their neighborhood. We've challenged your children to encourage their friends and family to help their neighborhood like St. Basil