Intercessions
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this module is to demonstrate that there is only one Church, which is composed of saints in Heaven, known collectively as "the church triumphant" and saints on earth, known collectively as "the church militant." "The church victorious" loves "the church militant" and they pray for them and are involved in their day-to-day lives.
INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 4 Minutes
Please review the previous week's lesson. (5 minutes)
A man living in the United States was diagnosed with cancer. Malignant tumors were found near his chest, and doctors said they were bound to spread throughout the body. The immediate family began notifying other family members, including the patient's nephew, who was a brother seeking monasticism in Saint Anthony's Monastery in the Red Sea. The brother was taken back by the news, and became distraught, reading of how his uncle in the US was suffering. He took the handwritten letter to Bishop Yostos, the Monastery's Abbot, and asked him what he should do. Bishop Yostos said, "Everyday, on your way to Midnight Praises, while passing by the reliquary holding the body of Father Yostos the Antonite, light a candle for your uncle." The brother began doing this daily. A few weeks passed, and the cancer in the brother's uncle became worse. It had spread to the brain, and caused him to suffer from terrible seizures. Nurses tied him to the bed to prevent him from falling off the bed in the case another seizure occurred. Doctors told the family to begin preparing for the patient's death.
As the family began writing the obituary, calling relatives, and arranging for burial, the patient had a vision. He saw that his room became filled with incense, and the roof of the room was lifted off. The sky became visible, and he witnessed Christ sitting on the Throne. He then saw an old monk in tattered clothing approaching the Throne very slowly. His face was facing the ground, and in his hand was a bowl of candle wax. He laid the bowl below the feet of the Lord, and said, "Lord, heal this man for the sake of Brother from my Monastery. He lit these candles so that I may ask You." The patient then heard Christ respond, "Let it be to you according to your request." At that moment, the man described that he felt a shock of electricity fill his entire body, and strength overtook him, to the point that he ripped himself out of the ties the doctors tied him in on the bed. The family saw him getting out of his bed and opening the door to the room. Within months, this family visited the Monastery of Saint Anthony, and recorded the miracle.
HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes
Memory Verse - "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15
Relevant Passage: Luke 16:19-31
"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
"Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "
CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 15 Minutes
There are some Christians who believe that once a soul goes to paradise it is no longer aware of what is happening on earth and no longer cares. This parable shows us that the opposite is true.
The rich man in this parable is concerned for his brothers on earth. He doesn't want his brothers to end up in the same place as him and he asks for our father Abraham to send Lazarus to warn them about the torment of hades. This is a clear example of intercession, which is prayer on behalf of someone.
If a sinner is trying to intercede on behalf of his loved ones, how much more will a saint in paradise, where they live in perfect love and in the presence of our Lord, remember their loved ones in Christ on earth.
Let's take some other examples from the Holy Bible that demonstrate the saints of God interceding on behalf of others
- Abraham interceding on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah: God told Abraham that He would destroy the cities because of their sins. Abraham then asked the Lord if He was going to destroy the righteous with the wicked and asked him to spare them if He found 50 righteous among the people. God agreed, then Abraham asked God to reconsider the number and asked Him to spare the cities if He found 45 righteous among the people. God agreed, Abraham again asked God to change the standard again, and the Lord listened. Eventually, Abraham compelled God to agree to spare them if He found 10 righteous people in the city, which He did not. This story in Gen. 18 reveals that God was willing to acquiesce to His saints out of His love for them.
- Moses intercedes on behalf of the Children of Israel: When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, they came to Mt. Sinai. Moses then ascended into the mountain for forty days to receive the law, during that time, the children of Israel made the golden calf and worshipped it. Moses then came down and found them worshipping the golden calf, he stopped them and went back to the mountain. God then told Moses that He was going to wipe out the children of Israel and make a great nation out of the descendents of Moses. Moses interceded on behalf of the people and told God that if He didn't spare the people to wipe Moses' name out of the Book of Life. God, of course, spared the children of Israel. Ex. 23
- Job intercedes for his friends: Job went through a difficult temptation in which he lost all of his children, possessions and even his health. His friends who went to comfort him accused him of doing something wrong and, in their minds, that is why God punished him. In the end of the book, God revealed the innocence of Job and told his friends that in order to avoid God repaying them for their folly. Job 42
- The intercession of the holy Theotokos: At the wedding of Cana of Galilee, the bridegroom ran out of wine, which was considered shameful/embarrassing. St. Mary then went to our Lord and told Him what happened. When our Lord indicated that He did not wish to intervene because He said that it was not His time yet, St. Mary simply found the servants and confidently told them to do all our Lord would say to them. Our Lord, who does not like to disregard the holy Theotokos, told the servants to fill six large stone jars with water and He converted them into wine. John 2.
There are many other examples, but this should suffice for now.
We are blessed to live in a time where we can have a relationship where our beloved saints can pray on our behalf before the throne of God.
DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes
- Does intercession mean we are worshiping the saints?
- No, we are asking them to pray for us just as we ask our parents, friends and abouna to pray for us.
- Is intercession something that the church made up and doesn't really exist in the Holy Bible?
- Of course not, see if the kids can remember any of the examples from the Bible that affirm that God hears intercessions.
LIFE APPLICATION - 2 Minutes
The student is to read the Synaxarion daily to learn from the lives of the saints and begin to cultivate a relationship with the saints. There are three basic ways we can cultivate a relationship with one of the saints.
- Their lives appeal to us and we start to honor them and ask for their intercessions
- We are named after them
- Sometimes the saints will choose us and make it clear to us that they want to befriend us
ACTIVITY - 1 Minutes
Once the student has identified a saint they want to cultivate a relationship with, the student then is to find a picture of the saint that they like. Have the picture printed, placed in the students room and if possible light a candle before it during times of prayer or difficulty.
SERVANT RESOURCES
PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK
The best thing a parent can do with their children is to read the daily readings of the church with the student, which includes the Synaxarion. It can be read on either Coptic reader and if that is not feasible, below is a link to the daily readings of the church. The servant can send the link to the parents of the student or to the student him/herself.