Journey with Saint Mary: Part 1
OBJECTIVE
Through the 2 lessons "Journey with Saint Mary-part I and Part II," students will experience the Journey of St. Mary's life and gain a deeper understanding of how our beloved Coptic Orthodox Church takes us through the journey yearly through the different feasts of St. Mary.
INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes
What was the last celebration in your family? Birthday, wedding Anniversary?
When someone is very special to us we always celebrate special days in their life. We remember their birthday, their baptism, day of graduation, wedding anniversary, birth of their child etc....Our beloved Coptic Orthodox Church does the same celebrating and remembering The Holy Theotokos St. Mary.
Each saint in the Church has one feast, usually commemorating departure or martyrdom. Some saints have an additional feast marking the finding of relics, a certain miracle to which that saint is given credit or the consecration of a church in his or her name. The Virgin Saint Mary, on the other hand, has many feasts:
In Part I we will focus on the early Life of St. Mary, which the Church celebrates through the following feasts:
- Annunciation of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Joachim - Misra 7 (August)
- The Birth of St. Mary - Bashans 1 (May)
- The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple at Jerusalem - Kiahk 3 (December)
- Annunciation of the Birth of Christ to St Mary - Baramhat 29 (April) This celebration is repeated on the 29th of every Coptic month
HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes
"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women" (Luke 6:26-28)
CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 30 Minutes
Background:
Saint Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anna of Nazareth. Her parents were righteous, God loving people. Anna's family was from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of priesthood. Saint Joachim was the great (many greats) grandson of King David, from the tribe of Judah. At age twenty, Joachim was married to St. Anna, However, even after fifty years of marriage, Saint Joachim and Saint Anna were unable to have a baby. In the Old Testament, a baby was not only a blessing, but necessary for those waiting for the Messiah. They never gave up praying that one day they would. Saint Joachim and Saint Anna made a special vow to God. They vowed that if they ever have a baby, they would dedicate that child to God.
Annunciation of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Joachim - Misra 7 (August)
St Joachim was visited by Archangel Gabriel in the mountains. Archangel Gabriel brought good news: that St. Joachim would be a father to a daughter named Mary, Just like Abraham was blessed with a special son in his old age, so would Mary be very special, not only to Saint Joachim but to all humanity. Archangel Gabriel also visited saint Anna with the good news in her garden. Saint Anna was told she would have a daughter named Mary, and that she would be blessed above all women. She was instructed to be sure that no unclean things came near the child, because she would be special for God. Everything that Archangel Gabriel said came true. They had a daughter in their very old age and named her Mary, and the entire community shared their great joy.
The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple at Jerusalem - Kiahk 3 (December)
St. Joachim and Saint Anna kept their vow and presented St. Mary to the temple when she was three years old. St. Mary lived and grew up in a special school for girls at the temple. She was dedicated to her lessons and to learning the word of God. She also became accomplished in practical skills, like weaving and wool-work. By the age of eight, both of her parents had died, and she became an orphan in the care of the temple. When Saint Mary was around thirteen, it was her time to leave the temple, it was tradition in that time for all girls that came of age to be married to faithful men from the congregation. However, Saint Mary wished to keep herself dedicated to the Lord. The priests of the temple wanted to grant Saint Mary her holy wish, but also wanted protection for her since she was an orphan. They prayed for God's will to be known. After much prayer, the priests decided to place Saint Mary in the care of an elderly man. According to the tradition, St. Joseph robe was placed on the altar among those of other elders, and a dove landed on it. The high priest understood that Joseph was elected to betroth Saint Mary. Betrothal is an agreement with the purpose to be married in the future. The difference between engagements today and the ancient Jewish tradition is the betrothed couple lived in the same houses husband and wife but were not legally or physically married
Annunciation of the Birth of Christ to St Mary - Baramhat 29 (April)
The feast of the Annunciation comes every year on the 29th of Baramhat. There is between it and the Feast of the Nativity which comes on the 29th of Kiahk, a period of nine months that constitutes the period of the holy pregnancy with the Lord Christ. Thus, the feast of the Annunciation is the first among the feasts of the Lord.
After their betrothal, Saint Mary left her room in the temple and went to live in Saint Joseph's house. One day, archangel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she will be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. At first, Saint Mary was confused, but she responded to God with humility and grace. St. Mary answered: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Archangel Gabriel also told her that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant with St. John the Baptist. Saint Mary went to visit and stay with her cousin right away. This was about ninety miles of walking. While it takes about two hours by the car on the freeway today, it probably took her a few days of travel.
DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes
- How did the upbringing of St. Mary fulfill God's plan to prepare her to be the Mother of Christ?
- What are the qualities of St. Mary that we can see throughout her early life? How can we apply this to our life?
LIFE APPLICATION - 5 Minutes
We can clearly see God's ultimate plan for salvation through the early life of St. Mary from the annunciation of her birth until the annunciation of the Birth of Christ to her. Her upbringing in the temple where she served the temple until the age of 12 helped prepare her. She heard the word of God for 9 years every day. She heard the prophecies of the Old Testament for 9 years to prepare for the big plan of salvation.
St. Mary was faithful, humble, willfully submitting to the will of God, even though it was difficult to travel to stay with Elizabeth while St Mary was pregnant with our Lord, her love for her cousin and her readiness to serve was more important than any discomfort.
ACTIVITY - 5 Minutes
Oh Mary, Mother of God - Hymn
SERVANT RESOURCES
Journey With Saint Mary - Little Flock Books