Note: we begin each Sunday School this way:
1. Thanksgiving prayer for Holy Communion
2. Hand out prosphora
3. Introduce each child, put their names on the poster board, the date of their name’s day and birthday
4. Introduce the Jesus prayer and using the prayer ropes, pray the Jesus prayer together
About this time we pass out the first cracker, of which they will be quite excited about.
5. Then we begin the lesson.
This icon is in a black folder in the Sunday School box.
Please find it and use it!! Thank you!!!
The lesson begins after the two texts of the story
of the Protection of the Mother of God.
These texts are for your knowledge and to tell them
this great and beautiful story!
From time immemorial, the Church has celebrated the Most-holy Theotokos as the patroness and protectress of the Christian people, who, by her intercessory prayers, implores God's mercy for us sinners. The help of the Most-holy Mother of God has been clearly shown numerous times, to individuals and to nations, in peace and in war, in monastic deserts and in densely populated cities. The event that the Church commemorates and celebrates today confirms the Theotokos' consistent protection of Christian people. On October 1, 911, during the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise, there was an All-night Vigil in the Blachernae Church of the Mother of God in Constantinople. The church was full of people. St. Andrew the Fool-for-Christ was standing in the rear of the church with his disciple Epiphanius. At four o'clock in the morning, the Most-holy Theotokos appeared above the people, holding her omophorion outstretched as a protective covering for the faithful. She was clothed in gold-encrusted purple, and shone with an ineffable radiance, surrounded by apostles, saints, martyrs and virgins. St. Andrew said to Blessed Epiphanius: "Do you see, brother, the Queen and Lady of all praying for the whole world?'' Epiphanius replied: "I see, Father, and am struck with amazement!'' The Feast of the Protection was instituted to commemorate this event, and to remind us that we can prayerfully receive the unceasing protection of the Most-holy Theotokos in any time of difficulty.
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"Today the Virgin stands in the midst of the Church, and with choirs of Saints she invisibly prays to God for us. Angels and Bishops venerate Her, Apostles and prophets rejoice together, Since for our sake she prays to the Eternal God!”
This miraculous appearance of the Mother of God occurred in the mid-10th century in Constantinople, in the Blachernae church where her robe, veil, and part of her belt were preserved after being transferred from Palestine in the fifth century. On Sunday, October 1, during the All Night Vigil, when the church was overflowing with those at prayer, the Fool-for-Christ St. Andrew lifted up his eyes towards the heavens and beheld our most Holy Lady Theotokos coming through the air, resplendent with heavenly light and surrounded by an assembly of the Saints. St. John the Baptist and the holy Apostle John the Theologian accompanied the Queen of Heaven. On bended knees the Most Holy Virgin tearfully prayed for Christians.
After completing her prayer, she took her veil and spread it over the people in the church, protecting them from enemies both visible and invisible. She was resplendent with heavenly glory, and the protecting veil in her hands gleamed “more than the rays of the sun.” St. Andrew gazed trembling at the miraculous vision, and he asked his disciple, the blessed Epiphanius standing beside him, “Do you see, brother, the Holy Theotokos, praying for all the world?” Epiphanius answered, “I do see, holy Father, and I am in awe.” The Ever-Blessed Mother of God implored the Lord Jesus Christ to accept the prayers of all the people calling on His Most Holy Name, and to respond speedily to her intercession, “O Heavenly King, accept all those who pray to You and call on my name for help. Do not let them not go away from my icon unheard.” Ss. Andrew and Epiphanius were worthy to see the Mother of God at prayer, and “for a long time observed the Protecting Veil spread over the people and shining with flashes of glory. As long as the Theotokos was there, the Protecting Veil was also visible, but when she departed it became invisible. After taking it with her, she left behind the grace of her visitation.”
NOTE: Children are very drawn to this icon.
I remember my sister-friend's oldest son
holding up a copy of this icon in the car,
as he was afraid of animals coming onto the road;
I remember the Munchkin I cared for this summer
saying to himself, after he asked me
what this icon is,
the protection of the Mother of God.
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The Lesson is as follows:
1. Show them the full icon, point out various parts:
the two Saints who see the Mother of God -- Ss. Andrew and Epiphanius --
how many people are in church at an all night vigil, and that
St. John the Theologian and St. John the Baptist, St. Nicolas,
the Holy Apostles...
how the Mother of God is above everyone protecting them
with her veil
and how Christ is above all of us, including His Mother
who she prays to for help for us.
2. Tell them the story from the two versions above. Ask them if any of them remembers the story and what happens. If none of them know, then tell them the story with excitement! My suggestion is that you read version TWO of this story,
as it has more details and can be read with some dramatic storytelling.
I have put in Bold some of the lines that I thought were esp. great to emphasize in
retelling this story! You may want to mention point three below BEFORE telling to story,
as it gives the context and how
the people were in grave danger and were all in Church praying to be saved!
3. Explain that the vigil for was praying for help against
invaders who were trying to overcome the city
and that the Mother of God saved them.
“The Primary Chronicle of St Nestor reflects that the protective intercession of the Mother of God was needed because an attack of a large pagan Russian fleet under the leadership of Askole and Dir. The feast celebrates the divine destruction of the fleet which threatened Constantinople itself, sometime in the years 864-867 or according to the Russian historian Vasiliev, on June 18, 860. Ironically, this Feast is considered important by the Slavic Churches but not by the Greeks.”
If any of them comments about how the Russians were pagan and trying to destroy, explain that they did not yet know Christ and
that when they learned of Christ and His Holy Mother
they learned great repentance and began to love this Feast very much.
4. That we can ask the Mother of God to protect us too.
Sometimes our struggles do not go away
right away but we can have comfort that
the Mother of God is with us, is still protecting us,
loves us and can help us.
5. Craft option if time permits:
draw the icon of the Protection of the Mother of God
draw ways that the Mother of God can protect you
draw the Mother of God protecting your family and all those you love
