In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

Begin with the Lord’s prayer Our Lord and Savior, our King and God, we thank you for gathering us here to stand before you to call on your Holy Name. Heavenly Father, teach us to trust You in everything we do. Thank you for giving us teachers to be our leaders and to teach us about Jesus our Savior. Bless all the children and keep them safe. Hear us when we humbly and thankfully pray to you.

Our Father, who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from the evil one For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the Glory. Forever, Amen.

O our Lady, as St. Gabriel greeted you, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” True Virgin in conscience as well as body, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Holy Mary, the God-bearer, pray that your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, may forgive us our sins. Amen.

Review 1. What was the first commandment of God for Adam and Eve? Fasting – do not eat of this tree 2. Who took Daniel and the 3 young men captive? The Babylonians 3. What did the king want to do with Daniel and his friends? Make them strong so they can serve in the royal courts 4. What kinds of food did they want Daniel to eat? Meat, Wine, and Sweets 5. Why did Daniel refuse? Because he was Fasting 6. How long did Daniel and his friends fast and what happened to them ? They kept this fast for 3 years and there were stronger, wiser and better than all the rest of the men. Recite Last Sunday’s memory verse When the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15)

Introduction Today we are going to learn about St. Philip and the Ethiopian Treasurer.

St. Philip & the Ethiopian Treasurer April 3, 2011

Memory Verse “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37) References Acts

Introduction Gentile = All people who are not Jews What do you do when you read the bible and you don’t understand it? Why is it important to read the bible?

St. Philip is called St. Philip was a deacon in the Church preaching Jesus Christ in the cities around Jerusalem. One day an angel appeared to him and told him to go to the road between Jerusalem and Gaza. St. Philip followed what the angel told him.

Led by the Spirit St. Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to meet an Ethiopian man who was the treasurer of the Ethiopian queen. He was a man of great authority The Ethiopian man was reading a book from the Holy Bible = the book of Isaiah!

Isaiah (53:7-8) • He was reading: • “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

He took the Chance • St. Philip: • Do you understand what you are reading? • Ethiopian man: • How can I understand without someone to explain to me? • St. Philip took this chance from God to tell him about Jesus Christ who was crucified and resurrected for our sake. • Do you remember another Saint who took the opportunity given to him like this to preach the Gospel?

The work of the Holy Spirit The Ethiopian man believed in the Lord through the words of St. Philip by the Holy Spirit.

I Believe! • As they were going down the road, they came across some water. • Ethiopian treasurer: • Can you please baptize me here? • St. Philip: • I need to first know if you truly believe? • Ethiopian treasurer: • “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37)

Baptism • St. Philip immediately took him down to the water and baptized him and he became a Christian. • St. Philip was taken up by the spirit in a cloud to another city called Azotus where he continued to preach. • The Ethiopian treasurer saw him no more • He was in great joy to be a Christian.

Conclusion • Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior • Baptism is essential to inherit the kingdom of heaven. • The Lord loves and saves everyone – Jews + Gentiles !! – St. Philip was guided by the Holy Spirit to preach to him about the Lord. • We should be ready also to tell anyone who asks us about the hope and joy that we have in us !!

Movie Clip Show a short movie clip about the story, if available.

Pop Quiz 1. What was the job of the Ethiopian man? • He was the treasurer of the Ethiopian Queen 2. What was he reading? • The Old Testament book of Isaiah 3. Who was that book talking about? • Our Lord Jesus Christ before his comming 4. How did St. Philip find him? • He was lead by the Holy Spirit 5. What did they do after he believed? • He was baptized ! 6. What did we learn from this lesson? - God’s love is for everyone

Any question? Close with prayer.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.