prescribed by the national curriculum and textbook board as a · aspirations of the people and the...

Prescribed by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board as a Textbook for class VII from the academic year 1998

CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES[For class VII]

Translated byFather Benjamin Costa C.S.C

Edited byShamsudin Ahmed

National Curriculum and Textbook Board, Dhaka.

Published by The National Curriculum and Textbook Board

69-70, Motijheel Commercial Area, Dhaka

[All rights reserved by the Publisher]

First Edition : 1998 Reprint : 2007

Reprint : 2010

Computer Compose Perform Color Graphics (Pvt.) Ltd

Cover Design Md. Abdul Halim

Illustrator Mafruha Begum

DesignNCTB, Dhaka

�

For free distribution from academic year 2010 by the Government of Bangladesh

Printed by :

Preface

Education is the key to development. A progressively improved education system largely determines the pace and the quality of national development. To reflect the hopes and aspirations of the people and the socio-economic and cultural reality in the context of the post independent Bangladesh, new textbooks were introduced in the beginning of the 1980s folIowing the recommendations of the National Curriculum and Textbook Committee.

In 1994, in accordance with the need for change and development, the textbooks of lower secondary, secondary and higher secondary were revised and modified. The textbooks from classes -VI to IX were written in 1995. In 2000, almost all the textbooks were rationally evaluated and necessary revision were made. In 2008 the Ministry or Education formed a Task Force for Education. According to the advice and guidance of the Task Force, the cover, spelling and information in the textbooks were updated and corrected.

To make assessment more meaningful and in accordance with the need of the curriculum, Creative Questions and Multiple Choice Questions are given at the end of each chapter. It is hoped that this will reduce the dependency of students on rote memorisation. The students will be able to apply the knowledge they have gained to judge, analyse and evaluate real life situation.

The textbook of Christian Religious Studies has been written in a way so that it reflects the curriculum and the learning outcomes. The textbook of Christian Religion will prepare the foundations of Christianity in the young learners. Keeping this in mind the lives of special fathers from the Old Testment has been discussed. The practice of Christianity in our every day life has been emphasized.

This book of Christian Religious Studies for class VII is the English Version of the original textbook entitled 'Christa Dharma Shiksha' wirtten in Bangla.

We know that curriculum development is a continuous process on which textbooks are written. Any logical and formative suggestions for improvement will be considered with care. On the event of the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh in 2021, we want to be a part of the ceaseless effort to build a prosperous Bangladesh.

In spite of sincere efforts in translation, editing and printing inadvertent errors and omissions may be found in the book. However our efforts to make it more refined and impeccable will continue any constructive suggestion towards its further improvement will be gratefully considered.

I thank those who have assisted us with their intellect and efforts in the writing, editing and rational evaluation of this book. We hope that the book will be useful for the students for whom it is written.

Prof. Md. Mostafa Kamaluddin Chairman

National Curriculum and Textbook Board

Dhaka.

Contents

Chapter Subject Page

One. Abram/Abraham 1

Two. Joseph: Model of a Forgiving Person 10

Three. Moses 20

Four. King David, King Ahab and Naboth 31

Five. Mary 42

Six. The Baptism and the Temptation of Jesus 54

Seven. Jesus: Man and God 61

Eight. The Teaching of Jesus 73

Nine. Teaching of Daily Christian living 83

Chapter One

ABRAM/ABRAHAM God’s Covenant with Abraham

(Genesis 15)

Children who obey their parents are loved by them. They receive many blessings and gifts from them. Abram was very obedient to God. He had received a command from God. Abram obeyed that command. Therefore, God was very pleased with him. God blessed him and promised to give him gift. In order to make him understand that God would truly fulfill his promises, God made a covenant with Abram and his descendants. Through this covenant a new relationship of love and fidelity was built up between God and mankind. Do you understand what it means to make a covenant?

To make a covenant means to build a new relationship of love, communion and friendship. In a covenant both the parties promise to each other to abide by some rules, when both the parties give assurance of being faithful to their promises then a covenant is established. If they are faithful in observing the rules of the covenant then their mutual relationship of love and friendship remains intact.

Journey of Abram to Canaan

Abraham1

You would certainly like to know what God’s command to Abram was and how God made this covenant. Please listen to the story.

There was a man named Abram who was very righteous. He used to live in a city called Ur in the land of the Chaldeans. When Abram was seventy-five years old, one day God called him and said, “ Abram, leave your native land, your relatives, and your father’s home, and go to a country that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation.”

Trusting fully in God and obeying his command, Abram left his native land, his relatives and his father’s home. Along with his family he went and began to live in a foreign country. For this God was pleased with Abram. He called him and said, “Abram, I am very pleased with you. I will give this beautiful land to your children.”

But do you know what happened? It is very interesting to know. God promised that a great nation would be raised from the descendants of Abram and that God would give this beautiful land of Canaan to the children of Abram. But he had no children. Besides he was beyond the age of fathering any children. Yet Abram believed God’s words to him. In faith he began to wait, hoping that God would certainly give him children.

After this promise twenty-five years passed by, but Abram and his wife received no children from God. Abram became restless and he began to pray to God for children who would be his heir.

One day God called Abram and said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I will shield you from danger and give you a great reward.” But Abram was sad and answered, “Lord God, you have given me many rewards. But you have not given us any children. If I die without any children, there will be no heir, no descendants. My only heir is my relative Eliezer of Damascus. He will inherit all my property.”

God understood Abram’s sorrow and he comforted him saying, “Abram, your own son will be your heir". Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.” Abram put his trust in God’s words. On account of this faith God knew that Abram was truly a righteous person.

God said to him again, “I led you out of Ur in the land of the Chaldeans, to give you this beautiful land as your own.” Abram asked God, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that it will be mine?” As a sign of guarantee that God would fulfill His promises, He expressed His wish to form a covenant with Abram. He said to Abram, “Bring me a

2Christian Religious Studies

cow, a goat, and a ram, each of them three years old, and a dove and a pigeon.” Abram brought the animals to God, cut them in half, and placed the halves opposite each other in two rows but he did not cut the birds.

When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch suddenly appeared and passed between the pieces of the animals. Then and there the Lord made a covenant with Abram. He said, “I promise to give your descendants all this land from the border of Egypt to the River Euphrates.” In this way God made a lasting covenant of love and faithfulness with Abram and his descendants.

Through this covenant God gave the assurance of fulfilling His promises. And along with this He gave Abram and his descendants a beautiful country, happiness and prosperity, peace and fullness of life.

What God wants to tell us: God loves those who are righteous and faithful. Those who trust in Him, believe in His love, and obey Him, He gives them everything that they need and fills them with His blessings. All their hopes and aspirations are fulfilled . He is promise bound to fulfill all their needs.

God is faithful to His promises. He never breaks His promises. By making a lasting covenant with Abram and his descendants God has given us assurance that He will always fulfill His promises.

God wants that we always obey Him, trust in His love and rely on Him. God does not want that human beings fall away from His love. Rather He wants that they remain in His love forever.

Let us examine our conscience

-Let us remember what blessings we ha ve received from God up to now. -Are we w orthy to receive these blessings? -Do we really belie ve that God loves us ? -Do we really lo ve God ? -Do we put our trust in God ? -Do we abide by God ’s commandments ?

Things to do

God loves us. Therefore we are united with him in the covenant of love. God has given us a beautiful country, happiness and prosperity. If we wish to remain faithful to this

Abraham3

covenant, we need to have deep faith and trust in God, we need to live according to the Word of God in the Bible, the social norms and the values of our own family life.

Keep in mind: Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him. (Gen. 15:6)

Abraham’s Great Test (Genesis 22)

Do you remember what you read in the previous lesson ? God had promised to give a son to Abraham. When Abraham was hundred years old, his wife Sarah conceived and bore a son. His name was Isaac.

The only son and heir of Abraham was Isaac. Therefore, his father Abraham loved him more than his own life. But Abraham also loved God very much.

God wanted to test and see whether Abraham loved his own son and only heir Isaac or God more. Abraham was ready to offer his only son and beloved heir to God. In order to test him God said to Abraham. “Take your son, your only son Isaac. Whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.”

No one who is not a father can understand how very difficult this command of God to Abraham was. For every parent loves his/her children more than his/her own life. Shocked and dismayed Abraham began to think, it is God who has given him this son. And God Himself promised that his son Isaac would become the father of a great nation and live in this land. Then why does God want this son back or want him to be offered in sacrifice ? His sorrow was greater because Issac was his only heir. Now, if he offers his son in sacrifice as God wants there will be no heir left. On the other hand, if he wants to keep his son, then he will be deprived of the love and friendship of God. Poor Abraham could not decide what he should do. However, Abraham was sure of one thing, he firmly believed that God loved him, and he also loved God. Therefore, he can fear no evil. Whatever God says or does, is right and good. Abraham had unbounded faith and trust in God’s love. Abraham firmly believed that God loved him and hence he would fulfill his promises to him. Whatever God does is good. God’s power is infinite. If we trust in him, he can turn everything to our good. This deep faith in God and love for Him helped Abraham decide to obey God and His commands.

With faith and trust in God, Abraham decided to do what God commanded him to. Abraham decided in his mind to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice.


Taking with him his son Isaac and the things needed for a sacrificial offering, Abraham went up to the place in the land of Moriah that God had told him about. As they walked along together, Isaac asked his father, “I see that you have everything for the sacrifice, but where is the lamb ?” His father answered, “God Himself will provide one.”

When he came to the place, which God had told him about, they built an altar and arranged the wood and other things on it. But where is the lamb for the sacrifice ?

Then Abraham called his dearly beloved son near him and in great sorrow explained to him what God had commanded him to do. Isaac also loved God very much. Therefore, he gladly consented to be offered in sacrifice to God in place of a lamb. At his own request Isaac was bound with ropes and placed on the altar. Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac and he picked up the knife to kill him. This was a terrible sight, a moment of great suspense. Abraham and Isaac felt there was no light or air on the earth. In a few moments Isaac will lose his life and Abraham will lose his dearly beloved son.

Abraham was ready to strike Issac with the knife, but just at that moment something wonderful happened. God called to Abraham and said, “Abraham, don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him. Now I know how much you love me.

Now I know that you love me more than anything else in the world, even your only beloved son. I did not really want your son to be sacrificed, but only to test you, and you have passed the test.”

Abraham was filled with joy at what God said. He cut the ropes with which Isaac had

been bound and he embraced him. Suddenly when he looks around, he saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He understood that God himself provided this lamb. Then Abraham and his son got the lamb and offered it to God as a sacrifice. Never before did Abraham feel happier than at this moment. By the grace of God everything turned out for the good. Abraham did not lose his son and God remained his friend.

Sacrif ice of Isaac

As a sign of his gratitude to God, Abraham named this place “Jehovah-Jiri” (The Lord Provides )

Abraham5

After this God again blessed Abraham and repeated his promises saying, “Your descendants will be as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore. Through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Abraham passed the great test and received God’s blessings as rewards.

What God wants to tell us : Sometimes God tests us by sending us sufferings and hardships. God love human beings; He wants nothing but good for them ; God is good. If we have faith and trust in God, He delivers us from great dangers. If we listen to Him and obey His commands; at times we may face difficulties, but in the end by God’s grace and blessings all our sufferings disappear. Our life is then filled with God’s graces and blessings. If we obey God’s commands, He fulfils all our wishes and provides for all our needs. Therefore we should love God more than anything else and obey all the commands God has given us in the Bible. We have to read the Bible everyday to know and understand what God commands us to do and live accordingly.

Keep in mind: We have to love God and be always ready to offer ourselves to do His will.

EXERCISE

Multiple Choice Questions

1.In fulfilling His promise God was a. Bound c. Attenti ve b . Sincere d. Prudent

2. Through friendship and love what is established in each other’s life? a. Peace c. Rapprochement b . Joy d. Prosperity


3. To know the commandments of God everyday we need toi. Read the Bible ii. Understand the Bible iii. Follow the Bible

Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i and ii c. ii and iii b . i and iii d. i, ii and iii

4. To God Abraham was a. Grateful c. Obedient b . Devoted d. F aithful

Read the sentences below and answer the questions 6 and 7. God possesses unlimited power. If we depend on Him, He can put everything right. 5. Depending on God Abraham was ready to sacrifice his i. Pet cow ii. Beloved soniii. Beautiful bird

Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. i and iii b .ii d. ii and iii

6. Through fulfillment of God’s command Abraham proved that he loved most a. His son c. Motherland b . God d. Own race

Abraham7

Read the passage below and answer the questions 8 and 9. One day God said to Abraham, “I shall make you Lord of this beautiful land. So I have taken you out of Ur of the Chaldeans and give you this land as your possession.” God understands that Abraham is a pious man. 7. God brought Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans to i. Decrease the number of population ii. Establish a great raceiii. Settle in a new city Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. iii b .ii d. i and ii 8. A pious man is the one who has faith in God andi. Accordingly leads his life ii. Follows religioniii. Obeys His orders Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. iii b .ii d. ii and iii Creative Questions 1. There was a poor widow. She had faith in God. Her only son was Levy. One day he

asked his mother, “We have been living honest life and helping people to our utmost. We have been praying regularly in the Church. Yet why are we very much distressed and poverty stricken”. In order to make her son understand properly the mother told her son in response that the more God loves anybody the more He gives him suffering so that He can test his love and faith for Him. In addition she says, “God tested Abraham again and again and established rapprochement with him”. God had given him a son at his old age as a result of his patience and faithfulness. So we must wait with patience and faithfulness to attain blessings of God”.

a. Explain the meaning of establishing co venant. b .Wh y did God test Abrahm's? c. Ho w can we receive a beautiful life as a gift from God by accepting the teaching from Le vy’s mother? d. “We shall have to wait for God’s blessings with patience and Faithfulness.” -Ev aluate the accuracy of this statement.


2. Bimal Babu made his only son a man of worth with much hardship. One day his son was attacked with a fatal disease. Bimal Babu took his son to a doctor. The doctor informed that there was no healing for his disease. He even advised the father to fulfill his son’s last wishes and prepare him for death. The parents were much worried about their son’s imminent death. They left their son to the wishes of God and prayed with firm faith for their son’s recovery. One day the son got cured from that fatal disease. In the same way Abraham got his son back from a certain death.

a. By what w ord did God test Abraham?

b .Wh y did Abraham take decision to Sacrifice lsaac?

c. What can you do to ha ve deep faith in God by following Bimal Babu's example?

d. “Pious persons can get rid of crises through faith in God.” Give reasons in f avour of this statement.

3. Arun came to know from advices of the Priests of his parish that if anyone obeys the commandment of God, his wishes are fulfilled. Arun knows and obeys the commandments of God. So his parents and relatives were happy to see his good behaviour. The teachers also helped him in various ways. Thus Arun made excellent results in SSC examination.

a. What shall we ha ve to do to obey the commandments of God?

b .Explain one of the commandments as mentioned in the Holy Bible.

c. Ho w did commandments of God influence the life of Arun?

d. “All hopes and aspirations are fulfilled by obeying commandments of God. ”- Examine the accuracy of this statement.

Abraham9

Chapter Two

JOSEPH : MODEL OF A FORGIVING PERSONThe Journey of Joseph's Brothers to Egypt

(Genesis 42)

Joseph’s Brothers go to Egypt

Do you know what the deepest aspirations of the human beings of the modern age are? They are : forgiveness, love, peace and brotherhood. Can these be achieved ? Yes, provided there is good relationship among the members of the family. But today, just like the natural environment is becoming polluted. Just a little careful observation will reveal that endless amount of bitterness and disturbances are created due to quarrels over small matters, It is not easy to maintain good relationship in the family, but if we would succeed in doing that, then many problems would be solved.

If we can identify the tensions and conflicts in our own family and learn how to solve them, then we will be able to identify and solve all the big and small personal and social problems. In the Bible there are some concrete examples of how personal conflicts can be resolved. There are many stories in the Bible, which portray a picture of every age and everyday life of the mankind. In the following three lessons we will see how the absence of brotherly love and the presence of brotherhood as shown in the story of Joseph and his brothers influences our live.

Do you know the story of Joseph and his brother in the Bible ?


Please try to remember. Joseph was the dearest among Jacob’s son and he used to love him much. For this he became an object of jealousy among his brothers. Finally when an opportunity arose, his brothers conspired and sold Joseph to the Egyptian merchants in exchange for only twenty pieces of silver. But later on this Joseph was made the governor of Egypt.

When Joseph was the governor of Egypt, a great famine broke out in Israel. There was a great crisis of food all around. Only the godowns in Egypt which were maintained by Joseph had enough supply of food and people began to come to him.

Do you know what happened ? Joseph’s father, Jacob, came to know about it . So he told his sons to go to Egypt and buy some wheat. Being told by their father, Joseph’s brothers started off to go to Egypt. Only their youngest brother Benjamin (Binnamin), stayed at home with the father. When Joseph’s brothers reached Egypt, they met Joseph.

It is interesting to know what happened. They could not recognize their own brother, Joseph. However, Joseph at once recognized his brothers. But he talked to his brothers in such a way as if he did not know them. He asked them where are you from ? What do you want ? They answered, we are from Canaan, and we came here to buy wheat from you. Joseph said: “No, you cannot buy wheat. You must be spies, you are coming here to spy on Egypt.”

They said : no, sir. We were twelve sons in our family, our youngest brother is with our father. One of the brothers died. Then Joseph said, “I want a proof that what you said is true. Until I see your youngest brother, you will remain here as prisoners. Send one of the brothers right now to bring him here. If he does not return, then I will know for sure that you are spies”.

Do you know what Joseph did ? He kept his brothers in prison for three days . On the third day he had them brought out of the prison and he said to them : I am God-fearing man. If you listen to me, you will be saved. One of you stay here as a prisoner, the rest of you can go home carrying wheat. Bring your youngest brother here, so I will know that you are not spies.

Do you know what the brothers did ? They started saying in their own language, this is a punishment for our sins. Thatday we did not try to understand our younger brother, even though he pleaded with us so sorrowfully. Then Ruben reminded everyone that at that time no one listened to him, even though he had warned them

Joseph : Model of a Forgiving Person11

repeatedly. Now they are having to paying the price for that. You can imagine how Joseph felt when he heard this conversation. Of course, his brothers did not realize that he understood what they were saying. Joseph went out of their sight and started weeping. Then he returned and ordered Simeon to be tied with ropes and kept in the prison. He sent the others away with a supply of wheat and food for the journey. On their return home, they proposed to their father to take Benjamin (Binnamin) to Egypt. But Jacob would not agree.

What God wants to tell us : God wants that I get to know my brothers and sisters and learn to love them. That I should always try to maintain good relationship with them. That I try to forget the past hurts and begin to live a new life.

God wants that all human beings become one family and they all love one another as brothers and sisters.

Several areas of building a common brotherhood : Let us acknowledge that there is a lack of brotherly feeling among us. Therefore,

-I should not do to other what I do not lik e to be done to me.

-W e should listen to one another with an open mind.

-W e should forgive one another.

-W e should work together for the common good of all.

Prayer : Dear Lord, direct our minds and hearts, so that through your guidance and in the power of the Spirit we may begin our common journey to our heavenly Father. This we pray in the name of Jesus, Our Lord, Amen.

Remember : Let us love one another as God has loved us.

Joseph Discloses his Identity to his Brothers(Genesis 43)

In the previous lessons we came to know that Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt to buy wheat from the governor of Egypt. You would certainly want to know what happened after that, wouldn’t you?


The situation of famine started getting worse and the supply of wheat was finished. Therefore , Jacob had no choice but to let Benjamin go. So they took along Benjamin with them and presented him in front of Joseph. Then Joseph asked one of his servants to take them to his house and then arranged a big meal for them. They enjoyed the meal together.

In the meantime Joseph told his servants to fill each one’s sack with wheat and secretly put his silver cup in the sack that belonged to the youngest brother.

On the following day they all set out for home with their sacks filled with wheat . When they went a short distance, Joseph’s servants and some soldiers rushed to them and blocked their way saying : “our master’s cup has been stolen. We have come to search for it.” They all replied, “If the cup is discovered in anyone’s sack, he will be a slave to your master.” The servants discovered the cup in Benjamin’s sack. Then all of them returned to Joseph and said, “All of us will stay here as your slaves”. But Joseph replied, “Only the one who stole my cup will be my slave, the rest of you may go.”

Then Judah came forward and reminded Joseph what they had told him earlier . Their aged father has a special affection for this youngest brother of theirs whose other brother born of the same mother is dead. Judah further said that they had promised to their father to bring back this brother home along with them. If they now go back to their father without this brother, then the father will surely die. Besides, this youngest son cannot stay anywhere without his father.

Judah also said, when we refused to come back to you without bringing along our youngest brother with us, our father said to us, “You know that my wife Rachel bore me only two sons. One of them had already left me. He must have been torn to pieces by wild animals, because, I have not seen him since he left , It you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, old as I am.”

Judah, therefore, pleaded that he may be kept as a prisoner instead of his brother. Joseph was no longer able to control his feelings in front of his servants, so he ordered them all to leave the room. Do you know what Joseph did ? He wept aloud and said, “I am Joseph. Tell me, is my father still alive ? But his brothers found no words to answer him, for they were overcome with fear seeing Joseph in front of their eyes, Joseph told his brothers, “Please come closer. I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold in Egypt as a slave.” How did you like this story ?


Stop to think : -What would you do at this moment if you were in place of Joseph ?

-How did Joseph feel when he heard about his father ?

-What do you do to build good relationship with your brothers ?

-How did Joseph gain so much strength of mind ?

When Joseph recognized his brothers, if he wished he could take revenge on them for their misdeeds. But he did not hold anything against his brothers. On the contrary, he acted in such a way that his brothers would realize what a terrible offense they committed against his father. Gradually he led them to conversion of hearts, to love for their family and especially to their father.

What God wants to tell us : God wants to tell me that paternal love and affection wins over all. The Father’s love helps us to build strong bounds of mutual brotherhood. If we experience this love of the Father in our concrete daily life, then we acquire strength to overcome many of our weaknesses.

What does fraternal love mean ? To love others as one’s own brother is fraternal love. For example, to wish the good of others, to rejoice with someone who is happy, to show sympathy when someone is suffering, etc. are sings of fraternal love. To wish the total well being of others is true fraternal love.

Do it in practice

-Help those who are weak, helpless, sick and in danger .

-Gi ve generously to the poor.

-F orgive when someone is wrong.

Examination of Conscience Have you ever deeply examined your conscience ? If you do, you will see how often you have acted against God and your brothers and sisters, against the society. You will discover many faults and failures, Out of this reflection you will naturally tend to be meek and humble.


Time for examination of conscience -Ev ery night before going to bed.

-Before taking part in the Lord ’s Supper.

Remember what St. Augustine said: “Go into the depths of your heart and whatever you may do, evaluate it in the presence of God who is the Supreme witness of your life.”

The f amous Village poet Kumud Ranjan Mullick says:

“Perhaps I will never again walk this earth ;

Therefore, let me so w warm love on the two sides of

The path I tread. ”

Joseph Forgives his Brothers (Genesis 44 and 45)

Aren’t you curious to know what happened after Joseph disclosed his identity to his brothers ? I am sure you would like to know. Then listen carefully.

Joseph told his brothers, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold in Egypt. Now do not be upset or blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was really God who sent me ahead of you to save people’s lives.”

Joseph further said, “The famine will continue for five more years. Now hurry back to my father and tell him, your son Joseph has sent us to tell you : Come here with your sons your grand children your animals and everything else that you have and live here. I will take care of you all.” Having said this, he threw his arms round his brother Benjamin. Then he bade them farewell and told them not to quarrel on the way.

When Jacob received this news and saw the gifts that Joseph had sent, he felt as if he woke up from a deep sleep and gained new life . He said, “Come, let us leave at once. I must go and see him before I die.

What God wants to tell us : When my brothers and sisters do anything wrong against me, I should forgive them easily and in this way experience heavenly joy. I should be reconciled to them and live in happiness and peace.

God the Father forgives us again and again. He is pleased whenever we return to him


Keep in mind : -One who for gives is a strong, courageous and prudent person. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness ; on the contrary , it is a sign of greatness and generosity.

-Whene ver you forgive, you are victorious.

What we should do : -Obe y the commandments of God.

-Lo ve everyone warmly and affectionately.

-W e should spread light in the world.

Prayer : Lord, forgive me for my bad thoughts, words and evil deeds. Forgive also those who hurt me.

EXERCISE

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What the present w orld earnestly desires is

a. Forgiveness, love, peace and brotherhood

b . Wealth and world peace

c. Honour and dignity and universal brotherhood

d. Family prestige and degree

2. T o see Joseph face to face, His brothers were

a. Overwhelmed with joyc. Filled with gratitude

b . Bewildered with feard. Profused with praise

3. If we for give sincerely we can fill up our heart with

a. Heavenly bliss c. Profound brotherhood

b . Family peace d. Heavenly inspiration

4. Joseph ordered the staf f to arrange a

a. Meeting c. Drama

b . Big feast d. Musical soiree


5. God sent Joseph to Egypt as sla ve so that he

a. Holds a responsible post c. Can save many lives

b . Becomes a rich man d. Can do good to man

6. The Ruler of Egypt k ept a brother of Joseph and left others on the condition that the y should come

i. Back with Ruben iii. With Judah

ii. With Benjamin

Which of the following is correct?

a. i c. iii

b .ii d. i and ii

7. Joseph held His brothers capti ve to

i. Punish iii. Express his identity

ii. Take revenge


a. i c. iii

b .ii d. i and ii

Read the passage below and answer the questions 8 and 9 We all live in the family along with our parents and brothers and sisters. If there is love among all there remains peace. Without love there is bitterness and restlessness, which are expressed in quarrels with each other.

8. If we can alle viate bickering of the family, then it can solve

i. Personal problems

ii. Social problems

iii. Economic problems


a. i c. ii and iii

b . ii d. i and iii


9. What is necessary to establish brotherhood is w orking a. Together for complete welfare

b . For welfare of one’s own brothers and sisters

c. For one’s own welfare

d. For one’s own institution’s welfare

Creative Questions

1. Kamol, a landless poor farmer, is unable to raise his eleven sons who have lost their mother. One day all brothers handed over their youngest brother Ratan to a foreign couple. The youngest brother was reluctant, but much grief in mind he had to leave the other brothers and go with that couple. Ratan was growing up in the house of that couple. There he got many advantages and also education.

Consequently he became a big businessman. Then he came to know the distress of his father and brothers. The brothers were repentant for what they had done to Joseph. At this Joseph forgot his brothers’ misdeeds and forgave them and stood by their side. This was the event that the great virtuous Joseph made while he came forward to help his brothers. He had forgiven his brothers and thus expressed his powerfulness, moral courage and wisdom to them.

a. F or how much was Joseph sold? b . Why did Joseph forgive his brothers? c. What do you think of the example of Ratan, the younger brother of the f amily?

d. “Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, it is sign of greatness and generosity." ---- Explain it.

2. The soldiers came to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Him. Unknowingly they stood in front of Him. As they came to know that it was Jesus they got frightened and fell down on ground. Same thing happened to brothers of Joseph. Joseph was the Ruler of Egypt during the famine in the other countries including Canaan, the country where Joseph’s brothers used to live. Joseph’s brothers came Egypt in search of food. They were completely bewildered while they came to know that the King himself was their brother Joseph whom once they sold out to some businessmen. In such a moment Joseph forgave his cruel brothers and showed them sincere love.


a. Where did famine take place when Joseph was the King of Egypt?

b . Why did Joseph brothers get frightened?

c. Ho w will you apply the teaching you get from the incident of Joseph's� Sincere love in your life?

d. "T o love others as one's own brother is fraternal love." Explain it.

3. The head of the Vatican State Pope Paul II was delivering a speech in a meeting in Rome. At that time a wicked man named Ali Agsa, fired him. The Pope was seriously injured but did not die. Ali Agsa was arrested. He was frightened and anxious. He thought that punishment of his crime would put him sentenced to death. But the Pope was healed of his wounds and went to the prison to meet with the murderous man Ali Agsa. The Pope forgave him. He forgave his killer as Joseph forgave his brothers who first wanted to kill him (Joseph) but later they sold him to the tradesmen. Joseph had opportunity to take revenge, but he forgave his misbehaving brothers. Forgiveness is a divine quality.

a. What is the meaning of forgiveness?

b . Why did Joseph forgive his brothers?.

c. Ho w will you forgive a misbehaving man with the teaching you get from the incident of Pope ’s forgiveness?

d. F orgiveness is a divine quality. Everybody can't Forgive. – Explain the statement.


Chapter Three

MOSESMoses Delivers his own People (Israel)

(Exodus 14:5-31)

You must have heard many things about God’s redeeming acts in the Bible. For example, God saving mankind when the whole earth was inundated with a deluge during the time of Noah. God is our Merciful Father. He never wants that we His children live in suffering and danger. Therefore, He always saves us from adverse situations. He always protects us from dangers and sicknesses. Often we forget this great kindness of God to us.

Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt

Would you like to know how God delivered his Chosen People Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh, king of Egypt? That is a wonderful story. In it we see how much God loved this people and how powerful God is. Through Moses God delivered this


people from bondage and brought them to their own land. Listen now to the story of how God, through Moses, led the People of Israel so that they can experience the joy of salvation.

Is there a question in your mind about how the People of Israel came to Egypt? You recall that Joseph had his father and brothers brought to Egypt and settled them in a most fertile region. Gradually the number of the Israelites kept increasing. The Egyptians thought that the Israelites were becoming too powerful. They were afraid that if this was allowed to go on, one day they would become the masters of Egypt. Therefore, they began to oppress them. One day God appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb in a burning bush and said to him “I have seen how cruelly my people are being treated in Egypt; I have heard them cry out to be rescued. I will rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out to a new country. Now I am sending you to the king of Egypt so that you can lead my people out of his country.”

When Moses went to the king of Egypt and asked him to release his people, the king refused to do so. When God brought about ten plagues, the king called in Moses and said, “Get out, you and your Israelites . Leave my country”.

Now listen to the story of how Moses delivered his own people, the Israelites, from the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, was told that the Israelites had escaped, he ordered his men to get the chariots and horses ready and with his army he went to capture the Israelites.

The Israelites had set up tents near the sea. Suddenly they saw the Egyptians approaching them. Being terrified they began to cry out to God. They said to Moses, “Weren’t there any graves in Egypt ? Did you have to bring us out here to be buried ? Didn’t we tell you before we left that this would happen ? We told you to leave us alone and let us go on being slaves of the Egyptians; It would be better to be slaves there than to die here in the desert.” Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid . Stand your ground, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today, you will never see these Egyptians again. The Lord himself will fight for you.”

The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and stood in between the Israelites and the Egyptians. As a result there appeared a pillar of cloud between the two armies and it covered the Israelites from the sight of the Egyptians. The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians so that they could not come near, but it gave light to the people of Israel so that they could see the road. Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the water was divided. The Israelites went through the sea on dry

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ground. In the morning the Egyptians pursued the Israelites and went after them into the sea with all their horses and chariots.

The wheels of the Egyptians chariots began to get stuck in the sand. Being frightened they said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for Yahweh is fighting for the Israelites against us”. The Lord said to Moses, “Hold out your hand over the sea, and the water will come back”. So Moses held out his hand over the sea and the water retuned to its normal level. None of the Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites, could escape.

In this way God saved the Israelites that day from the hands of the Egyptians . the Israelites saw in front of their eyes the dead bodies of the Egyptians floating in the sea. When the Israelites saw the great power with which the Lord had defeated the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and they had faith in the Lord and in His servant Moses.

What God wants to tell us : God wants that we put our faith in Him and remember that He is our Saviour and the Lord of our life. He wants that we walk in His way. He wants that like the Israelites we pray to Him when we are faced with difficulties.

God further wants that we always remain grateful to Him for His great kindness . He wants that we always become aware of His presence in our daily life. God wants that through the help of our respected elders, teachers and one another we try to know His divine plan for us.

How we can express our gratitude : We can show our gratitude by living according to Gods will and his commandments.

By saying “Thank you” to those who do goods to us. By showing goodness to those who do goods to us. Above all, by showing gratitude in our hearts, in words and in deeds for the blessings we enjoy in our life.

Meditate on the saving acts of God.

-God sa ves us form problems and difficulties.

-He heals our sicknesses.

-He deli vers us from temptations.


He gives us the power of discernment to know the good and the evil.

Let us pray : Lord, we praise you and we thank you. For you have filled us with your kindness and blessings. Day and night you protect us from all dangers. We are deeply grateful to you for your goodness. Be with us and guide us. This we pray, in the name of Jesus, Our Lord, Amen.

God’s Promises to the Israelites(Exodus 19)

When we love someone, we are ready to do everything for him, Isn’t true ? Everyday you prepare your lessons for your teachers whom you love. This way they know that you love them. Out of love for them you regularly attend your classes. In the previous lesson we saw how God delivered his people Israel from the slavery of Egypt. But he did much more. He promised to them that if they listen to him and obey his commandments, they will be God’s own people, a holy people. Right at this moment you would like to be God’s own, wouldn’t you ? Let us see what other promises God made to the Israelites.

Mount Sinai

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In the third month after leaving Egypt, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai. Setting out from Rephidim they came to Mount Sinai and set up camp at the foot of the mountain. Moses went up the mountain to meet with God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and told him to say to the Israelites, Jacob’s descendants: “You saw what I, the Lord, did to the Egyptians and how I carried you as an eagle carries her young on her wings, and brought you here to me. Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people . The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people , a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests. Tell this now to the Israelites.”

So Moses went down and called the leaders of the people together and told them everything that the Lord had commanded him. Then all the people answered together : “We will do everything that the Lord has said”.

Then the Lord said to Moses: “I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will believe you from now on.” God further said: “Go to the people and tell them to spend today and tomorrow purifying themselves for worship . They must wash their clothes and be ready the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down on Mount Sinai, where all the people can see me.” On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lighting, a thick cloud appeared on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast was heard. All the people in the camp trembled with fear. Moses led them out of the camp to meet God and they stood at the foot of the mountain. The whole of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord had come down on it in fire. The smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace and all the people trembled violently. The sound of the trumpet became louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. Moses went up on the mountain.

What God wants to tell us : God reminds us that He takes care of us at every moment. He hold us in His arms so that we do not move away form His love. He wants to tell us that it is He who is the protector of our lives and He is our guide. If we obey Him and keep his commandments, then He will accept us as His own. But in order to remain in His love, we have to be holy. We have to purify our hearts by overcoming weaknesses and temptations. In this way He will fill us with His presence and blessings, and He will lead us to heaven.


Look at your own life -What has God done for me ?

-Do I understand and belie ve that God loves me ?

-Ho w does God help me to understand that he loves me ?

-Do I read the Word of God every day ?

-Do I li ve according to God’s works in the Bible ?

-What do I do to be pure of heart ?

-What ha ve I done in return for God’s kindness to me ?

My promise to God : Almighty God, you are my Creator and Redeemer. Every day you are keeping me alive. My life is full of your kindness . In return for your gifts I praise you and I thank you.

My God, I promise to pray and read the Bible every day to remain in your love. I promise to obey my parents and teachers, I promise to do good to others and to remain faithful to you.

Commit to memory : “I carried you as an eagle carries her young on her wings, and brought you here to me. Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people. The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests.”

God’s Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20)

You certainly know the eternal truth : “all living beings must die”. But what happens to us when we die ? Our soul will go to God. Did you ever stop to think whether your soul will go to God ? Perhaps you did not think about it. God who loves you so much thought of you since long time ago. Out of love for you he has given Ten Commandments so that by observing them you can be saved from your sins and can judge good and evil. What are the Ten Commandments that he gave to the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai? Even today these commandments act as instruments to guide our lives. If we obey these commandments, then we will attain to eternal happiness with God in heaven. Let us try to know these commandments and learn to live by them.

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The Ten Commandments. 1) Worship no God but me.

2) Do not bo w down to any idol or worship it.

3) Do not use God ’s name for evil purposes.

4) Observ e the Sabbath and keep it holy.

5) Respect your f ather and your mother.

6) Do not commit murder .

7) Do not commit adultery.

8) Do not steal.

9) Do not accuse an yone falsely.

10) Do not desire another man’s possessions.

God spoke these words to the Israelites on Mount Sinai: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. Worship no God but me. Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws.”

“Do not use my name for evil purposes”, for He will punish anyone who misuses His name.

“Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work-neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. In six days I, the Lord , made the earth, the sky , the sea, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.”

Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land God is giving you.

Do not commit murder.Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. �Do not bear false witness against your neighbour.


Do not desire another mans house, do no desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.

When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet blast and saw the lightning and the smoking mountain, they trembled with fear and stood a long way off. They said to Moses: “If you speak to us, we will listen, but we are afraid of that if God speaks to us, we will die”, Moses replied: “Don’t be afraid, God has only come to test you and make you keep on fearing him. So that you will not commit sin.” But the people continued to stand a long way off, and only Moses went near the dark cloud where God was.

What God wants to tell us : We are God’s children. He wants that we go to heaven. God has created us, he is our Lord and Master. He has the authority to command us. It is our duty to obey him. He also wants that we know clearly what is just and what is unjust and that we do not fall into sin. Many years ago God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Many years later Jesus came and said: “If you wish to receive eternal life, obey the commandments”. Therefore, these commandments help us to go to heaven. Three of these commandments pertain to our duty toward God. The other seven commandments pertain to our duty towards our neighbour.

Keep in mind : “Those who love God and keep his commandments, for thousands of generations they will receive God’s favour.

EXERCISE �Multiple Choice Questions 1. Pharaoh w as the King of a. Syriac. Israel

b . Egypt d. Iraq

2. Through Moses what did God do for the Israelites? a. blessed them c. Delivered them

b . Made them grateful d. Engaged himself in a pledge

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3. What did Moses do to go to God? a. Went on the top of the mountainc. Went to the brink of the sea b . Went to a solitary place d. Went to the valley

4. In which mountain did Moses get Ten Commandments from God? a. The Mount Horebc. The Mount Sinai b . The Mount of Olived. The Himalayas

5. Whom did God gi ve Ten Commandments? a. Jesus c. Jacobb . Moses d. Joseph

6. Jesus says, to ha ve eternal life a. Follow mec. Obey the commandments b . Pay homage and respect God d. Give service and expiate yourself

7. T o communicate with God and man Ten Commandments are i. A good path ii. The best path of loveiii. A path of getting God’s blessings

Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i and ii c. ii and iii b .i and iii d. i, ii and iii

8. W e can be gratefuli By leading our life according to God ’s Commandments and wishes ii By thanking of the benefactor

iii By reminding a person about his benefaction

Which of the f ollowing is correct?a. i c. iii b . ii d. i and iii Read the passage below and answer the questions 9 and 10. The Israelites were growing in number rapidly. At this the Egyptians were afraid that one day the Israelites would take over the country and start ruling over them. Therefore the Egyptians started to persecute the Israelites so that the Israelites cannot grow in number.


9. Ho w did Moses save the Israelites?

i By f ighting with the help of the soldiers

ii Through unlimited power of God

iii By fleeing away from Egypt

Which of the f ollowing is correct?

a. i c. iii

b .ii d. i and ii

10. To whom did God send Moses for deliverance of the Israelites?

a. The King of Syria c. The King of Egypt

b . The King of Babylon d. The King of England

Creative Questions

1. During the Pakistan period we, the Bengalis, were dominated by the Pakistanis. We became independent through war of liberation. The Israelites did the same. In the Old Testament we have seen that the Israelites were dominated by the Egyptians. The Egyptians used to oppress and persecuted the Israelites ruthlessly. Moses felt it very much. He was a very courageous and ideal leader, a valiant soldier, and a great man among the Israelites. He went to the King of Egypt many times and liberated the Israelites from the persecution of the Egyptians.

a. What is the meaning of the name Moses?

b . Why did Moses respond to the call of God?

c. How will you serve society by following the ideals of Moses?

d. God has nominated Moses for the deliverance of his own people.-Explain the statement.

2. Martin was always doing badly in his examination. So his mother took him to the Head Master. The Head Master gave him a good deal of advice so that from then on he studies regularly. Martin pledged with the Head Master that he would try to make better results in the next examination. Then the Head Master said to him that he must keep his promise. Martin remembered what he promised and studied seriously and thus he made excellent results. We see that God has promised to mankind and kept those very sincerely.

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a. Which country did God promise to give the lsraelites?

b .Why did God pledge the Israelites?

c. How did Martin make better result in the examination?

d. “One’s sincerity is proved while he keeps his pledge”. - Explain.

3. God has sent different persons with different gifts to this world. The source of all these gifts is the Holy Spirit. Mother Teresa, as a new nun, was a school teacher. She had a desire of doing something much more precious thing than teaching. She realized in her heart that God had not given her a special gift which different from the gift for teaching. So she left her first religious congregation and founded a congregation of her own to serve the poor, the destitute, the helpless and the diseased. A huge number of poorest of the poor of the whole world are at present getting services from Mother Teresa’s congregation.

a. What do you understand by God's chosen Person?

b . Why did Mother Teresa leave her first congregation?

c. In the light of Mother Teresa’s life of service to the poor of the poorest ho w can you help others?

d. “The source of all the gifts is the Holy Spirit.” - Explain.


Chapter Four

KING DAVID, KING AHAB AND NABOTH

�David is Chosen and Anointed

(1 Samuel 16:1-13)

Our parents certainly love each and every one of us. They want that we obey them and faithfully carry on the responsibilities they give us. If we do not do what they tell us to, they certainly get angry at us and if necessary create pressure on us. Out of love for Israel, God had chosen Saul as king to guide his people. God wanted that Saul would remain obedient to him and faithfully fulfill all his responsibilities. But King Saul failed to do as God had commanded him. Therefore, God was displeased with Saul. He ordered Samuel to appoint someone else as king in place of Saul. Who would be that king ? How did Samuel find this king ? Listen to the story.

God said to Samuel, “Get some olive-oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem. When the people of that city asked him about the purpose of his visit he said, “I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me.”

Samuel saw Jesse’s eldest son and said to himself. This must be the one. But the Lord warned him saying, Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart. I have rejected him. Jesse then brought his younger son. Samuel said God has not chosen him either, One by one Jesse brought his seven sons to Samuel. Finally Samuel asked, Do you not have any other son ? Jesse said, my youngest son David is not here, he is grazing sheep. Samuel said, “Tell him to come here. We won’t sit down to eat until he comes”. Jesse then sent for him.

He was a handsome, healthy young man. Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the spirit of the Lord took control of David and was with him from that day on.

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Samuel anointing David with oil

What God wants to tell us : God wants to tell us that He has a loving plan for all of us. We cannot be happy if we do not live according to this plan. He wants that we obey Him, if we don’t then He will punish us for our disobedience. He also tells us that He chooses us then he will punish us for our disobedience. He also tells us that He chooses us to do his work. We should be obedient and faithful in performing our duty. We have to know the will of God for us. Many times God’s will is revealed to us through various persons. If we are open , we can hear the call of God. He calls us to serve in various ways. It is our duty to listen and answer to His call.

God is calling us : -to obe y God. -to be de voted children of our parents. -to study with attention. -to tak e part in the social works for the good of the people.-to de vote ourselves the work of the Church. -to be f aithful and to show gratitude to God. -to do man y other things. Am I ready to respond to the call of God ? Keep in mind : When God calls us to do something, His spirit empowers us from within to do it.


King David’s Trust in God

(1 Samuel 17)

Did you ever notice that when someone is in danger or falls sick, all-start praying ? Why do they do that ? They do that because they believe that God has power to do everything. If he wants, he can deliver us from dangers and heal our sicknesses. What do you do when you are afraid to go some place ? You quickly make the sign of the cross. For you believe that if he is with you, then no evil spirits can overtake you. In the previous lessons you saw that, trusting in God the people of Israel set out on their journey form Egypt to the land promised by God. There are may such incidents which prove our dependence on God. One such Example is King David. Wouldn’t you like to know about his trust in God? Listen to this story.

Once again the Philistines gathered for battle against the Israelites. Saul also prepared for war. The Philistines and the Israelites lined up face to face on two hills and set up camps. There was a valley between them. A great hero named Goliath came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was nearly three metres tall and wore a bronze helmet and a bronze armour, and he carried a spear whose iron head weighed about seven kilograms.

Coming out of the camp he stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle ? Didn’t you come to fight with the Philistines ? Then why are you standing there ? Come forward. Choose one of your men to fight me. If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves ; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. What’s the matter ? Isn’t there a single man among you who has the courage to fight me ?

Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days. Saul and all the Israelites were terrified. David’s three elder brothers were in the army. One day David came to see his brothers in the camp with some food.


Suddenly the Israelites began to run here and there in fear when they heard Goliath shouting. David asked, where did this Philistine get such courage that he defies the army of the living God ? Who is he ? Eliab, David’s eldest brother, got angry and said, what are you doing here ? Who is taking care of those sheep of your out there in the wilderness ? You cheeky brat, you ! You just came to watch the fighting!

But Saul had already heard about David. He wanted to see him . David went up to him and said, “Your Majesty, I will go and fight him.” Saul said, “How could you fight him ? You’re just a boy. But he has been a soldier all his life”. David said, “One day I was grazing my father’s sheep. Suddenly a lion appeared and started carrying away a lamb. I ran after the lion and rescued the lamb from its clutches. When the lion came to attack me, I grabbed it by the jaw and tore it apart. I will do the same to this Philistine. I will save the reputation of the Israelites”. The king then said to him, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

Then Saul gave David his own sword and armour to wear. But David found them too much, for he wasn’t used to wearing them. He said, “I can’t fight with all this” So he took it off.

Then David took his shepherd’s stick and sling and went down the stream. There he picked up five smooth stones and put them in his bag. With the sling in his hand he walked towards Goliath.

Goliath also started walking towards David. Seeing that he was so young he said, what’s that stick and sling for ? Do you think I am a dog ? And he called down curses from his God on David. He challenged him saying, “Come on. I will give your body to the birds and dogs to eat.”

David answered, “You are coming against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelites. You have defied Him. Therefore, this very day He will put you in my power. I will kill you and I will give your body and the bodies of your soldiers to the vultures and the jackels to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, and He does not need shield or swords to save His people.”


David and Goliath

As Goliath started walking towards him , David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downwards on the ground. David ran to him, stood over him, took Goliath’s sword out of its sheath, and cut off his head.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they began to run away. The men of Israel shouted and ran after them and they killed many of them. When they came back, they looted their camp. David picked up Goliath’s head and took it to Jerusalem, but he kept his weapons in his own tent.

What God wants to tell us :

God wants to tell us that when He is with us we can win any battles in life. But we need courage, confidence and trust in God.

We have to be prepared to face injustices and oppressions. We get the strength to do this if we keep close contact with God in our daily life. Then he speaks to us in our


hearts and shows us the way to defeat injustices and evil. God wants us to have faith and trust in Him. He is always with us and He loves us. So He wants that we always involve ourselves actively in good works and live fearlessly. Keep in mind : He who has God on his side does not need any shield or sword. Prayer : Lord God, give us the strength to do everything in your name. I believe that you are with me at every moment and every day. Help me to put my faith and trust in you as I struggle to face the challenges of life. Help me to be prepared to lay down my life for you. This I pray in the name of Jesus the Lord of life Amen.

�The Story of King Ahab and the Killing

(1 Kings 21) All of us are created by one and the same God. It is He who created the earth and gave each one equal rights and duties to preserve and enjoy it. In the Bible we read that human beings, on account of their greed, instead of preserving the earth, destroys it. Human beings are never happy with what God gives them. They do injustice to one another . Out of selfishness they do harm to others. As a result there is unrest and chaos in the society. Even today we find lack of peace and harmony in the society. We see that the weak being exploited by the strong. Many innocent people become victims of false conspiracies and suffer death. Many poor people are unjustly deprived of their rights. On account of false witness truth is proved to be wrong in the eyes of law, We have such a story in the Bible. King Ahab illegally occupied a piece of land that belonged to Naboth who was innocent and then he killed him. Would you like to know about that sad story ? Please listen. Naboth had a vineyard. It was near the palace of King Ahab. One day Ahab said to Naboth: “Let me have your vineyard; it is close to my palace, and I want to use the land for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard for it, or, if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price.” Naboth answered : “I inherited this vineyard from my ancestors. The Lord forbid that I should let you have it.” Ahab went home, depressed and angry over what Naboth had said to him. He lay down on his bed, facing the wall and would not eat. His wife Jezebel went to him and asked, “Why are you so depressed. Why won’t you eat ?” He answered, “Because of what Naboht said to me. I offered to buy his vineyard, or, if he preferred, to give him another one for it, but he told me that I couldn’t have it.” Queen Jezebel replied, “Well, are you the king or aren’t you? Get out of bed, cheer up and eat. I will get you



Naboth’s vineyard.” Then she wrote some letters, signed them with Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the officials and leading citizens. The letters said: “Proclaim a day of fasting, call the people together and give Naboth the place of honour. Get a couple of scoundrels to accuse him to his face of cursing God and the king. Then take him out of the city and stone him to death.”

The officials and leading citizens of the town did what Jezebel had commanded. They proclaimed a day of fasting called the people together and gave Naboth the place of honour . The two scoundrels publicly accused him of cursing God and the king, and so he was taken outside the city and stoned to death. The message was sent to Jezebel that Naboth had been put to death.

As soon as Jezebel received the message, she said to Ahab, “Naboth is dead . Now go and take possession of the vineyard which he refused to sell to you.” At once Ahab went to the vineyard to take possession of it.

Then the Lord said to Elijah the prophet from Tishbe, “Go to king Ahab of Samaria. You will find him in Naboth’s vineyard, about to take possession of it. Tell him that I, the Lord, say to him, ‘After murdering the man, are you taking over his property as well ? Tell him that this is what I say: In the very place that the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will lick up your blood!’ You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord says to you, ‘I will bring disaster on you. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family. For you have stirred up may anger by leading Israel into sin’. And concerning Jezebel, the Lord says that dogs will eat her body near the walls of that city. And any of your relatives who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and any who die in the open country will be eaten by vultures.”

When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. Then the Lord said to the prophet Elijah. “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me ? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime, it will be during his sons life time that I will bring disaster on Ahab’s family.”


God wants to tell us that we should be happy with what we have. We should not desire another man’s possessions. Greed seduces us to do evil. If I cause harm to the society or to any person for my selfish interest, then God will punish me. However, if we are

repentant and confess our sins, God will forgive us. God sees everything and he warns us that we should do no harm to others.

Listen to another story : A leaf was hanging from a branch of a tree. The Gentle breeze whispered to its ears. What’s the use in hanging from a dirty branch ? Come on with me. I will fly you to a long distance over a beautiful mountain and garden full of fragrant blooming flowers, and bring you to a wonderful place. At first the leaf would not agree to the proposal. But the breeze kept insisting. Finally the leaf agreed to give up the security of the branch and go wherever the breeze would lead it, hoping to enjoy unknown pleasure. So it began to fly happily a long distance. But on the way the breeze stopped all of a sudden. And the leaf fell into a ditch full of stench. Sad and depressed, it began to accuse the breeze. But the breeze would not listen to what was being said.

What did you understand from the story ? Such things happen to many children. They are seduced to give up the security of truth and are led to dangerous paths of uncertainty. Consequently they suffer for their mistakes.

Do you like to know what temptation is ? - Temptation is attraction (attachment) to sin and evil. Temptations are man’s enemies. � Temptations lead us to sin.

The origin of temptation :

- Pride, laziness, bad habits, bad thoughts and desires give rise to temptations.

- Seductions of the world, bad companions, evil desires and greed, corruption and � filthy environment in the society can lead to temptations.

How can we be saved when we fall into temptations ?

One of the means is to repent. Repentance is sorrow for our sins and faults. We repent for our sins because by disobeying God’s commandments we displease Him. Through sorrow we hate sins and promise not to sin any more.

What we should do :

-W e should acquire the virtue of self-control.

-We should repent for our evil deeds.


-we should obe y our conscience.

- When temptations come, we should seek advice form wise persons and experienced respectable elders.

-W e should be faithful to our daily prayers so that we can receive strength to do good and a void evil.

-W e should seek to do justice and receive justice.

-W e should shun the company of bad people and evil friends.

-we should al ways inspire others to do good.

-W e should be ready to tell the truth and be ready to die for the truth.

Keep in mind : No matter how serious the temptations are, as long as you do not consent, you are not guilty. Only free consent to temptations makes one unholy.

Your life becomes meaningful only when you do good works for others. But when you strive only for your self-interest , then your life becomes a total failure.

In order to live a good life we need : prayer, repentance for our sins and sincere efforts.

The great poet Shakespeare has said: “Act justly, do not be afraid. The purpose of your life should be: development of your country, search for the Truth and the glory of God.”

EXERCISE�Multiple Choice Questions

1. Da vid come to fight in the name of a. God, the Lord of Israelites c. Social leaders b . Saul d. None of them

2. God ask ed Samuel to go to a. Jacob c. Ahab b . Goliath d. Joseph

3. What did Samuel pour do wn on the head of David? a. W ater c. Milk b . Oil d. Perfume


Read the passage below and answer the questions 4 and 5.

Sushmita is a maid-servant. The mistress of the house used to love her very much. She allowed Sushmita to go to school of adult education and to enjoy TV. She took her along when she went walking. One day being instigated by Sabita, one of her classmates, she stole Mary’s gold necklace. Sushmita was caught and was proved guilty. So she was dismissed from the job. As a result the sky of her life became filled with distresses.

4. The abo ve incident reminds you of what story from your text book?

a. Killing of Naboth by King Ahab c. Cramps and Frogs

b . Lea ves of trees and wind d. The Shepherd and the Tiger

5. What does the abo ve story imply?

i. T o pray and seek advice from wise persons during temptation.

ii. Under the influence of temptation f irst commit sin and then seek for giveness.

iii. Under the influence of temptation commit that sin courageously and then later den y that you have done it.


a. i c. i and ii

b .ii d. i, ii and iii

Creative Questions

1. Nobel used to be called very often by some of his friends and tempted him to join them in taking drugs. At first he did not agree to do this. After some days Isaac agreed to the proposal of his friends. He started taking drugs and became addicted to it. Slowly darkness and disaster engulfed his life. His family also got engulfed by lack of peace. In the Bible we have seen that King Ahab, not being able to resist his temptation, turned against God and became unjust to his neighbour.


a. What is temptation? b .Ho w can we be saved from temptation? c. Ho w can Nobel overcome his tempation form his friend?d. “Temptation brings unhappiness.” - Explain the statement.

2. Anthony’s family has five children. He held a high position in an private organization. Lisa was the fourth child of her three sons and two daughters. Lisa felt that she was called by God to become a nun. She prayed over it and sought advice of some wise persons and decided to join a congregation. Becoming a nun she engaged herself in the service of God and human beings.

a. What is the meaning of God's call? b .Wh y did God call David?? c. Ho w will Lisa use God's call in her work? d. “Everyone should response with God's call"---- Give your opinion of this � statement

3. Benedict took part in the Liberation War in 1971. He protested against the injustice that was done to the Bangladeshis. He fought against the enemies and made the country free. He knew that David liberated the Israelites by fighting alone against the Philistines. David was blessed by God. The incident of David’s war inspired Benedict to be a patriot.

a. Who w as David? b .Wh y did David take part in the war? c. Benedict ’s welfare activities for the motherland.---- Explain it. d. “To take active part in protecting one’s motherland is a virtuous act.”- Evaluate � the statement.


Chapter Five

MARY Mary’s Submission to God’s Will

(Luke 1:26-56)

Today I will tell you the best story of submission to God. It is a story of complete submission to God’s will in deep faith in order to help fulfill God’s designs.

In Galilee of Palestine, there is a small hilly village called Nazareth. A girl named Mary used to live in this village. She was simple, holy and chaste. She had deep faith in God. She as a Virgin, not yet married. She was to get married within a few days, She was engaged to Joseph a young man of that village. Joseph was a descendant of King David. He was a carpenter.

Angel’s message to Mary

Mary used to pray alone every day. She used to tell God everything in prayer in silence. One evening she began to pray as usual. She spent a long time in deep meditation. Suddenly when she opened her eyes she saw the house flooded with a

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bright light. In the middle of the light she saw something like a beautiful statue. Mary realized it was an angel. God sent Angel Gabriel to Mary. She was deeply troubled.

The Angel realized Mary was troubled. The Angel greeted Mary saying, “The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you.” When she heard this, Mary got frightened all the more. She felt uneasy. She began to wonder, why is the Angel greeting her this way ? When Angel Gabriel realized that Mary was perplexed, he said to her : “Mary , don’t be afraid, God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.”

Being frightened all the more, Mary said: “What kind of talk is this ! How can this be? I am not married yet”. The Angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. There is nothing that God cannot do.” Jesus’ birth did not take place in a natural way. God himself formed Jesus in the womb of Mary. Therefore, he is the Son of God.

Coming back to herself, Mary understood clearly what the Angel had said. She said to the Angel, “Behold, I am the Lord’s servant; may it happen to me as you have said.” Then the Angel disappeared. Mary did not see him any more. There was darkness in the room again. But Mary’s heart was filled with joy. She kept thinking to herself, ‘how fortunate I am, Truly I will be the mother of God! God himself will come to my lap in the form of a child! What a wonderful grace this is, how wonderful.’

Elizabeth, the wife of priest Zachariah, was a cousin sister of Mary. She used to live in a village in Judea surrounded by hills. After receiving the message from the Angel . Mary went in haste to her elder cousin sister Elizabeth. She related to her everything that had happened. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s words, the child in her womb leapt for joy. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she said in a loud voice , “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed in the child you will bear. You are blessed, for you have believed that what God has told you will be fulfilled”.

Then Mary praised God. She thanked and glorified Him. For God is sending His only Son Jesus Christ to this world to save mankind from their sins. And God had chosen Mary to be the mother of the Son of God, the Saviour Jesus Christ and honoured her. From now on all people will honour her and call her “blessed.” This is a wonderful grace. The name Mary means honourable. Mary spent three months with Elizabeth and then went back to her home.


God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus Christ, for she was pure and holy; she had deep faith and love. Mary was obedient to God. She always put God’s will first in her life. She knew that if she conceived while she was a virgin, people would condemn her. Even Joseph, to whom she was engaged, might not marry her. But Mary was not concerned about what would happen and what people would say. Mary submitted to God’s will relying on her deep faith and trust in God. She surrendered totally to God’s will relying on her deep faith and trust in God. She surrendered totally to God’s plan. Therefore, she had the courage to tell the Angel, “I am the Lord’s servant; may it happen to me as you have said” She knew God could do no harm to her.

Mary is a model of faith for all believers of all ages. Mary cooperated with God in the realization of His divine plan of salvation by fully consenting to His will. By giving her consent to God’s will, Mary cooperated in God’s work and thanks to her obedience that we have received our Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ.


God wants that like Mary we also remain simple, holy and chaste. For this we need to pray to God regularly with deep faith and love. We should obey God in everything. Like Mary we should surrender ourselves totally to God’s will. Anyone who, like Mary, submits fully to God will find Jesus as Saviour and will be saved.

We should not forget God in times of joy. Like Mary we should praise and thank God for all His graces and blessings.

God is Almighty. Nothing is impossible to God. Jesus is the Son of God. We should whole heartedly welcome Jesus, the Son of God.

We should not be preoccupied with our self-interest. On the contrary, we should put God’s will and commandments first in our life and live according to His will. Disregarding our self-interest and the opinions of people, we should give priority to obeying God’s will in our life. God is greater than man. When we are in trouble, instead of depending on our own strength we should depend on God’s help. Like Mary, we should always be obedient to God and cooperate in his work.

Keep in mind :

If we wish to obtain God’s mercy, grace and blessings, then we have to be obedient to Him.

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Mary : Model of Mothers(Luke 2:40-52)

Napolean the Emperor once said : “Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation. “ Good mother produce good children. For the first education of children begins when they are on the lap of their mothers. And good education enables children to get good formation. And good children build up a good nation, a good society. In the formation of character the role of a mother is very important. At the early age children spend their time near their mothers. Hence a mother exercises the most influence over her children, Children love their mothers more than anyone else and they accept them as their model.

Mary was the mother of Jesus. Mary was an exemplary mother. Her own childhood in an ideal family environment helped her become an exemplary mother. Jesus life was influenced by his mother. When we look at Mary carefully, we see that she had all the qualities that an ideal mother should have. She was simple and very religious. She was pure and holy. She had great love for God. She was obedient to Him. She did everything in accordance with God’s commandments. She also had a deep knowledge of the Scriptures. She used to observe faithfully all the laws, norms and rites prescribed by religion . She had great faith and trust in God. For this, God chose her to be the mother of His Son. Jesus Christ. Mary is blessed among women. God came to this earth as a Son of Mary. Obedience and submission to God’s will characterized her whole life. She had no hesitation in giving full consent to God’s will. By surrendering herself completely to God she helped fulfill God’s will on earth. She had a strong prayer life. She used to open up her mind to God in prayer and meditation. We find these qualities of Mary reflected in Jesus. He learned them form his mother. He became an ideal Son of an ideal mother.

Mary was an ideal mother. She used to observe faithfully all the commandments and prescriptions of religion. According to the Law of Moses, the first male child was to be consecrated to God. After the birth of a child, the mother had to go to the Temple to be purified and to present the child to God.

On the eighth day after the birth of Jesus, Mary went to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the prescriptions of the law of religion.

The Law also prescribed that any male child over twelve years living within the twenty miles radius of Jerusalem had to go to the temple in Jerusalem to observe the


Passover Festival. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had a great devotion to and love for God. Hence Mary and Joseph used to go to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Passover Feast. Their purpose was to show their gratitude to God for all the favours they received from Him. As a token of gratitude they used to offer the best portion of the first fruits of their field to God and sing His praises.

When Jesus was twelve years old, Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem along with their Son for the Feast of the Passover. As an ideal mother, Mary considered it her sacred duty to accompany her Son to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of the Passover. Mary was always faithful in obeying the prescriptions of religion.

When the festival was over, it was time to return home. But Jesus did not go home with his parents , he stayed back in Jerusalem. His parents did not know about it. When they traveled a good distance, they realized that Jesus was not with them. So they became anxious and worried. They went back to Jerusalem searching for him. After three days they found him in the Temple of Jerusalem sitting with the Jewish teachers (Scribes), listening to them and asking questions. The teachers also asked him questions. All who heard him were amazed at his knowledge of the Scriptures and his intelligent answers. How did he get such knowledge of the Scriptures in the small village. Nazareth ? He must have certainly gotten this from his mother when he was a child. Mary herself must have had great knowledge of the Scriptures. She explained to him the intricate doctrine in the Scriptures when he was very young. And so he was able to answer questions raised by the teachers and also ask them questions. The Scribes were amazed at his wisdom. There was no other way in the small village. Nazareth, to get training in the Scriptures. Mary was an ideal mother . She fulfilled her duty by imparting to her Son, Jesus, knowledge of the Scriptures since his childhood.

Mary and Joseph were astonished when they saw him sitting among the scribes and heard him speaking. As an affectionate and responsible mother, Mary wanted to take her Son home when she found him .

As an obedient child of his mother, Jesus went back from Jerusalem to Nazareth with Mary. Under her loving care and guidance until he was thirty years old, Jesus grew in age and wisdom. He learned from his mother all the best qualities that a human person should have. An ideal mother gives an ideal formation to her children. Mary is a shining example of on ideal mother.

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Jesus among the Scribes

What God wants to tell us : God wants that we too try to acquire all the good qualities that Mary had. Like Mary, we too should learn to be obedient to God since our childhood and live a holy and spotless life. We should learn to fulfill all the responsibilities that God has given us on this earth. From our very childhood our lives should be ideal.

We should try to acquire both earthly knowledge and spiritual wisdom. Through reading and study of the holy Scriptures, we should try to understand the fundamental doctrines of religion.

The Children must love and obey their parents . And the parents have to fulfill their responsibilities towards their children. In our family we should sincerely fulfill our duties towards one another.

Let Mary and Jesus Christ be our model. Let our family be an ideal Christian family.

Keep in mind : Mary is blessed among women, and blessed her Son Jesus Christ.


The Motherly Love of Mary(John 19:25-27)

Do you know, what the most precious thing on earth is ? The most precious thing on earth is a mother and her motherly love. All the earthly things together cannot be compared to a mother. A mother and her affectionate love are the most precious things. Nothing is an obstacle on the way of a mother’s love for her children.

Today I would like to tell you a sad story of an affectionate mother standing near her dying Son. There was a place called Golgotha on Mount Calvary where men used to be crucified. Jesus too was taken to Golgotha to be crucified. When they reached the place, the soldiers made him lie down on the cross and fixed it with nails . When the soldiers completed their task by lifting up the body of Jesus on the cross, it was almost mid-day.

Jesus Crucified

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There was a large crowd around the cross. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Jesus hanging on the cross. There were also crucified two other men, one on each side, with Jesus between them. They were known criminals. But Jesus was innocent and sinless. He was crucified between the criminals to show that he too was a criminal.

Jesus was hanging from the cross, with his hands and feet nailed to the wood of the cross. He was suffering unbearable pain. He felt thirsty. Blood was streaming down the wounds of his hands and feet. In agony and pain, Jesus was gradually sinking to death. In such a situation, Jesus’ mother could not remain unmoved. For she was such an affectionate mother. Disregarding all dangers and fears, she hurried to Calvary. A mother’s heart counts no cost. How could she stay away when her Son was in such a misery ? All the dear ones of Jesus left him. Even his beloved disciples are not there. They all fled in fear. But his mother did not leave him. At this critical moment of Jesus his mother is near him, all the others are gone. Jesus is not alone at the moment of death, his mother is present there. The power of love has drawn her. Along with Mary came a few women and John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Among the women were Salome, his mother’s sister and Mary Magdalene out of whom Jesus had chased away seven devils. Another woman was Mary the mother of James and of Joseph (Mk 15:40; Jn 19:25) . The disciple whom Jesus loved was standing beside Mary, his mother. All of these were drawn by love for Jesus. They came to express their love and devotion to him.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was gripped by intense sorrow. Utterly helpless, she was watching her son suffering. There was nothing she could do. Jesus was about to breath his last. In a few moments her son will be gone and she will be totally helpless.

No one was aware of how much time went by while they were looking at this painful sight of the cross. In spite of his unbearable pain on the cross, Jesus looked at the people standing nearby. He spotted his mother Mary standing among the crowd and the beloved disciple standing next to her. He realized how much his mother was suffering at seeing her Son dying. Overwhelmed with grief he looked at his mother. In spite of his own suffering he did not forget his duty to his mother who was feeling so lonely. He was happy to see his beloved disciple John standing near his mother. So pointing at him he said to her, “Mother , there is your son.” Then he said to his beloved disciple, “John, there is your mother” (John 19:26-27) Jesus was relived from his anxiety about his mother when he gave her to the care of his beloved disciple, John.


John clearly understood what Jesus wanted to say. So, from that time the disciple took her to live in his home.


God wants to tell us that, just as Mary defied all obstacles and fears to be present at the foot of the cross of Jesus, so should we go close to Jesus by overcoming all the barriers, fears, temptations and evil that confront us. We should be determined to live according to the commandments and wishes of Jesus. We have to read and meditate on the Bible every day in order to come close to Jesus and to get to know his will and commandments. We have to try to understand the message of the Bible and pray regularly.

We should not move away from the love of our parents. We should always remain grateful and show respect to our parents for their love and affection for us. We should be obedient to them and fulfill our duties towards them.

Whatever situation we are in, we should not neglect our duties towards our parents. Even while dying on the cross Jesus did not forget his duty to his mother. We must not neglect our duty towards our parents when they are in pain and reach an old age, We must sympathize with our suffering parents. Just as parents have loving affection towards their children, so should the children have the sense of duty towards their parents.

Keep in mind :

Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that God will give you (Exodus 20:12).

EXERCISE �Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who told to k eep the newborn child’s name ‘Jesus’? a. Prophets c. The Holy Spirit Himself b . Angel d. Joseph and parents of Mary

2. What is the meaning of the name Mary? a. Mother of God c. Mother of the innocent b . Serv ant of God d. Respected

3. Whose Son w as Jesus called to be?

a. Joseph c. Great God

b . Mary c. Prophet

4. How did Mary get pregnant?

i By natural po wer

ii By the po wer of the Holy Spirit and God

iii By Mary’s own power


a. i c. iii

b .ii d. ii and iii

5. For what reason is Mary called ‘Blessed’?

i. She w as a rich woman

ii. She w as blessed with Jesus

iii. She was the greatest of the women


a. i c. iii

b .ii d. ii and iii

Read the passage below and answer the questions 6 and 7

Romen and his mother Usha used to go to Church for prayer everyday. One morning they were attacked by hijackers on their way to the Church. The hijackers demanded money from them. They did not have money with them. So the hijackers stabbed Romen. They also blocked the way so that Romen could not be taken to hospital. Romen’s mother tried very much to take him to hospital by defying their obstruction. But on the way to hospital Romen died lying on his mother’s lap. Mother was completely speechless holding the dead body on her lap.

6. Which incidence of your textbook has similarity with the aforesaid incident?

a. Sacrif ice of Maryc. Se vere test of Mary

b . Motherly affection of Mary d.Cruelty of Mary

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7. What is expressed by the aforesaid incident ?

i. Mone y is everything, there is no value of love and affection.

ii. A b urning example of mother’s sacrifice

iii. All obstruction and frightfulness are defeated to the affections of mother.


a. i c. iii

b .ii d. ii and iii

Creative Questions

1. Mehjabin is a student of Class Seven. Her elder sister’s name is Rosaline. Mehjabin wanted to know from her elder sister the qualities of an ideal mother. Rosaline said to her younger sister, “Mary is the example of the most ideal mother. She was simple and pious. She had deep love for God. She was obedient to God. She helped to fulfill God’s wishes on earth. We can acquire qualities of an ideal mother by following Mary”.

a. Who among the w omen was called ‘blessed’?

b .Write tw o qualities of an ideal mother.

c. Ho w will the qualities of Mary help Mehjabin to become an ideal mother?

d. “Mary is the example of the most ideal mother” – Explain.

2. Rina and Mina are two sisters. One day they were discussing about the motherly affection of Mary. Rina said, “The motherly affection of Mary is not comparable to anyone else. She had deep love for Jesus. When Jesus was caught and being crucified even His beloved Apostles left Him alone. They were all afraid of the enemies and so went away. Only one person did not leave Him. It was His Mother Mary. With the presence of His mother Jesus felt that He was not alone at the mostcrucial time of His life—the time of death.” Mina said that all mothers on earth should possess the qualities of Mary. Rina said that we all should be grateful to our loving mothers.

a. Where w as Jesus crucified?

b.What does God want to tell us regarding Mary’s motherly affection?


c. Ho w will you express your gratefulness to your loving mother?

d. “Mary was a loving mother.” - Evaluate the impact of it in the life of Jesus.

3. Misti is a polite, gentle and well-behaved woman. But she has no child of her own. So she decided to help the destitute street children. She thought it was God who was calling her to keep herself busy in doing this kind of work. So she continued to do this work happily. She knew from her reading of the Bible that Mary agreed to sacrifice herself with the message of Angel Gabriel. Through her obedience to God Mary sacrificed her life for the salvation of man.

a. What did the Angel say to Mary?

b . Wh y was Mary called ‘blessed’?

c. Ho w will you serve people by following Mary’s ideals?

d. “Mary is an ideal mother,”-Write the significance of this statement.

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Chapter Six

THE BAPTISM AND THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

Jesus’ Preparation for Active Ministry (Mathew 3:13-17)

Once in a while we make long journeys. Think of the places that you went to when you undertook a journey by a car, by train or by bus or by boat ? You had to do a number of things as a preparation for the journey, for example, you had to buy a ticket, pack your beddings, get some foodstuff for the journey, and reach at the station on time. Many such other things you had to do to prepare for your journey didn’t you ?

Jesus is Baptized by John

In the same way Jesus came to this earth on a special mission. His mission was to preach, to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind, and most especially to save mankind from sin. When he grew up, he prepared for this mission. Now we are going to discuss how he prepared for his mission.

The Baptism and the Temptation of Jesus55

Before Jesus began his public ministry, God sent someone (John the Baptizer) to prepare the people. He announced Jesus’ coming to everyone. His name was John. One day it so happened that when John was proclaiming that Jesus was coming, Jesus himself showed up there. It was on the bank of the River Jordan. Coming to John, Jesus said that he would like to be baptized in water by John. At this John was astounded! He said, “I should rather go to you to be baptized, but you are asking me to baptize you”. Then Jesus explained to him that this desire did not come from himself, but form God. Do you know what happened then ? The two of them went down into the River Jordan. John baptized him there. When Jesus began to come out of the water, a wonderful thing happened. I think you too will wonder, if you hear the story. Let me then begin the story.

At first something happened that is beyond imagination. It is written in the Bible: the heaven was opened to him Just as a curtain is lifted on the stage, so the heaven opened. Do you know what happened then ? The Spirit of God came down like a white dove and alighted on Jesus. This is not the end of the story. Then the Lord’s voice came from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.”

Well, how do we know that this wonderful thing happened as a preparation for the public ministry of Jesus? Let us now explain. When the others receive baptism, they have to confess their sins, but Jesus did not have to make any confession. Again, for the others baptism means beginning of a new life, but for Jesus this was not so. For Jesus this was a sign. In ancient times, the rulers used to use symbols to show their power and strength. For example, an eagle, a tiger, a lion, etc. At the baptism of Jesus, a dove came down upon Jesus. This dove is a symbol of peace and reconciliation. Therefore, Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace. It is he who will reconcile the sinners to God.

When a father sends his son for some work, the father and the son talk nicely to each other. The son then understands that he is doing his father’s work. And it makes the father happy, knowing that he is doing the work assigned to him by his father. And so the father can express his joy saying, “He is my beloved son. I am pleased with him”.

Now think of the feelings of Jesus. For Jesus this moment was very important. After being baptized, when he came out of the water, the heaven was opened to him. The spirit of God came down like a dove and alighted on him. And God spoke from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.” Those who were present near Jesus on that day and those who read about it today understand that it was time for Jesus to begin his public ministry.


What God is telling us : Jesus asked John to baptize him. In this way he set an example for all of us. Jesus showed how important it is to receive baptism. When Jesus came out of the water in the river, the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a white dove. Then God spoke from heaven. In the same way, even today when someone receives baptism, God showers his invisible blessings upon him.

Prayer : Lord God, you came down upon Jesus in the form of a dove at the time of his baptism. Now help me prepare my heart for your coming.

The Temptation of Jesus(Mathew 4:1-11)

Life is full of events. Every event makes some impression on man’s life. The boyhood of Jesus in Nazareth, his small works in the carpentry, the presence of Jesus in the Temple, the playmates of his childhood –all these left an impression on Jesus’ life. However, two events at the beginning of his public ministry left a lasting impression on his mind. One was his baptism by John , and the other was the Temptation. Now let us listen to the story of his temptation.

Before we start talking about the temptation of Jesus, we have to remember that Jesus was the Son of God. He was sinless and holy. His innocence and sanctity reached perfection through the fire of temptation. Lord Jesus did not come on earth to live a life alien from that of other people. And yet, he had to gain victory over the world through trials and temptations.

This happened right after Jesus was baptized. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There he fasted for forty days. He prayed and meditated. He spoke with God. He did not eat anything for forty days and forty nights. After that he was hungry. When he began to feel hungry, the Devil came there.

In the desert there were many pieces of stone, large and small. They look much like bread. The Devil tempted Jesus saying, turn these stones into bread. Do you know why the Devil held up this temptation ? Jesus is about to begin a great work. He will proclaim the good news of salvation, he will heal the sick, he will give sight to the blind, and he will save people from their sins. So the Devil tried to make Jesus understand that he had to take care of his body. If he wished, he could use his


miraculous power to satisfy his hunger. But Jesus cannot use his divine power for his own benefit. So he said to the Devil, man cannot live on bread alone. Why did Jesus answer him this way ? Because Jesus knew that food and drink are not the most important thing in life. It may satisfy man’s hunger for a while, but it cannot satisfy all his needs.

Then the Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple and told him to throw himself down. But why ? Everyday thousands of people used to come to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray. If they would see Jesus falling down in this way, they would recognize he had the divine power. And then God would send His angels to hold him up. Why did the Devil tempt Jesus again like the first time ? Because, if Jesus did really throw himself down, the people would be struck with amazement and begin to follow him. There was another reason too. God had said that he would give orders to his angels about Jesus and they would hold him up with their hands. The Devil wanted Jesus to test the words of God. But do you know what Jesus said ? He said that in order to believe, there was no need to test the word of God.

Once again the Devil tested Jesus. He took Jesus to a very high mountain. Do you know what he did then ? From the top of the mountain he showed him all the kingdoms of the world and said, “All this I will give you, if you kneel down and worship me.” You are familiar with the custom of greeting with respect. To whom do we pay respects ? One who is older than us, one who is our teacher or one who occupies the position of authority, isn’t it ? If Jesus would give into this temptation, then he would become a slave of Satan. So, what did Jesus do ? Jesus shouted at the Devil, “Go away, Satan.” Do you know what the Satan did? He left Jesus.


Trials and temptations will always come our way, At times they come to make use of us to do evil. Other times they come to purify us in fire to strengthen us in our weaknesses. The Devil gives temptation only to lead us to evil. When we are fully consecrated by the Spirit, we can always overcome temptations.

Keep in mind :

Jesus chose only one way to overcome the temptations of the Devil. Do you know what that is ? He confronted him with the Word of God. Three times the Devil tempted him, but each time Jesus confronted him with the Word of God.

Commit to memory :

“Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to God’s word; instead, put it into practice. Whoever listens to the word but does not put it into practice is like a man who looks in a mirror and sees himself as he is. He takes a good look at himself and then goes away and at once forgets what he looks like” (James 1:22-24).



1. What is Baptism to Jesus?

a. Confession of sin c. F orgiveness of sin

b . Be ginning of a new life d. A miraculous w ork

2. How many times did Satan test Jesus?

a. One time c. Thirty-three times

b . Three times d. Three hundred times

3. During the Baptism of Jesus in what form did the Holy Spirit come down from Heaven?

a. In the form of ferocious storm

c. In the form of violent wind

b .In the form de vouring fire

d. In the form of pigeon

4. Wh y was Jesus tested?

i T o make Him pure

iii To fulfill His own interest

ii T o show His power


a. i c. iii

b . ii. d. ii and iii.

5. When did the surprising event of the coming of the Holy Spirit occur?

i Before Jesus got do wn into the water

ii When Jesus got do wn into the water

iii After Baptism when Jesus got up from water


a. i c. iii

b . ii d. i and ii


Read the passage below and answer the questions 6 and 7. Subroto Gomaj, the religious teacher, advised the students of his class to obey God and work accordingly. According to him this would protect them against meddling with the wicked people, followers of Satan. Further he said, “Lord Jesus was able to win all thetemptations of Satan. We all must follow Jesus, not Satan”.

6. What part of your te xt book do you remember as you read the above mentioned paragraph? a. T est of Abraham c. T est of God b .T est of Jesus d. Test of Adam and Eve

7. How can the students avoid the temptation of Satan? i. By the help of their o wn powerii. By the help of God ’s holy wordsiii. By the help of their friends

Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. iii b . ii d i, ii and iii

Creative Questions 1. Nirmal Gomaj is running his organization with the help of three thousand labours.

He maintains justice, equity and unity. The people of the area respect Nirmal Gomaj. The employees of his organization are also satisfied with him. Mr. Gomaj made his son highly qualified and expert so that in his absence he can run the organization smoothly. He knew that Jesus has the Spirit of His Father and so has the power to do great works.

a. What is Baptism? b . Wh y was Jesus Baptized? c. Ho w can Mr. Gomaj's attempt inspire you? d. “Justice, equity and unity bring fame and glory.” – Explain.

2. Milon and Kabita are a happy couple. They have very deep faith in God. They take part in regular prayer and help in different church activities. God has blessed them with a son and many relatives. They know from the Holy Bible that Jesus


was baptized by John the Baptist. Paying respect to the example of Jesus, Milon and Kabita took their son to the church and had him baptized by priest.

a. Who w as John?

b .Wh y did sinless receive baptism?

c. Ho w will the son of Milon and Kabita perform duties to the Church as a Christian?

d. “Baptism is the door of entrance to new life in the church”.- Explain.

3. Mita passed M.A. last year. She is the only daughter of her father. It is her father’s very intention that she would be his successor. She prepared herself for taking the big responsibility of her father. So he sent her all by herself to London for some official activities. By overcoming all temptations and completing all his studies and duties he returned home. After returning from London Mita asked her father, “Why was I sent to London all by myself?” Her father told her, “You should know that Jesus was also tested before taking big responsibility.”

a. Ho w many times did Satan test Jesus?

b .Wh y was Jesus tested?

c. Ho w did Mita overcome the test of his father?

d. “One should face test to win feeble-heartedness.” - Explain.

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Chapter Seven

JESUS : MAN AND GOD Jesus’ Obedience to His Parents

(Luke 2:41-52)

You certainly wish to progress in life. You want to be great and the best. If so, you have to learn to be obedient from early age. The whole life of a person is characterized by obedience. At an early age one has to learn to be obedient to one’s parents. Under their guidance one has to be formed properly. When you grow up, you have to obey the rules and laws of the society, of your religion and your country. Obedience is one of the virtues of a good character.

You learned earlier that God became man on this earth and took the name Jesus. Therefore, Jesus had all the qualities that a man should naturally have. Jesus was very obedient since his early childhood.

You certainly would like to know about Jesus’ obedience. Please listen to this story.

Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. According to the Jewish law, every male over twelve years of age had to go to the temple to observe the Passover Festival. In obedience to the law of religion at the age of twelve Jesus went to Jerusalem with his parents for the Passover Feast. This proves that Jesus was obedient to the prescriptions of religion.

Along with Mary and Joseph, Jesus traveled a long distance to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast. Jerusalem was a beautiful city. All the decorations on the occasion of the Feast made the city more beautiful and attractive. Jesus was overjoyed to see the Temple of God (Temple in Jerusalem) among other buildings. The roof of the Temple was made of gold and it was the biggest and the most beautiful building in the whole city. Jesus thought to himself that he is the Son of God. So this is his Father’s house. In order to save mankind he has to leave his earthly parent’s house and live in his Father’s house.

The days of the festival passed by happily. Now it is time to return home. When Joseph and Mary started back home, the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. But Joseph and Mary did not know about this. They completed one day’s journey thinking that he was going ahead of them along with his companions. When they realized that Jesus was not with their friends and relatives, they began to search for him. But he was nowhere to be found.


Joseph and Mary became very worried. Uncertainty and fear gripped them. They went back to Jerusalem desperately looking for Jesus.

After three days they found Jesus sitting in the Temple. All around there many learned men (Scribes) and many people. Jesus was discussing with them about the holy Scriptures. He was listening to them and also asking them questions. The wise men also asked him many questions and Jesus answered them. All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. They wondered, where did this young boy get so much knowledge of the Scriptures ? They did want to let Jesus go. Mary and Joseph were astonished when they saw him in this situation.

Then Mary, somewhat sad and disappointed, called him to herself and said, “My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

Having heard what Mary said, Jesus realized that Mary had forgotten what the Angel had told her about his birth and mission. For Jesus’ father is God himself. He was born of God, therefore, he is God. Joseph was simply his foster father. But his mission is the salvation of mankind. God sent him for this work. The Angel had told all these things before Jesus was born. Therefore, in order to remind Mary the words of the Angel, Jesus said: “Why did you have to look for me ? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house” .

Jesus wanted to tell them that he had to leave his earthly parents and go to live in his Father’s house. It was time for him to his father’s house, to the Temple, to work for the salvation of mankind. The Angel had foretold this long ago. Mary was frightened when she heard Jesus speaking this way. She remembered everything that the Angel had told her. She remained silent. No affectionate and loving mother wants to lose her child. On the contrary, she wants to strengthen the bond of affection. Mary understood and yet not fully. She would rather forget everything.

When Mary found Jesus, all her sorrow and anxiety disappeared. She understood that Jesus was not disobedient. He was an obedient Son of the Father. Therefore, he has to do the work given by God. For this reason, in obedience to the Father, in order to fulfill God’s assigned task Jesus wants to stay in the Temple (the house of God) to do his work. Jesus is an obedient Son of the Father.

Jesus : Man and God63

Mary and Jesus in the Temple

This was the first time that Jesus revealed his true identity. But Jesus realized that time for ministry had not arrived yet. He had to continue to live with his mother. Therefore, he did not say anything more. Like an obedient son, silently he held his mother’s hands and went back to Nazareth. Because he was an obedient Son of his mother he could not remain indifferent to her call.

Jesus began to grow up inspired by his parent’s example and their love and affection. Obedient to his parents, Jesus began to acquire the natural qualities that a human being should have. Growing up in virtues and wisdom, he gained favour with God and men. Until he reached the age of thirty, Jesus stayed with his parents helping them in their work. Jesus was obedient child of his parents.

Ever since his childhood Jesus remained obedient to parents and to God, and in this way he grew up in earthly knowledge, spiritual wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures. He acquired all the virtues that a human being should naturally possess. In obedience to God, Jesus had expressed his desire to take a distance from the bonds of love and affection of his earthly parents and go to his heavenly Father’s house to begin his work. Jesus was obedient to God, his heavenly Father and to his earthly parents. This obedience of Jesus is unique virtue in life.


What God wants to tell us : God wants to tell us that we should be obedient to our parents, to our teachers and to God since our childhood. He wants that we develop our human qualities under the guidance and the direction of our parents and teachers. We should be faithful in doing the works that they assign to us. Like obedient children, since our early years we should prepare ourselves for future life being attentive in our studies and acquiring knowledge. We should acquire the virtues and qualities that a human person should naturally have. For example, we should speak the truth, avoid bad behaviour, gain knowledge, be attentive in our studies, love people, be kind to animals, carefully protect natural environment, not have any desire for the things of others, not be jealous, be hard-working, and obedient to all, etc. Along with all these, we should acquire knowledge of religion.

It is not enough to acquire natural qualities. We also have to love God. We should live according to God’s commandments. We have to read the Holy Bible regularly in order to know and understand what our duties are and what God’s commandments are. In obedience to the commandments of God, we should fulfill our duties faithfully. In order to do God’s works we have to sacrifice many things and face many hardships. But if we are obedient to God. We can overcome all problems and difficulties.

It is not impossible to acquire these virtues and qualities if we are obedient to our parents, teachers and God. Through our virtue of obedience and other good qualities we should strive to gain favour of God and men.

Keep in mind : “Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God” (Col. 3:20).

JESUS’ DIVINE POWER Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

(Luke 7:11-17)

When a dear friend of yours gets hurt, you also feel sorry for him. This is because you love him so much that you also feel the pain that he is feeling.

Jesus sincerely loved people form the heart. Therefore, Jesus felt the pain and the sorrow of the people who were sick and sorrowful, who were in pain and misery, who were helpless and in danger. In solidarity with the suffering people, he used his divine


power to solve their problems and difficulties. Being filled with compassion and love for the sick and the suffering he used his powerful divine words to heal and comfort people. No one was deprived of his loving touch.

One day Jesus and his disciples went to a town called Nain. The town was surrounded by a wall and there was a large gate on one side. Just as Jesus arrived at the gate of the town, he saw a funeral procession. A group of people were carrying a dead man to be buried. Many people were following them. Their hearts were filled with sadness. For the man who died was a handsome young man. And he was the only son of a woman who was a widow. She had no other children . Having lost her son she became utterly helpless. And so everyone was sad.

The widow whose son had died was weeping as she walked with the people carrying the dead body. She was really broken. The widow kept thinking that in a few moments she would be saying goodbye forever to her son whom she used to love more than her own life and would leave him in the grave. Then she would have no one to call her own. For her husband had died long time ago. And she had no other children. She would just be alone and helpless . There would be nobody to take care of her. The people who were going with the widow had sympathy for her. But there was nobody who could really help her.

�Jesus gives life to the widow's son


Jesus saw and heard everything. He felt compassion thinking about the sorrow of a mother who was a widow. In fact he felt greater sorrow than anyone else. He told the widow: “Don’t cry”.

Then Jesus walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. All the others also stopped and waited anxiously to see what Jesus would do. He looked at the dead body. Then he said : “Young Man! Get up, I tell you!” What a miracle! The young man heard the words of Jesus. He came back to life. He opened his eyes, sat up and began to speak. Jesus gave him back to his mother.

The widow was never so happy before. In great joy she embraced her son. She found it hard to believe that from now on her son would again stay with her. But the fact is that he had died and the Lord Jesus raised him back to life. Her heart was filled with gratitude. Choked by emotions she could not speak any words. Her gratitude became obvious in the tears rolling down her cheeks.

All those who were present there said in amazement, “How good God is to us. He has sent Jesus among us.” This news about Jesus went out through all the country and they began to say. “Jesus is so great. He is so great that he can give back life to a dead man.”

Jesus loves people. Therefore, he was able to feel the pain of the helpless widow and show such kindness to her. He did not simply console the widow by words of mouth. Rather he did what was necessary to relieve the pain and suffering of the widow. He gave her son back to her alive.


Through this miraculous event Jesus wants to tell us that we too should love people. We too should respond with love to the needs of the people who are sick and suffering, who are sad and sorrowful, who are in danger and helpless. We should extend our helping hands to them and try our best to do what is necessary to relieve their suffering. It is not enough to express sympathy in words. We have to help them at the right moment by doing what is necessary.

Jesus raised a dead man back to life which is contrary to natural law of life. Jesus is God himself. Only God can give life to the dead.

Jesus is truly great. He has the fullness of divine power. He is God. Therefore, he brings a dead man back to life. Remember, Jesus is so great that he brought a dead young man back to life.


Jesus Raised Jairus’ Daughter Back to Life(Luke 8:42, 49-56)

In the eyes of Jesus everybody was equal, there was no difference between various classes of people. To him there was no difference between the leaders and the common people. He could not but respond to the appeals of those who had faith in him and those who sincerely wanted his help.

Once Jesus raised to life the daughter of an official in the local synagogue who was dead. Usually such officials would always oppose Jesus. But Jairus was a good man, even though he was the official of the local synagogue. He had faith in Jesus. And so Jesus raised Jairus dead daughter back to life. You would certainly like to know, how Jesus brought the dead girl back to life ? Please listen to the story.

There was a man named Jairus, an official in the local synagogue. He was a powerful man and he was very rich. He and his wife had a daughter and they lived as a happy family.

One day the daughter got sick. Her parents tried their best for her recovery from illness. They went to many great doctors. But the condition of the girl did not improve. At last the girl was about to die.

Jairus had heard many stories of Jesus’ miracles. He thought to himself, Jesus has cured many sick people. Could he not cure my daughter ? Jairus was convinced that if he asked, Jesus would certainly cure his daughter. If Jesus comes and touches his daughter she will be saved. So he decided to go to Jesus. From the people he learned that Jesus was in that region by the sea. So he got up and set out to go and see Jesus. Even though he was a man of high position and an official of the synagogue, as soon as he saw Jesus he threw himself down at his feet and pleaded with him saying: “ My daughter is sick and about to die . Please come and lay your hands on her and she will be cured.” Having said this he looked at Jesus expectantly. Jesus felt pity on him when he saw Jairus faith and how he was suffering. As Jesus started walking towards his house, a great number of people crowded in on him.

It was impossible for them to walk fast because of the crowd. So Jesus was walking slowly. Just at the moment someone came from Jairus house and told him. “Your daughter has died. Don’t bother the Teacher any longer.” Jairus was sad and about to cry when he heard the news of his daughter’s death. He began to tremble. He felt as if the earth underneath his feet


was sinking. Even then he did not lose his faith. He looked at Jesus expectantly.

Having heard the news of the daughter’s death, Jesus said to Jairus. “Don’t be afraid; only believe, and she will be well.”

When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house with his disciples, he saw that may people gathered there and they were weeping. Jairus was a respectable man and he was known to all. Many came there to express their sympathy to Jairus and his family. Everyone felt sorry for the family.

When they saw Jesus, they started weeping all the more. They were at a loss. Some of them said with a sigh, had Jesus arrived a little earlier, perhaps the girl would not have died.

Jesus understood their feelings. He went in and said in a low voice, “Don’t cry: the child is not dead-she is only sleeping .”

They all laughed at him, because they knew that she was dead.

Jesus gives life to a girl who was dead


Jesus took along only Peter, John and James and the parents of the girl and went inside the house. He saw the girl lying on the bed motionless. He went near her took

her by the hand and called out, “Talitha cumi” which means, “Get up, my child” Her life returned, and she got up at once and began to walk. Jesus then told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded, they were overcome with amazement . They wondered, how is this possible! Their hearts were filled with gratitude to Jesus. They began to shed tears of joy. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened.

�What God wants to tell us :

God wants to tell us that He answers the prayers and does good to those who believe in Him, those who trust in Him and those who call on Him with a sincere heart.

In the eyes of God all human beings are equal. The leaders of the society and the common people, the rich and the poor , the sinners and the just are alike to Him. God loves everyone and He is gracious to all.

Jesus suffered when he saw the sufferings of people. And so, he used his divine power to free them from their pain and misery. The miracles that he worked revealed God’s glory and honour. God wants that we too try to relieve man’s sufferings.

Jesus himself is God. Otherwise he could not give life to dead persons.

Jesus loved the children very much. He was always ready to help them. Whatever difficulties the children may have had, Jesus was ready to help them. If we have faith and trust in God, he is ready to relieve us from our pain and suffering, and fill us with his peace. For God loves each and every one of us.

�Remember :

“God is our refuge and strength , always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

EXERCISE �Multiple Choice Questions 1. The village Nain w as surrounded by

a. W alls c. Coconut trees

b . Jungles d. Houses

2. What is the meaning of Jesus' attending the Feast to the Passover at the age of twelve?

i. Obedience to religious rites and rituals

ii. Obedience to social customs and practices

iii. Obedience to the parents


a. i c. iii

b . ii d. i and ii

Read the passage below and answer the questions 3 and 4

Stella is a girl of a poor family. They are four sisters and have no brother. Stella is the eldest. She was able to win everybody's love with her good works. one day Stella said to her parents, "You please don't expect anything from me. Because I want to dedicate my life in working for Jesus. So I want to be a Sister while I shall grow up. I hope and believe that Jesus will give me that opportunity.

3. Wh y did Jesus go to Jerusalem with his parents at the age of twelve?

a. T o buy text books for his school

b . T o visit the place of pilgrimage

c. T o observe the Feast of the Passover

d. To buy valuable things for his friends

4. Who observ ed the Feast of the Passover first?

a. The Je wish c. The Nazarenes

b . The people of the City d. The Philistines of Jerusalem


5. Wh y does Stella want to become a Sister after she is grown up?

i. T o get much respect from people

ii. To work for the Kingdom of God

iii. To be highly educated


a. i c. iii

b . ii d. i and ii

Creative Questions

1. Mira and Deena are students of Class Seven and they are intimate friends. Deena does not obey her parents. She works according to her own wishes and desires. She is not serious in her studies at all. Mira said to Deena, "Our Lord Jesus was obedient to his parents. He never disobeyed them. At the same time He was obedient to God." Mira further said, "To be obedient to our parents is a divine quality."

a. Where is the Temple of God?

b . "Wh y did Jesus go to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover Festival?

c. Ho w can Deena be obedient to Parents?

d. Determine the importance of obedience in respect to success of Mira and Deena in their lives?

2. Sunanda is now paying attention to her studies. Her father Susanto Gomaj takes care of his daughter's studies. Father said to his daughter, "Our Lord Jesus always thought about welfare of man. He loved man sincerely. Can you cite an example of this?" Sunanda replied, "yes my dear father. Our Lord Jesus brought dead son of a widow to life with His divine power." Her father then said, "He was compassionate. He always felt sad to see sufferings of man. All these expressed his love for the mankind."

a. What is the name of the widow's village? b. Why did Jesus give life to the widow's son?

c. Ho w can Sunanda love man sincerely? d. What is the significance of the incident of Jesus' act of bringing the young

man to life with reference to His love for mankind.


3. Frederick Rojario was a wealthy man of the local socity. His only daughter was attacked by an incurable disease. He put his daughter under medical treatment of the most famous doctors of the city. But the daughter was not healed; she died after some days. After the death of his daughter Frederick was changed. He attended regular prayers in the Church. The Father of his parish said to him, "If we pray to God with sincere faith, He responds to our prayer." The Priest further said. "Jesus brought life to the dead daughter of a Jewish leader. Did you not hear this? To Lord Jesus all the rich and the poor were the same and equal."

a. What is the name of father whose dead daughter was brought to life by Jesus?

b. Why did the father of dead daughter determine to go to Jesus?

c. What measures Frederick could take to protect the use of his daughter?

d."If we pray to God with sincere faith, He responds to our call." - Explain.


Chapter Eight

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUSThe Two Great Commandments : Love of God and

Love of Neighbour (Mathew 22 : 37-40)

Let me begin by asking you a small question. Did you ever ask your parents. When they are most pleased with you ? Perhaps they are happy when you secure good results in school. Or when you behave nicely with other people. But most of all they are happy when you do everything as they tell you to. When you obey them in everything. Then they are most pleased with you. In the same way, God is pleased with you when you obey all his commandments. Let us now listen to one great commandment.

One day a great Jewish teacher came to Jesus and asked him “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law of Moses ?” Jesus answered, “The greatest and the most important commandment is this : First, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is, Love your neighbour as yourself”.

You can certainly tell, why we should love God. We should love God because whatever we see around us on this beautiful earth was created by God. And God has created me and all of us. Not only did He create us. But also sustains us every day. He is good and benevolent. He created everything so beautiful so that we live happily on this earth. God loves us immensely. That is why he created the hills and mountains, rivers and seas, wind and breeze, and what not. So we can truly say that God loves us. Therefore, we too should love God.

There is another reason why we should love God. He has given us our parents, our brothers and sisters, Your parents take such good care of you. They give us clothes to wear, food to eat, houses to live in etc. They always watch over us and take care of us. Hence our parents’ love for us help us to understand God’s love. So, we can honestly thank God and love him for our parents and our family.

You know that God loves those who do good to others. And those who love God, cannot but help the others, If you love God, then you will certainly love human beings. This is beautifully stated in the Bible (1 John 4:7-8): “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever does not love does not know God for God is love.”

The Teachings of Jesus73

This is one of the most beautiful statement in the whole Bible. Not only is it beautiful, but it is also very important. Here it is said that God is our Father. All human beings are his children. Therefore, we have to love sincerely all the people around us . Perhaps you are wondering, how can I love people ? You can show your love to other people when you share your meal with them if they are hungry. Sometimes you can show love for someone by giving a present. Suppose someone is sick and you go to see that person with your parents. This is also showing love. In the Bible there is a story in which a woman named Dorcas always used to think how to love God. One day she noticed some children playing whose dresses were torn and shabby. Some of them were wearing real tattered garments. And they did not have good toys to play with. Suddenly Dorcas realized that she knew how she could love God. She made beautiful garments for those children. Dorcas could do this because she was able to love the children (Act 9:36-39).

What in mind : God wants that everyone loves him. He wants all children learn to do good to others. We have to decide what we can do to show our love for God. We have to remember that those who are merciful, God will show them mercy.

Things for you to do : Martin Luther King taught three lessons : Never get angry. Do not take revenge. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. He was assassinated in 1967 . Before his death he wrote the song. “we shall overcome some day.” Try to learn this song, it’s a source of strength.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

If someone asks you, “who is your neighbour?” you would probably say that those who live next to your house are your neighbours. Those who live at a distance form your village or area, would probably never think of them as your neighbours. In this lesson we will see, who our real neighbour is and what a good neighbour should do.

There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Out of fear he was walking fast. For the place was hilly and the road was dangerous. Sometimes the road was steep and again sometimes it was very narrow . On this dark and lonely road there were some caves as well. Robbers used to make their dens in the caves.


Whenever they got an opportunity, they would come out of the caves and attack the passers by and take away all their belongings.

Afraid of possible dangers, the man was walking fast. He came to a turn which was kind of deserted. He began to feel uneasy. All of a sudden he heard a noise from the back. As he looked around to see, robbers came out of the caves from two sides of the road. They caught the man and threw him down on the rocks. They beat him up badly and took away everything he had. Then they escaped leaving the man half dead.

The wounded man was bleeding profusely. He became very weak. He tried to get up, but found no strength to do so. He thought he would surely die. So he lay down and kept groaning. Once he thought to himself, if perchance someone come along this road may be he will have mercy on him. After quite some time he heard the noise of someone coming towards him. With much difficulty he turned his head to see who it was. He saw a priest coming. He thought the priest would certainly have pity on him. But when the priest saw the man, he walked on by, on the other side. The priest should have helped the wounded man, but he didn’t . So the poor man got discouraged. Once again he thought that he would surely have to die on the road. But again he heard the noise of someone walking fast. The wounded man tried to groan louder to draw attention of the passerby, but he couldn’t. There came a Levite on the same road. He went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by, on the other side.

The wounded man kept lying on the road in this lonely hilly place. Due to pain and chill he could not move his limbs, Suddenly he again heard some noise as if more than one man walking. Then he realized someone was riding a donkey. The man was a Samaritan. There used to be great hostilities between the Jews and the Samaritans. So the wounded person thought, the Samaritan will certainly not help him. But the Samaritan got down from his donkey and kneeling beside the man began to clean his wounds. He applied medicine and oil on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he wrapped him in warm clothes and put him on his donkey. He took him to an inn, where he gave him food to eat and took care of him the whole night. On the following morning the Samaritan had to go. So he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper and asked him to take care of the man. He further said that if the money was not enough, he would pay the balance on his way back.


The Samaritan takes the wounded man to an inn.

Now let us see, why that Samaritan was called good. He was a man who did good to others. He always thought of ways and means of helping people. There was no difference to him between who was his own and who was not. He considered everybody equal. And he extended his help to everyone. It is not that the Samaritan had lots of money, but whatever money he had, he spent it for the wounded man. Did you consider another thing? Perhaps the Samaritan was on his way to some urgent business. He could have been in hurry to get there. Besides, to help a wounded man can get someone implicated in the police case. He might have to appear before the court many times to give witness. Or, even he could have fallen in the hands of the robbers. But being a good neighbour, he did not think of any of these possibilities. He considered the wounded man lying on the road as his own. Even though the Samaritan did not live anywhere near the house of the wounded man, still they are mutually neighbours to each other. One who always stays by your side in times of sorrow as in times of joy, is your real neighbour.


What God wants to tell us : Jesus helps us even today. He is our friend. He helps us when we work. He helps us to be merciful. He wants that we help every one and he too will help us. Can we not extend our helping hands to everyone ? Those children who are kind and merciful, those who are unselfish, those whose heart is full of the milk of human kindness, are used by God for good works.

Keep in mind. A blind beggar and his wife did not get even a penny walking from door to door all day long. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a very kind hearted man. So the blind beggar went near him. Vidyasagar welcomed him warmly and made him sit down. He also gave him some money. But again he thought that the beggar and his wife did not eat anything all day. And it is not certain when they will get something to eat. So Vidyasagar asked the blind beggar, “What do you like to eat most”? With a grin on his face, the beggar replied, “Babu, I love to eat thin bread and curd. I wish I could have some”. If it were someone else, he would have told the beggar, “forget about thin bread, now get lost” But Vidyasagar said to the beggar, “Well and good”. Then he cooked some thin bread and brought some curd from the bazaar. The beggar and his wife ate it to their hearts content. Then handing them two takas he said in a mild voice, “You come here every Sunday. I will feed you thin bread and curd”.

Prayer : Dear Lord God, teach me to love everyone as myself. Teach me how we can love everyone. We wish to show kindness to all. So you bless us. Amen.

Conversion of the Prodigal Son(Luke 15:11-32)

In your family, your parents and your brothers and sisters live together. Many families also have the grandparents living with them. There is a great joy in living together as a family. There those who are older take care of the younger ones. And you take care of your younger brothers and sisters. If it happens that there is nobody to take care of someone , then you feel sad. Today we will talk about a boy who left his family and went away to a distant land. Let us now listen to the story of that family.

In that family everything was going well and everyone was happy. There was no lack of food, comfort and other things. There were two sons. The older son was a hard-worker and he was very faithful. He used to work hard in his father’s fields. But the


other son was very different. He was not happy at home, he did not like to participate in the household activities. He only squandered money with his friends. He had a strong urge to go away to a distant place and enjoy life. One day he asked his father to give him his portion of the inheritance. The father was very grieved when he heard his son talking this way. He never wanted his son to go away. He had plans to divide his property when the sons grow up and learn how to manage things. But the younger son was adamant. He said he had to have his money and property. So the father unwillingly gave him his portion of the inheritance.

With his money and bag and baggage, the younger son went away to a distant land. There he got many friends. He began to squander his money by doing the things that his father never wanted him to do at home. In this way he spent up all his money. How long can money last if one is a spendthrift ? He had no money any more. At that time there broke out a famine in that region. The prices of things went up. There was no employment and there was no food. When his money got exhausted, the boy began to look for work, but found none. How then could he live ? He began to starve. His clothes became old and tattered, and everyone started avoiding him. In order to satisfy his hunger he began to work as a caretaker for animals. On the day he had left his home, he had beautiful and clean clothes on. He was good looking and healthy. But now he looked very dirty and sickly and his clothes looked like rags.

When his condition kept getting worse, he was reminded of his good days at home. He remembered how much his father loved him and the servants took such good care of him. So he began to repent for having left home in such a way. He thought to himself, I am suffering so much here, but at home many servants live much better. He asked himself, what’s the sense in staying here ? He would rather go back home and tell his father, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no linger fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers “.

He did what he thought he would do. He began to return home with his sickly body and dirty clothes. As he approached the door of the house, he thought he would find the door locked. For nobody, even his parents, would wait for him. But what a surprise! When he came to the door, he found it open. Going a bit further he saw his father waiting at the door. The father ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. The son broke out in tears and started saying, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.”

Now tell me, how did you like the story of the lost son ? Aren’t there many other


young people like him who get lost ? This prodigal son lost his health, his money, his prestige, and many other things, Moreover, he had to engage himself in such tasks that did not befit him. But he had no choice. Whenever we disobey our parents, we face similar problems. Notice another thing. The son did not regain what he lost in the foreign land. Whatever mischief he did and wasted the hard-earned money when he was away, kept pricking his conscience. He found it very painful.

What God wants to tell us : God loves us so much that he wants all of us come back to him. Just as the father in the story was anxiously waiting for the return of his son. So does God wait for us to come back to him. God forgives us our sins. However, we have to repent for our sins. In the story, the son lost many things because he did what he was not supposed to do. If we do not repent, we also have to suffer the consequences of our sins. God truly forgives us our sins. When we repent, he always forgives.

Keep in mind : Once a young girl begged Emperor Napoleon for her father’s life. Her father had committed offense against his position in the army. Therefore, he was given capital punishment. Napoleon told the girl, “Your father ran away from his duty twice. How do you dare to ask me to forgive him? The girl replied, “Sir, I know he made a mistake, Therefore, I am not asking you to do justice. I am begging your mercy.” The girls prayer was granted.

Saint Francis said, “Every good thing comes from the Lord; bad things come from me”.


1. The w ounded pedestrian slowly became a. Pure-hearted c. Strong b . W eak d. Good man

2. We should give to Godi. Sincere lo veii. Proper respectiii. Money


Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. iii b .ii d. i and ii

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions 3 and 4. Timothi is the youngest daughter of her father. Her father has been suffering from an incurable disease. Her two elder brothers are high oficials but they do not take care of their sick father; they even do not enquire of him. It is Timothi who does everything for her father including taking him to hospital, buying necessary medicines for him etc.

3. Ho w many brothers and sisters does Timothi have? a. Six c. Fi ve b . F ourd. Three

4. Timothi’s attitude is the expression of - i. Responsibility and lo veii. Morality and attachmentiii. Righteousness and discipline

Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. iii b .ii d. i and ii

5. God is satisf ied with us when we -a. Carry li ve our life according to his willb . Go to churchc. Think good of others d. Love others

6. According to Jesus ’ teachings we should love our neighbours i. W ith no regard for our own interestii. More than ourselves iii. As we love ourselves

Which of the f ollowing is correct?a. i c. iii b . ii d. i and iii


Read the passage below and answer the questions 8 and 9 Father said to his loving daughter Rupali, “Ma Rupali, do you know how you should behave with your neighbours?” Rupali said, “I have read in our Christian Religious Book that we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves.” 7. Through loving our neighbours who do we love? a. P arents c. God b . Relati ves d. Classmates 8. Rupali said to her f ather that we should -i. Help all ii. Teach alliii. Love all Which of the f ollowing is correct? a. i c. iii b . ii d. i and ii Creative Questions 1. Ishita and Urmita are good students. They read in Class Seven. Ishita asked Urmi,

“Our parents love us very much, isn’t it?” Urmita replied, “Certainly. After God our parents’ place is second in our life. Therefore we must love our parents.” Ishita asked again, “How should we love our neighbours?” Urmita said, “As Jesus says, we should love neighbours as we love ourselves. Because through the love of neighbours we love our Lord.”

a. Who becomes satisf ied to see our good behaviour with all? b .Wh y should we love our neighbours? c. Ho w can Ishita and Urmita love their neighbours? d. Ev aluate social importance of loving our neighbours. 2. Rina and Mina are students of Class VIII. They were playing during Tiffin period.

Unconsciously they pushed a student of class V who fell down on the ground and got hurt very badly. All except Rina who were around left the spot so that they do not be accused of the incident. Rina helped that student get up and took her to the Headmistress. The Headmistress took proper step to cure the injured student.

a. What incident of the Bible does ha ve similarity with the above incident? b . What advice of Jesus has been reflected in the life of Rina through the incident mentioned abo ve? c. Ho w will you love your neighbours? d. “God shows kindness to those who are kind to others.”�- Evaluate Rina’s action in the light of the abo ve story.


3. Johny is a boy of an aristocratic family. He is a student of Class Seven. He never prays to God. He is wicked but meritorious in his class. He did not know that his merit was slowly going down. He cut bad results in his annual examination. After thinking and evaluating he found the causes of the mishap. He realized that he had become detached from God. He became repentant and started to remember God always and pray to Him. Slowly his condition changed.

a. In the story of returning of the prodig al Son who was obedient and faithful to his f ather? b . In the story of Prodig al son why did the younger son go abroad? c. Ho w did Johny improve his merit? d. “Repentance is needed to receive God’s forgiveness.”- Examine the accuracy of the statement in the light of the story of the Lost Son.


Chapter Nine

TEACHINGS ON DAILYCHRISTIAN LIVING

Almsgiving (Mathew 6:1-4)

You must have seen a 'Poor Box". Usually they are kept in front of the churches. Our parents offer money in the poor box. The children as well as their parents and grandparents contribute in the poor box. While offering gifts, everyone feels good. The Lord Jesus has taught us a beautiful lesson about how to give alms. Can you tell, why people give alms? Perhaps some give it because they are moved by the suffering of the people. Others may give it to obtain rewards. But Jesus has given a new teaching about almsgiving. At first he said, it is a good thing to give alms. It is right and good that we give alms because we are moved by the sufferings of the people. This is a natural expression of our love. But there are two other things to be considered: why and how we should give alms. Let us look at these two points.

Let me give you some information. At the time of Jesus it was customary to give alms. A double-drum was beaten when someone gave alms. The sound of that drum was different from any other sound. This drum used to make a prolonged sound. And then the beggars would come forward to receive alms. The donors gave alms in order to receive applause from the people. It was not so much for their love for the poor that they gave, as much as to enhance their prestige.

We could forget about this custom. Jesus wants to teach us something more. In those days there used to be boxes in front of the churches. Those who came to church, used to contribute money into these boxes. These boxes were open on top, just like a flute. Whenever the coins fell into the box, there used to be loud noise. A bigger coin made a bigger noise. And the bystanders would look at the donors in amazement, and sometimes even make applause.

Let us now listen to what Jesus had to say about almsgiving. He said that almsgiving should not be a means of preaching oneself. Even our intimate friends should not know about it. Only God will know it. Therefore, almsgiving should be in secret. A secret giving is a sign of our love for God. We should never give alms in order to get approbation of men. Therefore, Jesus says, "When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

Teachings on Daily Christian Living83

Do you know what the first sin of the apostolic church was? The first sin of the apostolic church was the lying of Ananias and Sapphira in connection with almsgiving. They had received a good amount of money from the sale of their property. Since the land was theirs, the money from the sale also belonged to them. They decided they would keep some money back and tell the church that what they gave was all. They committed the two sins that Jesus talked about. They made a big show of offering the money they received from the sale of their lands in order to get applause. They told a lie by saying that what they gave was all, even though they kept back some of it. On account of committing these two sins in connection with almsgiving, they brought down a curse upon themselves.

Now let me tell you something more. The main purpose of giving alms is, to share the sufferings of others. When I show kindness to anyone, it should be God's kindness that I show. God is our Father, he has blessed us immensely. By giving alms to the needy we show that we-are grateful to God for his many blessings.

What God wants to tell us:

One day a beggar went around in the village begging. Suddenly he saw the king coming towards him wearing a costly dress. The beggar expected to receive something from him. He thought to himself that his bad days were over. When the king came near, the beggar extended his hands to receive alms. At once the king also extended his hands towards the beggar and said, "What will you give me?" The beggar was astounded. Then he picked up a grain of wheat from his bag and gave it to the king. The king blessed the grain of wheat and gave it back to the beggar. When he came back home in the evening and opened his bag, he found that a single grain of wheat had turned into gold. Then the beggar began to cry. He said to himself, "How foolish I am! I wish I had given him the whole bag.”

Keep in mind:

Once upon a time, a priest asked a rich businessman to contribute some money to a rehabilitation project for the poor. The rich man wrote a letter saying he would not contribute. The last words of his letter were something like this: "As far as I can see, religion of the believers is nothing more than mere begging." The priest replied, "I would like to thank you for teaching me the essence of the Christian living which I had never heard before. You are right in saying that to live for Jesus means begging constantly.


Prayer: Sacrificing yourself- interest for others,

Give your life and your all.

Is there a greater happiness than this?

Forget your ownself. (Kamini Ray)

Teaching about Revenge(Mathew 5:38-42)

Did you ever see anyone doing morning exercise daily? You must have. There is something to be said about this exercise. No matter how much you exercise, there comes a time when there is no more growth in our bodies. There is a limit to our height. But in the case of spiritual growth, there is no limit. We can continue to grow as long as we live. How strong we will grow spiritually does not depend on our wishes.

Let us learn something about a new law of spirituality. Jesus himself has given us the law. It is the opposite of revenge. In the Old Testament it was said: “A life for a life, a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, burning for burning, a wound for a wound, beating for beating.” This old law sounds very bad, doesn't it'? But that was the law at that time. People were determined to take revenge. They would not rest in peace until they took revenge. But then there was some progress in the society. The amount of punishment for an offense was fixed. This was an attempt to minimize the amount of revenge. But Jesus wanted to do more than that. He wanted to eradicate completely the spirit of revenge. He wanted to replace revenge with love. He wanted people to be forbearing. He wanted that we uproot the spirit of revenge from our hearts.

Jesus did not want simply to uproot the spirit of revenge. He wanted to do something greater than that. He said, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.” Do you think this is impossible? Can anyone be so tolerant?

We can learn something from the life of Jesus. Jesus was taken to the High Priest for a trial. When he was talking to the High Priest, one of the servants standing nearby slapped Jesus on the cheek. Jesus told him, "If I have said anything wrong, tell everyone here what it was. But if I am right in what I have said, why do you hit me." Here Jesus did not turn the other cheek. Do you think Jesus acted against his own teaching? No. What he wanted to mean is this: we have to confront insult with love


and tolerance. In this way the opponent will get an answer to his action.

Remember, we cannot learn to, be tolerant in one day. It is by practicing with patience that we learn to do so. Jesus said, "If someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well." At the time of Jesus, people used to wear a long loose gown. During the winter season this was good substitute for a blanket. Do you remember, when Jesus was crucified, the soldiers took his gown? But Jesus prayed even for them, for their forgiveness. He did not resist when they tortured him. On the contrary, he prayed for them.

Jesus told us to do another thing: "If someone forces you to carry his pack one kilometre, carry it two kilometres." You are probably wondering what that means. In the ancient times, those who carried letters were known as postmen. Any one of the occupation troops could force someone to carry his pack one kilometre. Jesus taught us to do something more to show our tolerance. The law may require you to go one kilometre, but you can surprise someone by gladly going another kilometre. If someone tries to waste our time and destroy our property, we cannot lose patience. We have to seek ways and means to serve those who do harm to us. Walking one kilometre is for the king", that is his privilege. But the other kilometre is for God. It is God's due.

What God wants to tell us: A flower was about to blossom under a large tree. One day the tree said to the flower, "Don't you feel ashamed when you look at me as a flower? You are so tiny and sitting there useless. Look at me, how great I am!" The flower said, "No, you shouldn't say that. God has made us both and set us up on a fixed place. He has given you strength, but he has given me sweetness. Therefore, I show my gratitude to him by spreading fragrance." God has shown his mercy to all. Hence we too should show mercy to all. The important lesson is this: the disciples of Jesus have to do much more than what the others do. We have to turn the other cheek, we have to give up our coat, we have to carry an extra kilometre. All these we have to do without grumbling.

Keep in mind: "What Jesus wanted was not control or moderation. He wanted to destroy the spirit of revenge. He wanted to replace revenge with love and tolerance." (J. Oswald Sanders)

Prayer: I am yours, Lord, I am only yours for eternity; I believe and I desire to live close to you.


Jesus' Teaching about Prayer(Mt. 6:5-13; Lk. 11:143)

As Christians there is one prayer that we say more than any other prayer. Some of us do it from the heart. Others do it because they have it memorized. Jesus himself has taught us this prayer. Since it is he who taught us this prayer, we call it "The Lord's Prayer." It is a small prayer, it takes just one or two minutes to say it. But with these few words Jesus expressed meaning that is deeper than the ocean. Only Jesus could have expressed such deep meaning in so few words. Let us look at the words of this prayer:

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honoured;may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth asit is in heaven. Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. Amen.

There are six intercessions in this short prayer: three of them concern God and His glory. The other three concern human beings and their needs. Did you notice that in the Lord's prayer there is no scope for selfishness? God is not called ‘my Father', but 'Our Father'. What does this mean? It means that all of us belong to God's family. Whenever we call God 'Our Father', God's love inspires us all from within. So we understand that his dignity is far above that of the human beings who are created. Do you know the three intercessions that concern God and His glory? They are: "May your holy name be honoured; may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

There is a great variety of names. And each name has a particular dignity. In a family, the father's name is on top. In his own family his name is on the top. A king is the lord of his kingdom. His dignity is not the same in the other kingdoms. But God's name is


to be glorified on earth as it is in heaven. Where there is God's peace, charity, justice and love, there is God's Kingdom. At this point you might ask, "What is God the Father's will?" God's will is the same on earth as it is in heaven. He wants always obey him in everything.

Now let us look at the three intercessions for human beings: "Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One." Please look at these three intercessions once again. The word 'my' is not there in this prayer; there are only 'our' and 'we'. What does this mean? This means that all of us are members of God's family and so we have to think of one another. We have to think of the needs of everyone. What a wonderful message Jesus gives us in this prayer that he has taught us. It says, give us today the food we need. We ask the Heavenly Father to give us our daily food. The next intercession is also very beautiful, viz, we have forgiven the wrongs that others have done to us even before they asked us for forgiveness. Now we are asking God to forgive us the wrongs we have done. Remember, there is physical hunger as well as spiritual hunger. The latter refers to forgiving and asking for forgiveness. Only then we experience the peace of mind. Now the third intercession : "Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One." Do you know how gold is purified? Gold is tested by fire. Similarly temptations may come in order to make us pure. We can get sick, we may face dangers, we may experience suffering and pain. But if we are rooted in God's love, we can overcome all temptations.

Right after he taught this prayer, Jesus told us how we should pray. He told a beautiful parable to explain himself. One day a poor man had a guest come to his house at dead of night. The family had their supper and they all turned off the lights and went to sleep. And there was no food left in the house. But how can he let his guest go without food? Then he thought of a rich friend. He asked his guest to wait and he went to this friend. He knocked at the door and said. "Friend, I have a guest in my house at this late hour. I have no food in the house to offer him. Would you kindly lend me three loaves of bread." From inside the room the friend replied, "It's so late at night! My children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything. Don't bother me." But the man kept insisting. So his friend could not ignore the man's request. Never before did this poor man ask for anything in this way. So he got up and gave him three loaves of bread. The poor man thanked his friend and went back to his own house to entertain his guest.


What God is telling us: The guest who came at dead of night is a needy person. We see so many of them around us. The rich friend in the parable is God himself. We are the poor friends. The guest does not know God. But we know our guest and we also know God. If we pray, God will bless us and give us his gifts according to our needs. The three loaves of bread stand for physical, mental and spiritual food.

Keep in mind: "The spiritual growth of a man means development of the whole world. On the other hand, the downfall of a man means fall of the world. The purpose of human life is to establish God's Kingdom on earth. This is realized when, we give up selfishness, jealousy and excesses and instead live a life of love, brotherhood, freedom and moderation." (Mahatma Gandhi)

Commit to memory "Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9)

Jesus' Teaching about Reconciliation(Mt. 5:23-24; 6:14-15)

Suppose a friend of yours has suddenly said something against you. Perhaps you did not mind it the first time. But if he keeps talking against you repeatedly, how will you feel? Will you be able to talk to him normally? Will you be able to forgive him? Or, suppose you remember a time when you did something wrong. Did you receive forgiveness for the wrong you did?

All of us recite a prayer daily. We call this The Lord's Prayer. Jesus himself taught this prayer to his disciples. In that prayer we say to God: "Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us." According to Jesus this is a great spiritual law. If we do not forgive the wrongs that others have done to us, then the door of God's forgiveness becomes closed to us.

Jesus taught us a lesson about forgiveness on a particular occasion. Once a Pharisee, named Simon, invited Jesus to have dinner with him. In those-days people used to sit on mats, rather than on chairs, to eat. If it was a rich man's house, there would be soft cushion to sit on. The cushions were set up in the room in such a way that three sides would be blocked and only one side would remain open. The women or the servants


used to pass through this open space to serve the dishes. The guests used to sit on the cushion leaning on pillows and then eat from the table with their right hands. This was, like resting while eating. Jesus started eating. Suddenly a woman came and kneeling down behind Jesus began to weep so much that his feet got wet by her tears. She unlocked her tresses and dried his feet with her hair and kissed them, and poured a bottle of perfume on them. When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this Jesus really were a prophet, he would know that she was a bad woman." Jesus sensed what Simon was thinking. He said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you.”

One man had lent some money to two persons: Tk. 5000 to one, and Tk. 500 to the other. Neither of them was able to repay the loan he had taken before the date expired. So the moneylender had pity on them and cancelled the debts of both. Which one will love him more'? Simon replied, "The one who was forgiven more." Jesus said, "You are right." Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, he who is forgiven little shows only a little love. But he who is forgiven much, shows much love.

You know that there are many ways of expressing love for Jesus. We can do the kind of works that please God. Then we can say that we love him. We can love and forgive others out of gratitude to Jesus for having forgiven our sins. It is rather easy to love those who love us. But there may be some people whom you do not like. There may be a boy or a girl in school who treated you badly. Perhaps he or she tried to hit you and made false complaints against you. If it is so, what will you do`? Jesus himself gave us the answer. He told us to love even our enemies, feed them if they are hungry and give them drink if they are thirsty. We should love and forgive others just as God has forgiven us.

Jesus himself is the true model of forgiveness. While he was on this earth, he forgave all those who did wrongs against him. His first words on the Cross were: "Father, forgive them." Remember, he said these words from the Cross-when he was suffering immensely. Many were insulting him and teasing him. Even his own people had deserted him. He was hanging on the Cross as a culprit. And yet Jesus prayed for forgiveness. From this example we should learn to forgive.

What God wants to tell us: Forgiving does not mean merely forgetting the wrong that has been done. It means to accept God's love and give such love to one who has done wrong to us, so that one is converted. Just as Christ's forgiveness is precious to us, so should our forgiving others be precious in our life: The more you learn to forgive others, the more you will see how precious God's forgiveness is to you.


Keep in mind: When the missionaries went to the land of the Eskimos, there was no word for 'forgiveness' in their language. So they began to think how the meaning of forgiveness could be communicated to them. They coined a new word. In the language of the Eskimos the meaning of the word is: 'to be unable to think about the matter any longer'. What a beautiful expression! Forgiveness is such a virtue that once it is given or received, there is no longer any need to think about the matter. It is not easy to forgive, but this is God's commandment. If we wish to please God, then we must forgive.

Commit to memory: "Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ" (Eph. 4:32).

EXERCISE�Multiple Choice Questions

1. We should give alms to

a. Be show generosity to others c. Express lo ve

b . Be re warded by God d. Get rid of the be ggars

2. Through secret charitable works it is possible to

i. Be re warded by God

ii. Acquire name and fame

iii. Express devotion to God


a. i c. iii

b . ii d. i and ii

Read the passage below and answer the questions 3, 4 and 5.

Giving alms is a virtue. Irrespective of race, religion and colour alms-giving is an accepted virtue to all. Riti is a student of Class Seven. Her father has plenty of wealth. In the class her religious teacher told that to give money or goods to the needy people


is a good habit. The ways we help others today are investments for our life in heaven after our death. For this reason Riti gives alms to the poor people from her pocket money. This brings her heavenly happiness.

3. What was the tradition of giving alms in the temple during the time of Jesus?

a. Gi ve offerings to the God

b .Of fer money to the church fund

c. Read Bible

d. P ay homage to Jesus

4. Riti ’ giving alms express

i. Charity and ab undance of wealth

ii. Generosity and obedience�iii. Abstinence and bountifulness


a. i c. iii

b . ii d. i and ii

5. What sort of gift can bring heavenly happiness to man?

i. Open gift

ii Gift by circulating publicly

iii. Secret gift


a. i c. iii

b . ii d. ii and iii

Creative Questions

1. One day Rumi went to the Church with her mother. Mother gave her a five taka note and told her, “Go with this money into the church and drop it into the alms box.” Some of her friends saw while she was dropping money into the box. Mother said, “It is not right to offer alms in the presence of other.” Rumi wanted to know why it was not right. Mother said, “Jesus said that there is no reward from God if you offer alms publicly”.


a. Explain the meaming of gi ving alms?

b .Describe one of the characteristics of gi ving alms according to the teaching of Jesus.

c. What steps can you tak e to give alms according to your ability?

d. “There is no utility of making gift publicly.” - Describe the truth of this saying.

2. For a number of days Shusil (Rojario) is grieved at heart because he is not doing well in business these days. One day he went to the Church and prayed to God. He said, “O Lord, please bring peace to my mind. Give me progress in my business. Give my children welfare and prosperity. Forgive all my sins. Lead me to the path where I can appoint myself for the welfare of man.” Thus slowly Shushil’s life became better.

a. Whom did tak e the Jesus coat?

b .Explain the real meaning of prayer .

c. Write a prayer for yourself lik e that of Shusil Rojario.

d. “Forgive all our sins". ---- Explain the inner meaning of this prayer.

3. A grandfather was telling a story of an old landlord to his grandson Pulak. The landlord gave loan of Tk. 10,000.00 and Tk 5,000.00 respectively to two tenants by the names Rahim and Karim. The appointed time of returning the money was over. Yet they could not return the money. The landlord was very kind and forgave them their loans. The grandfather then said to Pulak, “Tell me, who of these two tenants will love the landlord more?” Pulak replied, “The man whose higher amount of debt was forgiven will love the landlord more.” The grandfather said, “Jesus has said in the Bible, the man who is forgiven very little, loves very little; but the man who is forgiven more, loves more.” To receive forgiveness we must first forgive.

a. Who is Simon?

b .Wh y should we love Jesus?

c. F ollowing the teaching of Jesus how will you apply “forgiving seventy times se ven times” to your own life?

d. “The man who is forgiven very little, loves very little".---- Explain the � statement.


GLOSSARY AND ANNOTATION A

ABRAM AND ABRAHAM: Abram and Abraham are the two names of the same person. At first his name was Abram, but later God changed his name and called him Abraham. The meaning of Abram "The Great Father". And the meaning of Abraham is: "The Father of Many Nations." God made Abraham the father of many nations. Therefore, he gave him a new name, Abraham (Father of many nations). (Genesis 17:4-5) Before the making of the Covenant his name was Abram. After the making of the Covenant his name became Abraham.

AHAB: The seventh king of Israel (869-850 B.C.). He married Jezebel the daughter of Ethba'al, king of, the Sidonians. King Ahab was one of the most notorious persons in the Old Testament. We can learn about Ahab from the Books: I and 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

ANANIAS: He was a member of the early Church. He had sold some property and brought part of the money to the Apostles. He told a lie by saying that the money he brought to the Apostles was all that he had received from the sale of his property. He died on account of lying to God.

ANGEL: One who carries God's message; a messenger of God.

B

BAPTISM: It is a sacred Rite for the Christians. Through baptism a person is united with the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. One who receives baptism repents for his sins. In baptism, a man dies to his old self, and he begins a holy and new life in Jesus.

BLESSED: One who is worthy of receiving thanks. It is used before a name to show honour to the person. God had raised Mary to a special dignity. Therefore, men and women of all ages will honour the Mother of Jesus by addressing her as "Blessed". They call her Blessed Virgin Mary.

C

CANAAN: God had promised to give and he did give this land to Abraham. This land was full of milk and honey. At the time of Jesus, the name of this country was Palestine. At present it is known as Israel.

D

DORCAS: It is a proper name which means a deer. She used to do many good things for the people. She was a very generous lady who helped many people. She had died of sickness, but Peter the Apostle brought her back to life miraculously.


DOUBLE DRUM: It is a large drum that looks like a dhol. It is covered on two sides by tanned leather. While beating it with a stick it is hung around the neck with a rope. In the olden days, these drums were used in the market place to advertise something.

E

EGYPT: A country in North-East Africa, situated near the Niles. A deposit of sediment by this river made the country fertile. Harvest of grains was plentiful. Twice when a famine broke out in Canaan, the Israelites took refuge in Egypt. The first time it was Abraham the father of the Hebrews who sought refuge in Egypt when famine broke out in Canaan. Many years later, the Hebrews again sought refuge in Egypt. Moses delivered them from their bondage in Egypt and brought them back to Canaan.

EMMANUEL: This means 'God is with us'.

ESKIMO: The inhabitants of the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere are called Eskimos.

F

FAMINE: When due to natural calamities such as drought, excessive rain, floods, etc. the production of food grains is scanty and there is a great shortage of food to meet the demands, it is called a famine.

FORGIVENESS: Not to take a revenge when someone does wrong to another person and not to hold it against him is forgiveness. On the Cross, Jesus prayed to God the Father saying, "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they are doing."

G

GABRIEL: Angel Gabriel, sent from Heaven to carry God's message.

GENESIS: The first Book of the Bible is called Genesis. This Book contains the story of creation, the origin of the Jewish People and their Covenant with God as his Chosen People. There are 50 Chapters in this Book. Among other things, we find in this Book the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

GOLGOTHA: This is a Hebrew name of a place which means "The Place of the Skull". Persons condemned to death were crucified here at Golgotha on Mount Calvary. Jesus was crucified at this place.

GOLIATH: A Palestinian hero who had openly challenged the Israelites.


H

HIGH PRIEST: The chief of the Jewish priests was the High Priest. He was the Head of the Sanhedrin. The High Priest went into the Most Holy Place once a year with the blood of an animal sacrificed for his own sins and that of his People.

HOLY SCRIPTURES: It referred to the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. There are various names for it, viz., Law of Moses and The Prophets, the Old Covenant, etc. The Jews believe this to be the only Sacred Book. Jesus had full knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.

HOLY SPIRIT: In the Bible God is revealed as a Communion of Three Divine Persons. They are: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ who became Incarnate) and the God the Holy Spirit.

I

INN: In the ancient times, the hotel where the travelers on their long journeys used to stop for rest at night and have their meals was called an inn.

ISAIAH: One of the Jewish Prophets. He lived 740 B.C. In the Old Testament, the Book of Isaiah contains many prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and his works:

J

JERUSALEM: The capital of the Hebrew Royal Family and the Kingdom of, Judah. Jerusalem means "The City of Peace." This city is also called "The City of God" and "The Holy City". The Jewish Temple was situated in this city. As a child, Jesus was presented in the Temple of Jerusalem. And at the age of twelve Jesus went there for the Passover Festival. After the Feast, instead of returning home he was found sitting in the Temple with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking them questions about the Scriptures. This was also the city where the Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus took place. It is believed that God himself had chosen Jerusalem and for this reason even today it is called The Holy City.

JESUS (the renaming of the name): In Hebrew the name Jesus is called Jehoshua. The meaning of the word is: "God saves".

JOSEPH: He was a son of Jacob and Rachel. He had been sold to Egypt. He was appointed governor by Pharaoh the King of Egypt. He saved his own people from famine.

L


LEVITE: Levi was the third son of Jacob. The descendants of Levi were called the Levites. They were appointed only to serve the Priests.

M

MANKIND/OWN PEOPLE/HOLY PEOPLE: The Lord God invited the Israelites to be his own people, his own possession. To them he revealed his infinite love. It was not for any merits of theirs that God chose them, but he chose them to show his love for them. Israel was the Nation to whom God revealed his secret plans, to whom God made promises and blessed them. God called them to play a special role in the history of mankind. Therefore, they are also called The Holy People.

MARY (MIRIAM): Miriam means honourable. Miriam was a descendant of King David; she was the wife of Joseph and the Mother of Jesus Christ. Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist was her close relative.

MATURE: A person who lives an authentic life of faith, love, good works and morals is a mature person.

MIRACLE: The works that human beings cannot do naturally; the exceptions to the natural laws of human lives are called miracles. These happen beyond the ordinary rule or law of nature. Therefore, people become wonder-struck when they see a miracle.

Only God Almighty can work miracles. For only God can change the ordinary laws of nature. Jesus worked miracles by his divine power. For he is God Therefore, he could perform miraculous works that are exceptions to the laws of nature. People were amazed seeing those miracles. Jesus loved people. Therefore, he worked miracles for the good of people and the glory of God.

MOSES: He was a great leader of the Jewish people. He gave them the Law. The daughter of Pharaoh had adopted him as her son. He delivered his own people from the slavery of the Egyptians. He died on Mount Nebo at the age of 120. The Old Testament contains five Books attributed to Moses.

N

NABOTH: An inhabitant of Jezreel, owner of a vineyard. He was put to death at the instigation of Jezebel.

NAZARETH: A village in the Province of Galilee. Joseph and Mary used to live here. In this village Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus and God's plan of salvation. The Angel also told Mary that she would be the Mother of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. And Jesus grew up in this village and lived here up to the age of 30.


P

PRIEST: One who serves is called a priest. The Jewish priests used to interpret the Law for the people and in this way guide them. In the presence of God, the priests were the representatives of the people and they offered sacrifices and prayers on behalf of the people.

PASSOVER (PASCHAL) FESTIVAL: It is a Jewish Feast. It is also called the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt for many years. God delivered them from their slavery. Through this Feast they commemorate that great event of Deliverance. At this Feast, in order to express their thanks and gratitude to God for their liberation, they offer the best fruits of their harvest in the Temple. In accordance with the Law, every male Jewish child who was above twelve years was obligated to go to Jerusalem to observe this Feast.

POSTAL-RUNNER: In ancient times there was no good communication system. Therefore, a peon or a postman used to carry the mail bag. He also used to carry a stick and a bell which made sound as he walked.

R

RIVER JORDAN: A river in Palestine. It flows from the north to the south into the Sea of Galilee, and then into the Salt Sea (Dead Sea). The river is about two hundred miles long.

SABBATH: For the Christians, Sunday is the first day of the week dedicated to God. Jesus taught us the true meaning of the Sabbath, so that we do not become slaves of the Sabbath. As a day of rest, Sabbath is meant to seek our own well-being and that of others. The Sabbath provides a good opportunity to show our gratitude to God for his goodness and love.

SACRIFICE: To offer animals to God in sacrifice. The head of the animal is severed from the body. But in the killing of an animal in the name of God (jobai) the throat of the animal is cut partially without severing the head.

SAINT JOHN: One of the disciples of Jesus.

SAMARITAN: Samaria was a region in Palestine. Its inhabitants were called Samaritans. The people of this region were considered fallen away Jews or half Jews, for they had inter-married with other races. For this reason there was no good relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans.

SAPPHIRA: Sapphira was the wife of Ananias. The two together had planned to tell a lie to the Apostles. Therefore, she fell dead only three hours after her husband died.


SCRIBES: The Jewish teachers of religion. They are wise and well-versed in the Scriptures. They impart knowledge of faith and religion.

SLAVES: When persons are bought with money like any other commodity they are called slaves: A servant who has been bought up with money.

SYNAGOGUE: The place where the Jews gather together on the Sabbath for prayer and worship. It is also a place for social gatherings where various types of discussions take place. On the other days of the week, it was used as school or classroom for the Jewish children. There is a synagogue in every Jewish village. But the only Temple where animals were offered in sacrifice was in Jerusalem.

TALITHA KOUM: It is Aramaic language. It means: "Little girl, I tell you to get up."

TEMPLE: It is the main place of worship for the Jews. It is in Jerusalem. This is where the Jews used to offer sacrifices and gather together three times a year to celebrate their Feasts. For ordinary prayer and worship they gather in the synagogues in their own villages. The House of Worship in Jerusalem is also called the Temple of Jerusalem.

TEN COMMANDMENTS: The Ten Commandments were given by God as terms and conditions of the Covenant between Him and the Jewish People. The Ten Commandments are social norms, i.e., they were given by God for the purpose of building good relationship with Him and with one another. Because all the Jews have the same faith and are bound by the same Covenant of love, they see The Ten Commandments in the light of this faith and love. The Ten Commandments does not spell out everything. Nor is it the supreme norm or directives. The Ten Commandments is like a light that shows the way of building good relationship with God and with one another. In that light, people of various places and cultures have to think how they can apply the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments contain all the religious, moral and social norms, rules and regulations of the Jewish People. The Israelite culture is based on their experience of God in the liberation from the bondage in Egypt. Therefore, violation of a commandment does not mean simply a social offense, but also a sin against God. For God wants that his own People be holy, just as he is Holy. Through observing the Ten Commandments all peoples come to know the Holy God, believe in him and love him.

U

UR OF THE CHALDEANS: A city in the present kingdom of Iraq.

V

VATICAN: Situated in Rome, it is the Centre of the Catholic Church. The Pope lives and works here.


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