The Virgin Mary: A Celebration of Our Faith: Session 3: The Annunciation—Intermediate Group

Theme Of Lesson: The Annunciation
Sub-Theme: Mary’s obediance and humility

Objectives:

• Retell briefly the story of the Annunciation and the Virgin Mary’s later meeting with her cousin Elizabeth .
• Tell how the Virgin Mary responded to Gabriel’s message with obedience and relate the necessity of obedience and willingness to serve to their own lives.
• Discuss the incarnation of Christ as a miracle: “For with God nothing will be impossible.” [Bring in the scripture from 1 Samuel for this part.]
• Demonstrate an understanding of the icon of the feast.
  

Resources:

• Bible
• Bible aids
• Luke 1: 26 – 56 [includes Mary’s meeting with her cousin Elizabeth.]
• 1 Samuel 2: 1 – 10 (Hannah)

Liturgy, Feasts, Hymns

Troparion of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos (Tone 4)
Today is the beginning of our salvation,
the revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos!
Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.

Kontakion of the Annunciation
To You, the Champion Leader of Triumphant Hosts,
do I, your city ascribe thank offrings of vic’try;
for from terrors you have delivered me,
O Theotokos; and as You possess the pow’r invincible,
do You free me from ev’ry kind of danger, that I may cry to You;
Hail, O Bride unwedded.

Hymn to the Theotokos
As you are a living Temple of God,
let no impure hand touch you, O Theotokos.
But let the lips of all believers sing,
constantly magnifying you in joy with the angelic salutation:
Truly you are above all creatures, O Pure One!

Activities

• Construct a chart which shows similarities between Mary’s obedience and the joyful proclamation made by her cousin Elizabeth with Hannah’s proclamation in 1 Samuel.

Icons

• A copy of the icon will be included, as well as the section from The Icon Book.
  

Teacher’s Notes & Discussion-Starter Questions:

• Discussion questions on the Annunciation are attached.
• Discuss also the expressions on the faces of Gabriel and Mary in the icon. Use the attached article by Fr. Gabriel Barrow, “The Announcement” as a discussion-starter.