Dear Friends,
On February 2nd our holy Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, also known as the Presentation of Christ, or Hypapante. This great feast closes the fixed cycle of feasts centered around the Nativity and points forward to the Resurrection and the movable cycle of feasts centered around Pascha. In this lesson we share resources to help your students understand the significance and meaning of this feast, learn the Prayer of Simeon the God-Receiver (which is also read daily at the end of vespers), and become familiar with some of the hymnography unique to this feast.
To support this reading, this issue includes a teaching resource for grades K-7. Inside, you’ll find:
A Comprehensive Lesson Plan: A guide covering the biblical narrative of Luke 2:22-40, the history of the feast, and its theological significance. It includes discussion questions, activities, and differentiated assignments for older students (grades 4-7).
Visual Resources: Two icons for study:
The Icon of the Meeting of the Lord, with a guide to identifying the five key figures.
The Amolyntos (Undefiled) Icon of the Theotokos, illustrating the dual natures of Christ.
Hymnology & Prayer Sheets: Printable texts for the Apolytikion of the feast, the Megalynaria (9th Ode) for Matins, and the Prayer of St. Simeon (Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace) in both Greek and English for students to learn and memorize.
We’d love to hear your feedback on these materials. Feel free to reply or leave a comment and share this issue with someone who might find it helpful.
If you’ve enjoyed these resources, please consider supporting this work so it can continue to grow and reach more people. To donate, click here.
In Christ,
Three Hierarchs Academy Press
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