The Theotokos
Introduction (Ages 10-12)
Christianity is unique in giving the world a true understanding of God as having humbled Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, so that He could share and redeem our life. No other faith teaches, in the same way that Christianity does, that God would "demean" Himself by becoming Man. No other faith gives humankind the joyful news that by undergoing and overcoming an excruciating death, Jesus Christ destroyed death's power over us forever.
But our loving God is so careful of our freedom that He did not come to us in a flashy and overwhelming miracle. He sought human cooperation, and that came in the person of a young woman who lived in worldly circumstances of poverty and powerlessness. The young woman faced the brutal possibility that she would be stoned to death for fornication. Her willingness to face that hard reality, to cooperate with God's will, came from her faith.
This unit is intended to help students see why the Orthodox Church honors that young woman, the Holy Virgin Mary and Theotokos. She had faith that all would be as the angel Gabriel promised her it would. So she said to him, "Let it be." With those words, she consented to God's plan for our salvation. How could we not honor her, above all other saints, when it is her co-operation that puts God's plan into action?
That brings us to one of several things we want students to know: Mary was not forced or obligated to consent to God's plan. She could have said "no." She is our model, born with free will as we all are, of one who chose to say "yes" to God, as we can also do.
We also want students to be aware of the reason for the Church's emphasis on Mary's ever-virginity. (This applies mostly to older students, who are dealing with questions of sexuality in their own lives.) The translation of the Hymn to the Theotokos ("More honorable...") most commonly used in our OCA churches states: "Without defilement you gave birth to God the Word; true Theotokos, we magnify you." Students will be learning this hymn as part of the unit, so it is important that they understand its meaning properly. The word "defilement" is not the only way to translate the original words, and should not lead students to think that normal human sexual intercourse is considered "dirty" or "defiling" by the Church. The word only points to the miracle of this birth: Jesus was born without a human father, by the power of God, while still taking flesh from His mother. This was the divine/human birth of the divine/human Son of God.
Overall Objectives of the Unit
- Understand the importance of the Theotokos as an intercessor in our relationship with Jesus Christ and
- Understand the importance of the Theotokos as a model for us today.
Keeping these two objectives in mind can help us, as teachers, focus on the important fact that every worship service in the Orthodox Church contains one or more references to Mary. She also is given the the title of honor, established at the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus (451), of "Theotokos" or Birthgiver of God.
Fr. Alexander Schmemann describes Mary's place in our faith in this way:
The veneration of the Virgin Mary is a necessary component of our faith: The image of the Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mother, stands [as] the image of infinite humility and purity, filled with beauty and strength; the image of love and the victory of love. The Virgin Mary, the All-Pure Mother demands nothing and receives everything. She pursues nothing and possesses all. In the image of the Virgin Mary, we find compassion, tender-heartedness, care, trust, humility. We call her Our Lady and the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and yet she calls herself "the hand-maid of the Lord." .. Christ said, 'Do not be anxious. Seek first the Kingdom of God' (see Mt 6:33). Beholding this woman - Virgin Mother, Intercessor - we begin to sense, to know not with our mind, but with our heart, what it means to seek the Kingdom, to find it, and to live by it.THE VIRGIN MARY: THE CELEBRATION OF FAITH
by Alexander Schmemann, pages 21 - 22.
How the Unit is Arranged
The unit is comprised of five lessons of about 45-60 minutes each. The first four each deal with a feast of Mary, and are presented in the order in which those feasts come in the Church calendar. This order also corresponds to the chronology of Mary's life. It's suggested that the Troparion and Kontakion for each feast be used as opening and closing prayers, respectively, of the sessions in which they are covered. The fifth session deals with five icons of the Theotokos.
The lessons have each been written on five levels: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, ages 10-12, ages 13-17, and ages 18+. The ages 13-17 may be split into two groups, older and younger, for discussions. For each level in a session, there is a lesson plan. All the lesson plans contain the following parts:
- The lesson theme
- The age group for which the session is intended
- The lesson title
- A series of objectives
Objectives are things that the students should be able to do as a result of the session. Objectives should be things the teacher can measure. Objectives contain verbs such as define, name, list, explain, tell, and other measurable actions. Through questions and discussion, teachers can ascertain whether students are able to fulfill these objectives. If they are not able to do so, teachers will know that review or repetition are necessary. - Resources and Materials Needed.
These are the various materials the teacher will need to teach the session and meet the objectives. These include icons, art, photos, liturgical texts, Bible stories and passages, and craft materials that will be part of the session. - Procedure This is a step-by step outline of how the session should go.
It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos,
ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the Cherubim,
and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim,
without defilement you gave birth to God the Word.
True Theotokos, we magnify you!
The Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8) (Ages 10-12)

Overview
Mary's humanity and God's Love
- Mary's humanity and God's Love


Objectives
By the end of this Lesson, learners should be able to:- Identify the parents of Mary and retell some traditions regarding her birth
- Contrast Mary’s co-operation with God with Eve’s refusal to co-operate with God
- Demonstrate an understanding of the festal icon


Materials
- Bible: Genesis, chapters 2 and 3.
- Icon of the Nativity of the Theotokos
- Icon of the Nativity of Jesus Christ
- Icon of the Resurrection (in which Christ is clearly shown pulling Eve as well as Adam out of the power of death)
- Descriptions of the above icons from The Icon Book
- Background on the Icon of the Nativity of the Theotokos found in the Description Section of the Icon Resource.
- Genesis 2&3 Review Activity
- Materials needed for Genesis 2&3 Review Activity


Resources
Required Resources
- Kontakion: Nativity of the Theotokos (Sheet Music) (PDF)
- Nativity of The Theotokos Line Drawing (PDF)
- Icon of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Image)
- Icon of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Image)
- Genesis 2 & 3 Review Activity (HTML)
- Troparion: Nativity of the Theotokos (Sheet Music) (PDF)
- Icon of The Resurrection of Christ (Image)
- Entrance of the Theotokos (HTML)
- Hymn to the Theotokos (It is Truly Meet) (HTML)
- Nativity of Theotokos - Liturgical Texts (HTML)
- The Story of the Nativity (Birth) of the Theotokos (HTML)
- The Icon Book (Image)


Procedure
1 |
Opening Prayer |
Troparion (Tone 4) Your Nativity, O Virgin, Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! The Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, Has shone from you, O Theotokos. By annuling the curse, He bestowed a blessing. By destroying death, He has granted us eternal life. (You will want to have the words readable for students on a chalkboard or chart.) |
2 |
Troparion Discussion |
Ask students, "Have you ever had something go wrong because you didn't listen to your parents or another adult who loves you?" (Let students answer briefly.) Then, with the words of the troparion in mind, read Genesis 1: 27-30 and 3: 1-15 together. Discuss these questions:
Look back at the words of the troparion. How do the words reflect Scripture? (The "curse" in Genesis is overcome by Jesus Christ. When He comes to the world, He defeats death. Since the time of Adam, death had had full power over human beings. With the coming of Christ, death's power is no longer final. We can rise to a new and everlasting life with Christ. That is why the New Testament and the Church often refer to Jesus Christ as the "new Adam".) |
3 |
Icon Description |
Look together at the icon of the Resurrection. Christ, risen, is pulling Adam and Eve out from the power of death. Point out to students that this shows us two things: first, the sin of disobedience committed by Adam and Eve has been forgiven. Second, Jesus Christ's defeat of the power of death is complete. Now look at the icons of Mary’s nativity and Jesus Christ’s nativity. Compare elements of the two. Use The Icon Book for helpful information. Note that both the icons depict details that show the two births are real human births (baby being washed, etc.) Say that just as Christ is called the “new Adam,” Mary is called the "new Eve", and that later during the session you are going to find out why she is given that name. |
4 |
Scripture Review |
As a mini-review of the session so far, print out and complete Genesis 2 & 3 Review Activity found in the Resource Section. |
5 |
Nativity of the Theotokos - Story Time |
Read together the story of The Nativity of the Theotokos found in the Resource Section. After reading the story, discuss these questions and points:
|
6 |
Troparion and Kontakion |
Review the meaning of the words in the Troparion and in the Kontakion. Ask students how, according to the troparion, Christ “annulled the curse.” (This is another way of saying that Christ destroyed death. Now it no longer has the final power over us that it did before.) Talk about the three groups people "freed" according to the words of the kontakion. Joachim and Anna are freed from the shame of barrenness or childlessness. Adam and Eve are freed from the separation from God which resulted from their disobedience. And all of us are freed from the final power of death. |
7 |
Closing Prayer |
As a closing prayer, let students (those who wish to speak) offer thanks to God for some freedom they have. Close with the kontakion of the feast. Kontakion - Tone 4
|

The Entrance of the Theotokos (November 21) (Ages 10-12)

Overview
Mary's holiness and purity


Objectives
By the end of this Lesson, learners should be able to:- Tell the general meaning of the Troparion of the feast
- Tell what it means when Mary is described as a living temple of God
- Retell the stories of other Biblical women who were called to important service by God
- Compare the icons of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple and the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple


Materials
- Bible: Luke 2: 22-40 and 41-50. Psalm 45: 13-17.
- Story of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
- Icon of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
- Icon of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple
- Descriptions of the above Feasts from The Icon Book
- Liturgical Hymnsof the Feast
- Holy Women of the Bible Activity
- Paper
- Scissors
- Pens, markers, and crayons for drawing and writing
- Teacher Backgound Info


Resources
Required Resources Optional Resources


Procedure
1 |
Opening Prayer |
Troparion (Tone 4) Today is the prelude of the good will of God, Make sure students understand these words in the hymn:
|
2 |
The Story of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple |
Tell the class that you are going to read about the event described in this hymn. Read the story of the Feast found in the Resource Section. Discuss these points:
|
3 |
Holy Women of the Bible |
Print out and complete the Holy Women of the Bible Activity found in the Resource Section. |
4 |
Icon Activity |
Look together at the icons of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, and of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. Use the descriptions in The Icon Book to compare the two. |
5 |
The Theotokos as the "living temple" |
Talk together about the title “living temple” that is often applied to the Theotokos. Ask students to tell what they think it means. (Bring into the discussion the idea that Mary carried Jesus Christ in her body as He was getting ready to be born. But also, she did the will of God. In both ways, she was ready to be God’s servant. So she was always offering God worship. The temple is the place where God is always worshipped. Thus we can call Mary a “living temple” of God.) Let students come up with their own ideas. Varied answers are completely acceptable, but they should be along the lines of the ideas offered here. Next, ask students how we can become “living temples.” Ask them to create something that expresses their thoughts about this. They may decide to create a poem, a drawing, a short story or essay, a cartoon or some other form of expression. |
6 |
Closing Prayer (Sung together) |
Use the Kontakion of the Feast Kontakion - Tone 4 If you have time, go over the meaning of the last line of the kontakion with your students: "Truly this woman is the abode of heaven." Make sure they understand that the word "abode" means a place where someone lives or stays. Ask them what it means to say Mary is the abode of heaven. (She carried Jesus Christ in her body as He was getting ready to be born. This is the same as what any mother does with her baby. But Jesus is God's only Son, who came from heaven. So we can say that Mary carried heaven in her body when carried Jesus Christ. She was His "abode.") |

The Annunciation (March 25) (Ages 10-12)

Overview
Mary's obedience and humility
- Mary's obedience and humility


Objectives
By the end of this Lesson, learners should be able to:- Retell,briefly,the story of the Annunciation and the Virgin Mary’s later meeting with her cousin Elizabeth
- Describe Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s message as an example of faith and humility
- Demonstrate an understanding of the icon of the feast
- Describe the Incarnation of Christ as a miracle and a manifestation of God’s love


Materials
- Bible: Luke 1: 26-56, I Samuel 2: 1-10, Mark 3: 31-35, John 2: 1-11, John 19: 25-27.
- Icon of the Annunciation, and description from The Icon Book
- 3 large sheets of paper for charts
- Rulers for students to share
- Markers/crayons
- Tape


Resources
Required Resources
- Annunciation - Line Drawing (PDF)
- Icon of the Annuciation to the Theotokos (Image)
- Liturgical Texts: Annunciation (HTML)
- The Story of the Annunciation (10-13) (HTML)
- The Icon Book (Image)


Procedure
1 |
Opening Prayer |
Troparion of the Annunciation - Tone 4
|
2 |
Story of the Annunciation |
Tell the class that the Feast of the Annunciation is about an announcement, and make sure they understand that “annunciation” is the act of announcing. Discuss the general idea of “announcements” briefly: To announce a thing is to share it, and we only announce important things. There are many ways of announcing things (let the class come up with examples such as TV, radio, websites, e-mail, fliers, newspapers, invitations.) With the class, read Luke 1: 36-45. Talk together about these questions and points:
|
3 |
Scripture Reading |
Group Activity With the class, read Luke 1: 46-55. Put the title “Magnificat” on the chalkboard, and tell the class that this hymn of praise to God is part of our worship services. The title comes from the first word of the hymn in Latin. Point out to the class that the mother of Samuel in the Old Testament sang a hymn of praise much like this one. Read I Samuel 2: 1-10 together. Divide the class into three groups. Give them paper, markers, and a ruler. Ask each group to make a chart showing three things from Hannah’s hymn that are similar to the Magnificat. Let them make their charts colorful, with words written large enough to be easy to read. (Groups can divide their papers down the middle using rulers, and head one side “Hannah’s Song” and the other side “Mary’s Magnificat.”) When the groups have finished, they can compare their charts to see how many of the same similarities they came up with. Plan to display the charts in the room. Point out to the class that Hannah rejoiced over the birth of her son Samuel, who would become a great leader of the Hebrew people. Samuel was a human being like all of us. But of course the greatest event ever to take place was the birth of Mary’s Son, because it was a miracle and He was the divine Son of God. That’s why the Church calls His birth by the special title of “the Incarnation.” Discuss the word INCARNATION with the class. The prefix “in” is familiar to all of us. “Carn” refers to flesh. Ask students to think of some words including “carn.” (Carnivore, carnal, carnival and carnation are some examples. A “carnival” is a celebration of fleshly enjoyments. The flower “carnation” is so named because it is flesh-colored.) The suffix “ation” means being or becoming. Put the word on the chalkboard in syllables: IN-CARN-ATION. To become flesh—this is what God did for us. Tell the class that Mary, as the mother of Our Lord, had a very special place in His life always. Write these three phrases on the board:
|
4 |
Icon of the Annunciation |
Look at the icon of the Feast of the Annunciation together, noting details. Use The Icon Book to enhance your discussion |
5 |
Closing Prayer |
Kontakion of the feast (sing together). |

The Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15) (Ages 10-12)

Overview
Our Salvation and Christ's perfect love
- Our Salvation and Christ's perfect love


Objectives
By the end of this Lesson, learners should be able to:- Retell the story of the Dormition of the Theotokos
- Explain why we say that the Theotokos fell asleep not into death but into life
- Recognize the words “Assumption” and “Repose” as other, related, names for this feast
- Demonstrate an understanding of the icon of the feast


Materials
- Icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos, and description from The Icon Book
- Liturgical Hymns
- Scissors
- Various colors of construction paper
- Thin-point markers and thick-point markers in various colors
- Tape
- Stapler for students to make large paper flowers.


Resources
Required Resources
- Dormition - Liturgical Texts (HTML)
- Dormition Line Drawing (Image)
- Icon of The Dormition (Image)
- The Story of the Dormition of the Theotokos, 7-9 (HTML)


Procedure
1 |
Opening Prayer |
Troparion of the Dormition - Tone 1 In giving birth you preserved your virginity! |
2 |
Story of the Dormition of the Theotokos |
Read the story of the Dormition (found in the Resource Section) together: After reading the story, look again at the troparion. Point out to the class that two miracles about the Theotokos are compared. First, she gave birth to a child even though there was no human father—she “preserved her virginity.” Second, though she “fell asleep” or died, she lives in the Kingdom of God. Both of these show us God’s greatness. Ask the class, “What does the troparion tell us that Mary does now, in the Kingdom?” (She prays for us.) |
3 |
Creating Flowers |
Group Activity - Divide the class into four groups. Tell them that in many Orthodox churches, flowers are blessed at the Feast of the Dormition. Ask them to make large paper “flowers” for the Theotokos to display on the wall of your classroom. Assign each group one of the four feasts you have studied over these four weeks. Have each group design a flower. With the materials you have provided, the students can make petals, each with one of these identifying words or phrases written on it:
|
4 |
Icon of the Dormition |
Look at the icon of the feast together, using the description in The Icon Book to explain details. Ask students how the icon shows that Mary’s death is a special one. (As the book points out, Jesus is shown taking her to the Kingdom, rather than leaving her to lie in the grave.) Remind students that Mary continues to pray for us. Look at the words of the kontakion of the feast together, and ask students what words tell us this. (The hymn describes the Theotokos as the one who “is constant in prayer and [is] our firm hope in her intercessions.” Make sure students have understood the word “intercessions” to mean praying for another person, or asking on behalf of another person.) Remind students that flowers are often part of the Dormition Feast, and that Mary is the “Mother” to all of us as she was to the apostles. Have students take a few minutes to think of someone who is a mother even to those who are not her own children. Ask them to plan to give flowers to that person. |
5 |
Closing Prayer |
Kontakion of the Feast - Tone 2 |

Icons of the Theotokos (Ages 10-12)

Overview
The Theotokos: compassion and protection


Objectives
By the end of this Lesson, learners should be able to:- Compare the different iconographic representations of the Theotokos
- Compare the different icons to verses of the Akathist which portray similar emotions
- Recite the Hymn to the Theotokos


Materials
- Copies of the feast day icons of the Theotokos that have been studied in previous lessons
- Copies of the Troparia from the feast days, not titled (available in Sessions 1-4)
- Copies of the following icons and troparia (not titled):
- The Tikhvin Icon
- The Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir:
- Our Lady of the Sign
- The Icon of the Protection
- The Icon Book


Resources
Required Resources
- Icon of The Theotokos (PDF)
- Icon of the Annuciation to the Theotokos (Image)
- Icon of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Image)
- Icon of the Theotokos of the Sign (Image)
- Icons of the Theotokos - Description (HTML)
- Troparia for Icons of the Theotokos (HTML)
- Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple (Icon) (Image)
- Icon of The Dormition (Image)
- Icon of the Protection of the Theotokos (Image)
- The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (Image)
- Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God (Image)
- The Icon Book (Image)
- The Meaning of Icons (Image)


Procedure
1 |
Opening Prayer |
Hymn to the Theotokos
|
2 |
Icons of the Theotokos |
Icons of the Theotokos (20 minutes) Tell the class: During the past four sessions we have studied four feasts of the Theotokos. We know, though, that we honor the Theotokos more often than just on these feast days. We can ask the Theotokos to pray for us and remember us to God daily. We also honor her during the services of the Church, and with special hymns and Akathists, praising her and asking for her help. Icons are an important part of the worship of the Orthodox Church. There was a time when people misunderstood the use of icons, and still today some people don’t understand them. Orthodox Christians teach that we do not pray to icons, but in fact pray through them, and that they help us to realize that Christ and the saints are present with us always. They also help us to understand important events in the life of Christ, the Theotokos or the saints. That's why we studied the icons of the feast days of the Theotokos. But there are many other icons of the Theotokos. Ask the class: Can anyone remember where an icon of the Theotokos is in our Church? Many people have a number of icons in their homes, usually in a special place, where they also pray. There are a number of styles or types of icons of the Theotokos. Many churches and individuals have several icons of the Theotokos.
Read together the appropriate page (page 2) from The Icon Book. Say: Here are some additional types of icons of the Theotokos. What differences do you see in the various types of icon? Have the students spend a little time looking at the icons, discussing the facial expressions and the positioning of Christ and the Theotokos. Read The Icons of the Theotokos - Description from the Resource Section. |
3 |
Hymnography and Icons |
Read the 8 Troparia from the previous sessions and this one. Then:
|
4 |
Story:Miraculous icons |
Throughout history, many miracles have occurred in association with icons of the Theotokos. Miracles of all types, especially spiritual and physical healings, have occurred. These icons have become increasingly valuable to the local communities and to the whole Orthodox Church. The Tikhvin Icon and the Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir are two such icons. For many years the Tikhvin Icon was kept in the United States, until the Communist government, which was hostile to the Orthodox Church, fell. Bishop John (Garklavs) and later his son, Fr. Sergei, were guardians of the icon. In July of 2004 it was returned to the Tikhvin Monastery in Russia. |
5 |
Closing Prayer |
Select one or more of the Troparia for the closing prayer. |
