Can make the sign of the cross:

• Know that the three fingers together (thumb, first, and middle) represent the Holy Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• The other two mean Christ is both God and Man.

Know the Lord’s prayer:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

Know their Baptismal name and their nameday.

Know that Christmas/Nativity is on December 25th and that is the day Christ was born.

Know that Epiphany is January 6th — when Jesus was Baptized and when God spoke and the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove.

Know that Great Lent starts 40 days before Holy Week and the beginning of Lent changes every year (because it depends on when Easter is).

Know that Palm Sunday is when Jesus entered Jerusalem just prior to His crucifixion.

Last Supper happened on Holy Thursday.

Crucifixion happened on Holy Friday.

Know that Easter is the day when Christ rose from the dead and that date changes every year.

Know that Ascension is 40 days after Easter and is when Jesus rose up into Heaven.

Know that Pentecost is the day when the Holy Spirit was sent by God to the Apostles, made them speak in different languages, and allowed the apostles to spread the word about Jesus to the whole world — that happened 50 days after Easter.

Know that August 6th is the Metamorphosis/Transfiguration — when Jesus went on Mt. Tabor with Peter, John, and James.

Know that March 25th is the day when the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would have a Son and that her Son would be Jesus.

Know that August 15th is the day when we remember that the Virgin Mary fell asleep and went to heaven.

Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to be born as a man because God loves us very much. When Jesus went to back to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to help us on the earth. The Holy Spirit acts in us when we receive the sacraments, when we pray and when we do things that God likes.

St. Nicholas is our patron Saint. His feast day is December 6th. He is the saint for children, travelers, and mariners. He was the bishop of the city of Myra in the region of Lycia (south-east Asia Minor).

Know the 10 commandments

1. You shall have no other god before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself idols.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet.

Know Psalm 117 by heart.

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

laud Him, all you peoples!

for His merciful kindness is great towards us,

and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord!”

Know the Creed by heart

1. I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father through Whom all things were made.

3. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.

4. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.

5. And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father;

7. And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom shall have no end.

8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.

9. In one, holy catholic, and apostolic Church.

10. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

11. I look for the resurrection of the dead,

12. And.the life of the age to come.

Amen”

Know the Trisagion Prayer by heart:

“Holy God, Holy Might, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3X).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All Holy Trinity have mercy on us. Lord forgive our sins. Master pardon our transgressions. Holy One visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake.

Lord have mercy (3X).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven... (Lord’s prayer)”

Know the hymn of St. Nicholas by heart:

“The truth of your manner of life manifested you to your flock as a rule of faith and an icon of gentleness and a teacher of self-control. By humility, therefore, you acquired the things on high, and riches through poverty. Father Holy Hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ our God, entreating that our souls be saved.”

Know the communion prayer by heart:

“Receive me today, O Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your adversaries. Nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.”

Know the 4 Evangelists — Ss. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — they wrote the Gospels.

Know that the Divine Liturgy is the name of the service on Sundays.

Know that Orthros is the name for the morning service before the Divine Liturgy.

Know that Vespers is the evening service done before a Divine Liturgy.

Know that St. Nicholas is a parish or church.

That St. Nicholas is in the Metropolis of Detroit, which is lead by Metropolitan Nicholas, a bishop (Metropolitan is a special title for a bishop).

That the Metropolis of Detroit is in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which is lead by Archbishop Elpidophoros.

That the Archdiocese of America is under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is lead by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Know that Holy Scripture (the Bible) has two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Know that the Old Testament is the first part of the Bible and was written over a long period of time - way before the birth of Christ.

Three parts of the Old Testament —

l. First five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy

2. Wisdom Literature (Psalms, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, etc.)

3. Prophets (Must know Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jonah)

Know that the New Testament was written over a shorter period of time after Christ’s Ascension.

Know that the icon to the right of the center doors of the church is always of Christ, the icon to the right of the icon of Christ is always of John the Baptist, who pointed everyone to Christ and set the groundwork up for Christ’s ministry.

Know that the icon to the lefi of the center doors is always of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child and the icon to the left of that is always of the patron saint or feastday of the church (for us, since we’re St. Nicholas, it’s St. Nicholas — if the church was called Annunciation, the icon would be of the Annunciation, etc.

• St. Basil — Bishop — wrote many things on the Christian faith including a liturgy that we do 10 times a year (during Great Lent, Holy Week, and on Epiphany and his feast day, which is January 1st).

• St. George — Soldier saint — fought for captives and the poor — was tortured because he wouldn’t give up his faith—feast day is April 23rd— or if Easter falls on the 23rd of April or afterward, the feast day of St. George is celebrated on the Monday after Easter.

• Ss. Constantine and Helen — St. Constantine was the first Christian emperor and allowed Christianity to be practiced freely. Built a new capital for the empire (Constantinople), erected many, many churches, organized the first Ecumenical Council. St. Helen was the mother of St. Constantine - she found the true Cross in Jerusalem under basil plants — built many churches in Palestine— Their feast day is May 21st.

• Ss. Peter and Paul — Peter was a leader of the Apostles — name changed from Simon to Peter (in Greek “Petros”, from the Greek word for “rock” — and his faith was like a rock) — brother of St. Andrew - wrote 2 letters in the New Testament — was Bishop of Antioch and then Rome — and was crucified upside down. St. Paul was born as Saul, persecuted Christians at first, then converted, and name was changed to Paul. Wrote 14 letters in the New Testament. Traveled all over the Mediterranean and was martyred in Rome — Feast day for both is June 29th

• St. John Chrysostom — was a bishop of Constantinople — brilliant speaker, called “Golden-mouth” because his sermons were so good — strong defender of faith and wrote many letters and books about the bible and being Orthodox — feast day is November 13th.

• St. Katherine — From Alexandria, Egypt — extremely brilliant — best speaker of her time — was tortured for not giving up her faith — monastery on Mt. Sinai named after her — feast day is November 25th.

• St. Andrew — first-called of all the apostles — brother of St. Peter — became first bishop of what is now Constantinople — died on a cross in the shape of an X — feast day is November 30th.

• St. Barbara — lived in Phoenicia — father did not believe in Christ, she did and was a defender of the Holy Trinity — tortured by her father because of her beliefs — feast day is December 4th.

Books of the New Testament:

• Matthew

• Mark

• Luke

• John

• Acts of the Apostles

• Letters of St. Paul

  • Romans

  • 1 & 2 Corinthians

  • Galatians

  • Ephesians

  • Philippians

  • Colossians

  • 1 & 2 Thessalonians

  • 1 & 2 Timothy

  • Titus

  • Philemon

  • Hebrews

• Epistle of St. James (written by St. James)

• 1 & 2 Peter (written by St. Peter)

• 1, 2, & 3 John, written by St. John the Apostle, Beloved, Theologian, etc.

• Epistle of St. Jude

• Revelation (written by St. John as above)