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2004 Saint John Chrysostom
Oratorical Festival

TOPICS

Festival Theme: The Pentecostarion

Junior Division

1. Many Christians have misunderstood the life of St. Mary Magdalene.  What is the Orthodox teaching of her life?

2. Talk about the content of the Pentecostarion and its place within the context of the Liturgical calendar.

3. In Acts 6:8-7:60, we read about the martyrdom of St. Stephen.  While we may not be called to suffer martyrdom,  how can we imitate his life?

4. Initially St. Paul was a zealous persecutor of the Christians, later he went on to became its greatest missionary.  Tell us about his life.

5. In the icon of the Resurrection, Christ is portrayed as pulling up Adam and Eve.  Explain the meaning of this portrayal.

6.  In Acts 2 we read about Pentecost and how the Holy Spirit illumined each of the Apostles.  Talk about why Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church.

Senior Division

1.  Jesus says to the Paralytic in John 5:14, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befalls you."  How do the words of Christ convey the difference between physical paralysis and spiritual paralysis?

2. What do you think is the significance of the Myrrh bearing women being the first of Jesus’ followers to discover the empty tomb?

3. Jesus replied to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”, John 20:29.  Explain what this means to you as an Orthodox Christian.

4. “Christ is Risen from the dead, by death He conquered death and bestowed life to those in the tombs.”   Discuss the meaning of the phrase, “by death He conquered death”.

5. During the forty days between Pascha and the Ascension, Jesus appeared to one or more of His disciples on several occasions.  Why would some of the followers of Christ doubt His Resurrection? (Matthew 28:17)

6. When Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well, He said to her, “…whoever drinks of this water that I shall give him, shall never thirst;” (John 4:14).  What did Jesus mean?

Please also visit:   http://www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/departments/religioused/oratorical/

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