1 Lot Chose for Himself When Abram let God choose, what he gave up came back to him multiplied Genesis 13 2 The Sign of the Covenant — From Abraham to the Font The mark God gave Abraham pointed across two thousand years to the waters of Baptism Genesis 17:9-14; Luke 2:21 3 Jacob I — God Has a Plan When life feels tangled, remember: God sees a plan we cannot yet see Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 27-28 4 Jacob II — Using Good Means The way you do the right thing matters as much as the right thing itself Genesis 31-33 5 Job — A Life of Perseverance Everything gone in one day — and he still said, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord' Job 1-2; James 5:10-11 6 St. Arsenius — Teacher of the Sons of Kings The palace tutor who gave up everything to sit in silence and prayer Psalm 46:10 7 The Church — House of God I: The Mystery of God's House Jacob slept on a stone and woke up saying, 'This is the gate of heaven' Psalm 84:1-7; Genesis 28:10-19 8 The Church — House of God II: Building and Orientation Why every altar in our Church faces east — and why that matters for your heart Zechariah 6:12; Matthew 24:27 9 The Church — House of God III: The Sanctuary and the Altar Behind the curtain is heaven itself — and the tabot rests at the center Hebrews 13:10; Revelation 8:3-4 10 The Church — House of God IV: The Icons Icons are not decorations — they are windows to heaven you can actually look through Galatians 3:1; Colossians 1:15 11 The Holy Family in Egypt and Ethiopia The refugee child who blessed our lands and became the King of Kings Matthew 2:13-15; Isaiah 19:25 12 The Acceptable Prayers Not every prayer reaches God's ear — here is what makes yours arrive Matthew 6:5-8; Matthew 7:21-23 13 Palm Sunday — Hosanna to the Son of David The King of Kings rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey — and He rides into our hearts the same way Matthew 21:1-11 14 Christ the Lamb of God I — Maundy Thursday On Maundy Thursday, the Lamb of God gave us His own Body and Blood Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-30 15 Christ the Lamb of God II — Fasika Week and Siklet The holiest week of our Church year — walking with Christ hour by hour to the Cross Luke 23:34 16 The Fullness of Time — Births of John and Jesus Announced God does not rush — He arrives exactly on time Luke 1:5-38; Galatians 4:4-5 17 Mary's Song of Praise — The Personality of Jesus One visit, one song — and the whole personality of the coming King revealed Luke 1:39-80 18 He Was Called Jesus One name — three saving acts — and no other name under heaven Luke 2:21-39 19 Anna the Prophetess — Faithful for Eighty-Four Years The widow who never left the Temple and was the first to proclaim the newborn King Luke 2:36-38 20 The Transfiguration Feast The night Christ's glory shone through, and the mountain Ethiopia loves so much we named a city for it Luke 9:28-36; Matthew 17:1-9; 2 Peter 1:12-21 21 Mary and Martha — Giving Priority to Jesus Serving is good; sitting at Jesus' feet is the best Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-8 22 Excuses, Excuses The excuses we hide behind may cost us the greatest feast of our lives Luke 14:16-24 23 The New Year — A Life of Repentance The Greek word for repentance means 'change your mind' — start now, do not delay Luke 15:11-32; Hebrews 4:7 24 Lessons in Humility The Pharisee prayed loudly and lost. The tax collector prayed one line and went home right with God. Luke 18:10-14 25 The Ascension Feast — Between Ascension and Pentecost The Lord rose to heaven — and the ten waiting days that changed the Church forever Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-14 26 The Incarnation of the Word of God The God who made galaxies became small enough to nurse at a teenage girl's breast John 1:1-14; Matthew 2:1-12 27 The Intercession of the Saints Why we ask St. Mary, St. Michael, and all the saints to pray with us — and how Kidane Mehret guards Ethiopia John 2:1-11; 1 Timothy 2:1-6 28 Jesus Forgave Peter at the Sea of Tiberias After Peter's worst failure, Jesus met him at the beach and gave him a new start John 21:1-17 29 Apostles' Feast I — You Shall Be My Witnesses The last words Jesus spoke to His friends before ascending to heaven — for them and for you Acts 1:1-8 30 Apostles' Feast II — The Twelve Apostles Twelve ordinary men who received Christ's authority and carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth Mark 3:13-19; Mark 6:7-13 31 Pentecost — The Descent of the Holy Spirit and His Gifts Fifty days after Fasika, God poured out His Spirit — and He still lives in you Acts 2:1-13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 32 God's Plan for Us I — Saul Becomes a Christian How the fiercest enemy of the Faith was turned into its bravest voice Acts 9:1-19; 2 Corinthians 5:17 33 God's Plan for Us II — Elisha The young farmer who traded his oxen for a prophet's mantle and asked for a double portion 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-15 34 The Antioch Church — Where They First Called Us Christians The city where the gospel jumped every border and a whole new name was born Acts 11:19-26 35 Trouble in Lystra — From Cheers to Stones The day a crowd tried to worship Paul, then tried to kill him — and why he kept going Acts 14:8-20 36 Midnight Songs in a Philippi Jail — Paul and Silas The night two beaten prisoners sang, and an earthquake set a whole household free Acts 16:16-40 37 Ephesus — When the Name of Jesus Broke the Darkness In a city drowning in magic, the real power of Christ silenced every counterfeit Acts 19:11-20 38 The Boy Who Fell Asleep — Eutychus at Troas A midnight sermon, a fatal fall, and the power of God over death Acts 20:7-12 39 Christ in the Eucharist I (with St. Anthony's Feast) The Kidase — an ancient river of prayer flowing from the desert to your Sunday morning 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 40 Christ in the Eucharist II The Kidase is a journey to heaven — get on the road Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7 41 Christ in the Eucharist III This is My Body, this is My Blood — the ten rules of a worthy Communion 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 42 Fruits of the Holy Spirit I — Patience (Longsuffering) The gardener said, 'Give it one more year' — and God says that about you too Galatians 5:22-23; Luke 13:6-9 43 Fruits of the Holy Spirit II — Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness St. Bishoy carried an old man to church — and it turned out to be Jesus Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 5:5-7 44 Fruits of the Holy Spirit III — Faithfulness Faith is not certainty about a formula — it is confidence in a Father Hebrews 11:6-40; 1 John 5:4 45 Fruits of the Holy Spirit IV — Self-Control and St. Mina Solomon said the one who rules himself is stronger than one who rules a city Galatians 5:22-24; 2 Peter 1:5-6 46 St. Paul the First Hermit Ninety years alone with God — and a raven that brought bread every day Philippians 1:23; John 12:26 47 The Seven Magic Words — 'I Can Do All Things Through Christ' Seven small words that turn 7th grade fear into unshakable courage Philippians 4:10-13 48 St. John Chrysostom — The Golden-Mouthed, Golden from Youth How a boy in Antioch became the fearless preacher whose words still shine like gold 2 Timothy 4:2; Psalm 45:1 49 Christianity and Building Up the Personality A true Christian is a full and beautiful person on the inside Hebrews 2:7 50 Tradition and Orthodoxy I — Holy Tradition in the Apostolic Age The living faith passed hand to hand from the apostles all the way to you Jude 1:3; 1 Corinthians 11:23 51 Tradition and Orthodoxy II — Tradition and the Gospel, Tradition and Church Life Why Bible and Tradition are not enemies but twin brothers of the same living faith 3 John 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:15 52 Abune Basilios — First Ethiopian Patriarch In 1959, a quiet monk of prayer became the first Ethiopian to sit on the Patriarch's throne Revelation 3:12