Melkite Challenge 2004

	MELKITE CHALLENGE GRADES 3, 4, AND 5 1 One God in three persons is called: A. The Trinity 2 What has the Son of God done for us? A. Saved us 3 What has the Father done for us? A. Created us 4 What is our work in the Liturgy? A. To praise and worship God 5 What are the three main sections of a church? A. Altar or sanctuary, nave and narthex 6 What do you do in the narthex? B) What do you do in the nave? C) What happens in the sanctuary? A. A) The narthex is the area where we enter the church, venerate the icons and light our candles. B) The nave is where we worship during the service. C) The altar or sanctuary is where the priest leads us in service. 7 What do we usually sing after Holy Communion? A. “We have seen the true light” 8 What is the Old Testament? A. The first part of the Bible which tells the history of the Hebrew people. 9 What is the New Testament? A. The second part of the bible that tells the story about Jesus, the Apostles and the first Christians. 10 Which name for Mary means “All Holy”? A. Panagia 11 What passage from scripture begins: “The Lord is my shepherd” A. Psalm 23 12 The external signs used in Baptism are: A. Water, a robe, and a candle, and the oil with which we anoint the infant before Baptism. 13 What are the first three commandments? A. “I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before Me.” “You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.” “Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.” 14 In icons, I am usually shown battling a dragon, who am I? A. St. George 15 We are remembered as the two “leaders of the apostles.” One of us carries the “keys of the kingdom” and the other the Scriptures. Who are we? A. Saints Peter and Paul 16 What prophet’s name means “the Lord is my God?” A. Elijah or Elias 17 On what day do we celebrate the Transfiguration of Christ? A. August 6 18 On what feast day was the Trinity revealed? A Theophany 19 What Saint said: “God became man, so that man can become God”? A St. Athanasios — although St. Irenaeus of Lyons may have said it before Athanasios. 20 Who said the “church is like one body, which has many parts”? A St. Paul 21 By what standard will we be judged? A. By how well we treated other people 22 Why is the Bible holy? A. It contains God’s message. God is speaking to us. 23 When did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey? A. Palm Sunday 24 Why do the Jews celebrate Passover? A. To remember the time Moses led the Jews out of Egypt 25 The New Testament book that tells about the first Christians is: A. The Acts of the Apostles
	. .
	MELKITE CHALLENGE GRADES 6, 7 and 8 1. Which sacraments initiate us into the Christian community? A. Baptism, Chrismation, and the Eucharist. 2. Name three of the five books of the Pentateuch. A. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. 3. The first person to be called by God and the first to believe was: A. Abraham. 4. This man was sold into slavery by his brothers but later became a powerful ruler. A. Joseph. 5. Who was the great prince responsible for the conversion of Russia to Christianity? A. St. Vladimir. 6. What are the seven great meetings called that gave expression to the basic faith of the Church, and where was the first one held? A. Ecumenical councils, Nicaea. 7. What great saint was taken to Rome to be devoured by wild beasts because he would not worship pagan idols? A. St. Ignatius of Antioch. 8. What are the icons called that depict Mary as the Mother of God? A. Icons of loving-kindness. 9. What guise did the Evil One take in Genesis? A. He took the form of a serpent. 10. What does the Feast of Theophany celebrate? A. The Baptism of Christ, and also the “Manifestation of God” (Theophany) in His Holy Trinity to the world for the first time in history. 11. What does IC XC NI KA mean? A. “Jesus Christ conquers.” 12. Which icon depicts the Mother of God lying on her deathbed, surrounded by the Apostles? A. The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God. 13. What is the name, and the meaning of the name, of the evening prayer of the Church? A. Vespers, “Evening Time.” 14. When does the liturgical day begin? A. In the evening with the setting of the sun. 15. The whole universe is renewed, sanctified, and recreated through what? A. Through the birth and resurrection of Christ. 16. Who wrote the Divine Liturgy that we celebrate today during most of the year? A. St. John Chrysostom. 17. The focus of our worship celebrations every Sunday is: A. The Resurrection of Christ. 18. Why do we receive a white robe after baptism? A. As a sign of being clothed with new life in Christ. 19. What do we call Christ’s gift of Himself to us to nourish us on our journey through life? A. The Eucharist. 20. What is the center and heart of our Holy Tradition? A. Christ. 21. What are the four categories of prayer identified by the Fathers of the Church? A. Adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication. 22. Name the Twelve Great Feasts. A: Starting with the beginning of the Church year, which is September 1, the feasts are: Nativity of the Mother of God (September 8); Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14); Entrance of the Theotokos (November 21); Nativity of Christ (December 25); Theophany (January 6); Encounter of Christ (February 2); Annunciation (March 25); Palm Sunday (one week before Pascha); Ascension (40 days after Pascha); Pentecost (50 days after Pascha); Transfiguration (August 6); Dormition of the Mother of God (August 15). 23. What is the Feast of Feasts, and what does it celebrate? A. Pascha, the Resurrection of Christ. 24. What are the names of the three offices of leadership in the Church? A. Bishops, priests, and deacons. 25. What can we do to help develop our inner strength, be free from the need to satisfy every whim, and grow closer to Christ? A. Fasting, as well as prayer and reception of the holy Mysteries.

	MELKITE CHALLENGE (Grades 9-12) 1. Following the Ascension of the Lord, in what city were the followers of Jesus first called Christians? A. Antioch 2. Name the twelve Great Feasts of the Church and the Feast of Feasts. A. Nativity of the Theotokos, Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, Nativity of Christ, Theophany, Entrance of Christ into the Temple, Annunciation, Palm Sunday, Ascension of Christ, Pentecost, the Transfiguration of Christ, and the Dormition of the Theotokos. The Feast of Feasts is Pascha, the Resurrection of Christ. 3. Abstaining from meat on every Wednesday and Friday and fasting during the fast periods of the Church are practices from the earliest days of the Church in remembrance of what events? A. The betrayal and crucifixion of Christ. 4. In addition to the Great Fast (40 days before the Great Week), what other times of abstinence or fasting are currently practiced by the Church? A. The Christmas Fast (December 10 through December 24) The fast of the Theotokos (August 1 to August 14) Fast of Peter and Paul (June 17 through June 28) 5. What is another name for the holy table? A. altar 6. The word Kyrie Eleison, properly understood, should be rendered as? A. Lord, have mercy. 7. Who were the parents of the Theotokos? A. Joachim and Anne 8. The ten weeks before Easter are called? A. Triodion 9. What happened in the 12th century to make relations between the Byzantine and Roman Churches worse? A. The Crusades 10. Where did Moses receive the Ten Commandments of the Covenant? A. Mt. Sinai 11. What or who makes the liturgy “Divine”? A. Christ, who is leading us in our worship. 12. How would you define the Church? A. 1. The kingdom of God on earth, so that we may live the divine life; 2. The body of Christ 13. St. Mark brought the message of Christ to: A. Egypt 14. St. Andrew brought the message of Christ to: A. Greece 15. Saints Peter and Paul brought the message of Christ to: A. Rome 16. How is the Trinity usually represented in icons? A. 1. One symbol shows three circles, one inside the other. 2. The other symbol of the Trinity used in icons is found in the Old Testament account of how Abraham was visited by three angels of God (Genesis 18). 17. Which Greek letters are painted on icons of the Theotokos, and what is their meaning? A. M R QU abbreviation of Mater tou Theou (Mother of God) 18. Who is the first and greatest saint whom the Church honors? A. St. Mary, the Theotokos 19. A rectangular cloth that has a picture of the burial of Christ painted on it and relics of a saint sewn into it is called? A. Antimension 20. What do we call the act in which the Word of God became man? A. The Incarnation 21. In Luke 8:4-15, what were the obstacles to faith taught us by Jesus? A. Temptation and the cares and riches and pleasures of life. 22. List the four categories of prayer A. Adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication 23. The sacramental healing of Christ is celebrated in what Mystery? A. The Mystery of Holy Oil 24. What passage from scripture refers to the purpose of our Christian life or divinization? A. 2 Peter 1:4: “you are partakers of the Divine Nature” 25. Where do we proclaim that the church is apostolic, holy, universal and one? A. The Creed

Set #1 - 2004 Melkite Challenge (12/03)