2 – JESUS TEACHES ME TO BE KIND

Jesus DIED for me because He LOVES me

I have to LOVE others

ST. PACHOMIUSThe Father of the Communal life

• He was a brave soldier in the army

• One day, he went out to fight the people who rebelled against the king

• After a long trip, they reached a city called Esna where they stopped to rest

• Something amazing happened in Esna that changed his life!

• St. Pachomius asked them: “Why are you doing this for us?”

• “We are doing this because our Lord Jesus taught us to love, help and show kindness to others”

• The people in the city of Esna offered them food to eat and water to drink

• Such act of kindness amazed the soldiers!

• Because of the KINDNESS shown by those people, St. Pachomius wanted to become a Christian

• He said if he returns home safely from the war, he would learn about Christianity

• He wanted to be like the people of Esna, who loved God so much & was so kind!

• Guess what happened … the war stopped, and St. Pachomius returned home safely!

• He was baptized and became a Christian. He stayed in Esna for 2 years, serving everyone with love.

• St. Pachomius heard about a very saintly monk named Abba Palamoun. He went to him to become a monk.

• St. Pachomius loved God more and more every day. He always prayed, fasted and read the Holy Bible. He loved all the other monks.

• One day, while he was gathering fire wood, an angel appeared to him. The angel had a tablet with a set of rules written on it.

• They were the new rules for how monks should live together in the monastery.

• This is the reason the church calls him the father of COMMUNAL life.

• Before St. Pachomius, each monk used to stay in his own cell (room) by himself to pray

• But after the angel gave him the new rules, the monks would gather together to pray, eat, work and live.

• This is the communal rule that St. Pachomius established in the monastery.

“Be kind to one another, tender hearted” Ephesians 4: 32

• Did you see how one act of KINDNESS changed someone’s life? It brought St. Pachomius to God!

• Show KINDNESS & LOVE towards others, you’ll be surprised what it can do!

WHAT KINDNESS CAN YOU SHOW?

PSALM 8 (Continued)

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

What is man that You are mindful of him,And the son of man that You visit him?