The Church in Antioch

Today we're going to learn about the very special Church in Antioch, where something wonderful happened! After Jesus went to heaven, His apostles spread His message everywhere. Some believers traveled to a beautiful city called Antioch, which is very important to us as Maronite Catholics because it's in our homeland! In Antioch, these brave believers began telling everyone about Jesus - not just Jewish people, but people from all nations! The apostles in Jerusalem heard about this and sent Barnabas to see what was happening. When Barnabas arrived, he was so happy to see how much the people loved Jesus! The church was growing bigger and bigger every day. Can anyone guess what special name was first used in Antioch? The followers of Jesus were called 'Christians' for the very first time! Before this, they were just called 'followers of the Way.' Barnabas brought his friend Paul to help teach the people, and together they spent a whole year helping the church grow strong. Do you know what else the Christians in Antioch did? When they heard that other Christians were hungry and needed help, they collected money and food to send to them. They showed God's love by caring for others! The Church in Antioch became the mother church for spreading the Gospel to all nations. As Maronite Catholics, we trace our roots back to this region, and Saint Maron lived not far from Antioch. The Christians there showed us that following Jesus means welcoming everyone and helping those in need. Remember, children: just like the first Christians in Antioch, we are called to share Jesus' love with everyone we meet and help those who need our care!