For the student: Read along, fill in the blanks, and write your answers on the lines. Your parent has the answers.
Step 1 · Understand the Collect
A collect is a short prayer the pastor prays for the whole church. Here is today's collect:
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Words to know. Knit together: joined closely, like threads in a sweater. Communion: sharing together as one family. Mystical body: the Church, joined to Jesus in a way we cannot see. Virtuous: good and right. Unspeakable: too wonderful for words. Blessed (in the Gospel): happy in God's gifts. Meek: gentle and humble. Revile: insult.
1. God knits His people together into one holy ______________.
2. The Church is the body of God's Son, Jesus ______________.
3. We want to come to the joys God has prepared for those who ______________ Him.
Step 2 · Understand the Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
1. Where did Jesus go to teach?
2. What word begins each of Jesus' sayings?
3. What does Jesus promise to those who mourn?
4. What does Jesus promise to the pure in heart?
Step 3 · Find the Collect in the Gospel
Our prayer thanks God for joining all His people, on earth and in heaven, into one family. In the Gospel, Jesus tells who His blessed people are. Let's find our prayer in the story.
1. The collect speaks of the joys God has prepared. What does verse 12 tell us to do, and why?
2. The collect asks that we follow the saints in godly living. Name one kind of person Jesus calls blessed.
3. The saints come to God's joys. What will the pure in heart do (verse 8)?
Step 4 · The Small Catechism
The Third Article. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
1. Find the words in the Creed about the saints.
2. Who gathers all God's people into one church?
Step 5 · Wrap It All Up
Pray today's collect together one more time. Then ask:
1. What does Jesus do for you as one of His saints?
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible. Small Catechism quotation from Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation, © Concordia Publishing House.