The Beatitudes – Catechist Lesson Plan
Ignite Lesson Week 6
October 27, 2013
OBJECTIVES
To continue faith development of teens and assist them in understanding the Beatitudes and how they relate to
their life journey.
To locate and discuss the differences and similarities between the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments.
OVERVIEW
I.
II.
III.
IV.
4:00-5:15pm- Teen Mass
5:10-5:20pm - Hospitality in the Narthex
5:20-5:30 - Large Group/attendance in Church
5:30- 7:00pm Small Group Lesson Plan
o The lesson’s activities include the 5 components that should be in every faith lesson:
o Scripture
o Shared experiences by adults and teens
o Catholic Theology and learning
o I learned statements
o Putting our faith in action or lived experience.
o Read the scripture passage, Matthew 5:1-12 Sermon on the Mount, and discuss the Beatitudes,
virtues and sins and the comparison between the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments.
o Teen Handout Activities to choose from include Compare and Contrast the Commandments and
the Beatitudes. Media Match Up – Which characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
represent the 7 Deadly Sins? Matching – Sin to Virtues. Beatitudes Crossword Puzzle. Live out your
Faith Challenges based on the 8 Beatitudes. Answers to all quizzes can be found on page 5 of this
catechist handout.
o Stop by 645 to cover the remaining items:
o I Learned Allow time to share what the teens have learned. There is always a spot on the
handout for the teens to write this portion of the lesson. This can be done verbally as
well. It is important for you to be able to assess if the teens in your group are meeting
the objectives of the lessons. Peer Ministers can be utilized here to help you make sure
teens are engaged and learning. Encourage students to take packets home and share
with their parents or families
o Social Action and Challenges for the week (Lived Experience) Discuss ways to put the
ideas from tonight into action
o Closing Prayer & Dismissal: Ask group members to share personal intentions. End with
your covenant prayer if you didn’t start with it.
Background for Catechists and Peers
The Beatitudes (Love):
The term beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beātitūdō which means "happy", "fortunate", or "blissful".
The Beatitudes are eight statements taught by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (New Testament - Matthew
5:1-12). Each Beatitude consists of two phrases: the condition and the result:
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Together, the Beatitudes present a new set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force and
exaction. They echo the highest ideals of Jesus' teachings on spirituality and compassion and were very
controversial to the time – and still are. The Beatitudes are directives concerned with virtue and how a believer
of Jesus Christ can attain a particular virtue. Virtues are ingrained habits that respond to our human challenges
and are the opposites of the seven deadly sins.
The seven virtues and their counter balance sins are:
SEVEN VIRTUES
SEVEN DEADLY SINS
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Humility
Generosity
Love
Kindness
Self-control
Faith and temperance
Fortitude
Pride
Greed
Envy
Anger
Lust
Gluttony
Sloth
The Beatitudes are simply stated, but profound in meaning. Jesus teaches us that if we live according to the
Beatitudes, we will live a happy Christian life. They guide, point, teach and exhibit for us the values that Christ
cares about. These values, if followed, cannot only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also
right into the Kingdom of God after our journey on this earth is over.
The Beatitudes are important for us because they are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching and they take up and
fulfill the promises that God made starting with Abraham. They depict the very countenance of Jesus and
they characterize authentic Christian life. They reveal the ultimate goal of human activity, which is eternal
happiness. (Compendium of the Catholic Church, 360)
As you read through each of the beatitudes you might look into your own heart and examine your feelings
towards them. Are you trying to follow each one of them? I think you will find that you need a rather humble,
almost childlike attitude towards each one of them if you are to be successful in following them. In fact, Our
Lord mentioned many times about how we needed to become more like children in our attitude and in our
thinking towards many of the things in this life.
Living the Beatitudes is a lifelong task because they turn upside down the values of the world. The world sets
up the rich to be first; Jesus puts the poor on top of the world. The world tells us to seek happiness at all costs;
Jesus saw happiness in mourning. The world values power over justice. The world say that the merciless
succeed; Jesus proclaimed blessed be the merciful.
The Commandments (Law):
The Ten Commandments come to us in the Old Testament - Exodus 20, where God inscribed them on two stone
tablets, which he then gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. They are recognized as the moral foundations (laws) of
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Ten Commandments are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
I am the Lord, your God.
Thou shall bring no false idols before me.
Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shall not kill/murder.
Thou shall not commit adultery.
Thou shall not steal.
Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
Thou shall not covet your neighbor's wife (or anything that belongs to your neighbor).
The Commandments require little contemplation because they are extremely black and white. Do honor your
father and mother. Do not steal. The rules, or laws, laid out here are very straight-forward, yet very minimal.
The Beatitudes, in comparison, reflect on the state of the human being in his/her human condition and in turn
show us how to act. They are the “next step”, guiding us in how to live in the kingdom of God and showing us the
values that he cares about. And we have the greatest example, Jesus Christ himself lived the Beatitudes every
day of his life!
Scripture and Discussion
Matthew 5:1-12 Sermon on the Mount. Read this passage aloud with your students and discuss the following
ideas and questions (please feel free to add your own questions as you see fit).
The Sermon on the Mount consists of teachings that Jesus gave his followers, including the Beatitudes and the
Lord’s Prayer. Just as Moses ascended a mountain in Sinai to receive the commandments of God, Jesus went up
a mountain in Galilee to teach his followers how to keep the commandments in a spirit of love. The Beatitudes
tell us that we will find true happiness in the kingdom of God by loving God, loving each other, seeking justice,
and spreading peace. The Beatitudes are a guide to the way we should live. By living them, we reveal to others
the glory and love that will be found in the kingdom, as well as experience some of the glory and love of God’s
kingdom in our own lives.
Are the Beatitudes commands that Jesus is giving to his followers?
What are the differences between the Commandments and the Beatitudes?
Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” Do you think this means
you cannot get to heaven unless you are poor? Discuss.
Do you think the Beatitudes turn upside down/challenge the values of today’s world? Why?
What are some ways we can incorporate the Beatitudes in our own lives? Name some specific ways.
As followers of Jesus we need to reach out to others who are suffering. Many parishes offer support
groups for people who are coping with a death, an addiction or other problems. Do you know of any
support groups at Holy Family? (Answers can range from PADS, LOSS (Loving Outreach for Survivors of
Suicide), AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), To Be Joyful Again (Support for widows and widowers), Sex Addiction,
Grief Support (for those who have recently lost someone close), Rising from Divorce, etc.
The Beatitudes deal with virtues. What are the challenges of living a virtuous life in today’s society? Do
you more frequently see the 7 Deadly Sins in your daily lives or the 7 Virtues? Where do you see these
and why do you think this is so?
An Extra Reflection…
For those who seek further insight into the Sermon on the Mount I am adding an excerpt from an essay by Dr.
Robert Ludwig the director of the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola. While this may be too heavy for the
youth I hope some Catechists may find it insightful. In his essay on the Gospel of Matthew, Ludwig does a great
job of putting the Beatitudes into context with Jewish Law (which includes the 10 Commandments).
The Sermon on the Mount
This is the first Jesus discourse in Matthew, and in it Jesus is portrayed as a classical prophet, preaching the true
meaning of the Mosaic Law. It provides Matthew the opportunity to present a solid block of moral teaching
(paranesis), but he does so by shaping a direct contrast between the scribes and Pharisees and the disciples.
Doing faith, not just mouthing it, is the point: “It is not those who say to me, Lord, Lord’ who will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven” (7:21); “Be careful not to parade
your good deeds before men to attract their notice. . . . When you give alms, your left hand must not know what
your right hand is doing” (6:1, 3).
The message is against the rabbis at Jamnia: “For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven” (5:20). Their emphasis on obedience to the Law is
self-serving, exemplifying not trust in God, but the attempt to manipulate God for the benefit of oneself. For
Matthew, ethics does not lead to salvation but is the effect of God’s reign in which people have become holy in
the same way that God is holy. We should show mercy because mercy has been shown to us, and we should
forgive others because we have been forgiven. Christians should love even their enemies, because they know
the love of the Father. Above and beyond, before and beneath all that we do as “the salt of the earth” and “the
light of the world,” there must be a deep and abiding trust in God’s loving mercy and providential care: “That is
why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are
to clothe it . . . . Look at the birds in the sky . . . Think of the flowers growing in the fields” (6:25-34).
The judgmental attitude of the Pharisees has no place among Jesus’ disciples: “Do not judge, and you will not be
judged; because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the amount you measure out is the
amount you will be given” (7:15). Leave the judging to God, whose mercy is unfailing, and live now in the light of
that mercy; show mercy rather than judge.
Matthew is here proclaiming “the ethics of sincerity,” the pattern of living that flows from one who has entered
into the reign of God. He will pick up this theme again in his reworking of Mark’s parables discourse (Matt 13:152) and Mark’s apocalyptic discourse (Matt 24-25). It is neither a “works righteousness,” which he associates
with the Pharisees, nor the mere mouthing of “faith,” which he associates with the pagans. It is living a new life
in the light of the radical salvation revealed and given in Jesus, a salvation promised from Abraham and Sarah
and their progeny, but fulfilled in the sending of his Messiah. It is the result of being delivered from a
preoccupation with self, a new consciousness of neighbor and a willingness to serve his/her needs.
Teen Handout Answers:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – 7 Deadly Sins character matching:
Charlie: Lust - Not the sexual kind, but the intense desire.
Mike Teavee: Sloth - He sits and watches TV all the time.
Augustus Gloop: Gluttony - He’s either eating or thinking about eating.
Veruca Salt: Greed - She’s a spoiled brat who always wants more.
Violet Beauregarde: Pride - She’s always boasting.
Willy Wonka: Anger/Wrath - He punishes everyone for their flaws.
Grandpa Joe: Envy - He wants what Wonka has (the factory) and Charlie has (the ticket).
7 Deadly Sins and Virtues Matching:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Pride
Greed
Envy
Anger
Lust
Gluttony
Sloth
---5) Humility
---6) Generosity
---1) Love
---7) Kindness
---2) Self-control
---4) Faith and temperance
---3) Fortitude
Beatitudes Crossword
Down
1. POOR IN SPIRIT
2. HUMBLE
3. MERCIFUL
4. MOUNTAIN
5. PEACEMAKERS
Across
4. MEEK
7. DISOBEY
6. MOURN
8. RIGHTEOUSNESS
----- Please remember to dismiss class at 7:00PM only ----Do not dismiss students earlier.
Catechist Checklist – Please fill out and turn in at the end of the night
We covered (check the ones covered):
□ Scripture
□ Shared experience
□ Catholic Theology
□ I learned
□ Social Action
□ handed out and used lesson sheets
Name a success with my group’s faith formation:
Biggest challenge with my group this week:
Feedback on lesson plan and handouts:
Name: