CHILDREN’S STORY:
One day, Jesus went up the mountain, sat down and began to teach his followers many things.
He talked to them about the law, oaths, retaliation and anger. He also told them to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
Then Jesus began to teach about almsgiving.
“When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. … But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you,” he said.
Jesus also talked about prayer.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. … But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you,” he said.
Jesus also reminded his followers not to babble and use many words like the pagans.
“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one,” he said.
Jesus pointed out that one must be forgiving in order to be forgiven.
“If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you,” he said. “But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Jesus also told his followers about the proper way to fast.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. … But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you,” he said.
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
Matthew 5-6
Q&A
1. Where did Jesus go to talk to his followers?
2. What are two things Jesus taught his followers?
ESSAY: What is something that you have prayed for and why?
BIBLE ACCENT:
In Luke 11:5, we read more about Jesus’ teaching on prayer.
“Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey, and I have nothing to offer him,'” Jesus said.
The answer was, “Do not bother me. … I cannot get up to give you anything.”
“I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up … because of his persistence,” Jesus said. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
A father would not hand his son a snake if he asked for fish, Jesus noted.
“If you, then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” he said.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE SAINTS:
St. Paul the Apostle
Saul was a Jew who was born in the first century in Tarsus, which is now Turkey.
Saul persecuted Christians, and he was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
One day, Saul had a dramatic conversion experience during which Jesus spoke to him. After that, he believed in Jesus and began working with the apostles to spread the Gospel. He also became known as Paul.
Paul made three missionary journeys that are recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. The New Testament also contains the letters that he wrote to the new Christian communities he had evangelized.
According to tradition, Paul was beheaded near Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero. We remember Paul on June 29.
PUZZLE:
Unscramble the words and arrange them to form a quotation from the children’s story:
ladyi su erdba yodta egvi rou
Answers: daily, us, bread, today, give, our
Give us today our daily bread.