Merciful & Pure in Heart

OBJECTIVE

In this module, students will gain a deep understanding of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes as instructions on how to live a Christian life to gain the Kingdom of Heaven. In each week, we will focus on two Beatitudes and discuss what they are, what they are NOT, the reward, examples, and applications for seventh graders. Week 1 will focus on Poor in Spirit, and those who Mourn. Week 2 will cover Meekness and Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness. Week 3 will focus on Merciful and Pure in Heart, and week 4 will cover Peacemakers and Those who are Persecuted.

INTRODUCTION - 5 Minutes

  • Review the 4 previous Beatitudes.
  • Ask students to report back on how they had applied the first two Beatitudes during the past week.

This week's lesson will focus on the next two of the Beatitudes:

  • Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
  • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Re-Read Matthew 5:1-12

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

In this section, we will go through what the beatitude is, is not, the reward, followed by examples. Servants may have the students write each point in a chart for comparison.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy

What does it mean to be merciful?

  • Compassion
  • Forgiveness
  • Willingly choosing to respond to evil with good (e.g., being nice to a bully)
  • Giving people the benefit of the doubt

What is NOT merciful?

  • Being spiteful
  • Being cruel/harsh

REWARD: They shall obtain mercy

  • Asking God for mercy is something we are taught in every aspect of our Church. We say Kyrie Eleison/Lord Have Mercy countless times in the liturgy, Agpeya, Great Friday, hymns, however to fully obtain that mercy, it's not enough to just ask. We have to do our part to also live a life of being merciful towards others, so we can receive the mercy of God.
  • The Lord shows his mercy to all people, but He does not have compassion upon the oppressors because the measure they use will be measured to them (Refer to Matt 7:2).
  • Since Mercy is one of God's qualities, when we are merciful, we actually reflect His image more

Examples:

  • The Good Samaritan
    • The Good Samaritan showed mercy to a stranger, who was supposed to be his enemy
  • The Thief on the Right
    • Our Lord showed mercy to the thief on the right, as He shows us mercy when we ask

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

What does it mean to be pure in heart?

  • Clean & Blameless
  • Unstained from sin (through repentance and avoiding sin)
  • Seeing the beauty/good in others and in every situation
  • Being focused on God
  • Continually repentant

What is NOT pure in heart?

  • Distracted by or attached to worldly things
    • Sinful things (addictions, physical impurity)
    • Things that seem innocent but consume us to the point where we forget about God (school work, extra curricular activities)
  • Doing something good but for the wrong intentions
    • e.g., Pharisees and their hypocrisy

REWARD: They shall see God

  • When our heart is filled with God, we will begin to see that He helps us solve our problems, blesses everything we work on, and is present in every aspect of our life etc.

Example:

  • Saint Demiana and the 40 Virgins
    • St. Demiana and the 40 Virgins chose a life of purity and dedicated their life to Jesus.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

  • Have the students come up with examples of how Christ showed mercy
    • Crucifixion, Samaritan Woman, Zaccheus, Adulterous woman, thief on the right
  • Servant can use analogy of dirty glasses or a white T-shirt to explain pure in heart

ACTIVITY - 15 Minutes

Have students continue filling in the Living the Beatitudes Table attached.

  • Agpeya Activity
    • Read Psalm 51 and have students point out parts of the Psalm that reflect the two beatitudes we discussed.
    • Have students count the word "mercy" in one hour of the Agpeya.
  • (Optional) Pure in Heart Activity
    • Using a whiteboard, draw a heart and write "God" in the middle with a permanent marker (can be erased with hand sanitizer after activity)
    • Have the students name distractions and sins that distance us from God (e.g., phones, social media, tv, video games, etc.).
    • Point out how the more distractions we have that take up space in our hearts, the less room we have for God.
    • At the end, erase the distractions to see the pure heart filled with God.

RESOURCES

Contemplations on the Sermon on the Mount, by H.H. Pope Shenouda III

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • Have students read Psalm 51 every morning this week or before doing their homework.
  • Have students select their favorite psalm(s) that speaks about mercy and share it in the next class*.*
  • Give the students WWJD bracelets to remind them whenever they are in difficult situations or have to make a choice, to think "what would Jesus do" and be merciful and pure in heart.

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 7 Week 3 Activity (Spirituality).pdf