Bible Study – Blessed Saints: All Saints’ Day
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
This section of Matthew, known as the Beatitudes, is a type of inaugural address for Jesus. These words are not a wish, or a dream, but a statement of what the Kingdom of Heaven is, and of how we should begin to treat one another now. The Beatitudes in Matthew are statements that tell us about the Kingdom of God that is coming and the Kingdom of God here on earth. In pronouncing these, Jesus is once again turning the norm on its head, and reminding us that the Kingdom of God is different. These declarations orient life toward the other, toward equality, toward discipleship and toward love. Those, who follow Jesus, are to be different.
All Saints Sunday, it’s a time to thankfully remember those of our church members, friends and relatives who have died in the last year, who have gone to join the saints in heaven. It is also a day when we are invited to reflect on our own saintliness, especially in the light of the life and witness of those who have gone before us in the faith.
The Scriptures tell us that because we are Christians, we’re also saints. Paul put it in many of his letters in the Bible. Martin Luther said, we are saint and sinner at the same time. We have an invisible cross on our foreheads. It was put there at our baptism with these or similar words: “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” Each of us has that mark on our lives, a mark that calls us forward into saintliness. We are invited to constantly live into our name as a child of God, as a baptized saint.
So why do we read the Beatitudes on All Saints’ Day? The nature of the Kingdom of Heaven is that it is already-and-not-yet. They state the character of God and ask if this is the character of God, should it not also be the character of the people of God? The saints are people who understood this and lived into this character in a variety of ways. The saints give us an understanding of what it looks like to have God in our midst, and to live a life with the Beatitudes as a part of our being.
Opening Prayer: Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God in glory everlasting. Amen
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 5:1-12 and read or read the scriptures below.
Matthew 5:1-12
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Questions:
- What do you think Jesus meant by all of these statements?
- What do you think the people Jesus was talking to thought of these statements?
- What do these statements say to you?
All Saints’ Day is a day to talk about saints we know because they are saints in the church, and saints who are in our own faith community. Today is a day to celebrate all those who have shown us the way of faith, the way of Christ, and the way toward God.
Questions:
- Who are saints that you know?
- Who are the saints in your faith community?
- Who are the saints in your family?
- What makes someone a saint?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on url)
The Beatitudes – for kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx2TWFlTDBU
Gospel of Matthew Summary: A complete Animated Overview (Part 1) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dv4-n6OYGI
Activities:
Saints’ Shields: Make shield of a saint that you know, a saint in your family or a saints’ shield for yourself. Saints’ Shields are usually simple with one or two things on them. Click on the following url for a sample of Saints shield - https://www.stcparish.org/uploads/files/Youth_Sacrament_Prep/Shield.pdf
There are three different shield outlines that you may use. Click on the urls. Below:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/678565868869206206/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/598345500519215640/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/860117228850415078/
Song: I Sing a Song of the Saints of God Using Hymn 293, https://www.google.com/search?q=I+Sing+a+Song+of+the+Saints+of+God+Using&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS869US869&oq=I+Sing+a+Song+of+the+Saints+of+God+Using&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCggCEAAYhgMYigUyCggDEAAYhgMYigUyCggEEAAYhgMYigXSAQgxNjY4ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6633e3bb,vid:tFIy-iUZKhU,st:0
There are six saints in the hymn and to the saints around them, including yourself. The words are on the website so you can see them as well.
Below is a brief story of each of the saints mentioned in the song:
About the Saints in the Hymn
Doctor = Luke - Luke, who was the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, is the first saint mentioned in the hymn. He was born in the Greek city of Antioch in Ancient Syria in the first century. Not only was he a writer and one of the four evangelists who tells us of Christ’s life, but it is also said that he was an artist (mostly painting icons) and doctor. He was a follower of Paul and involved in spreading the word of God.
Luke is usually symbolized by a winged ox, which is a symbol of sacrifice, service and strength.
Queen = Margaret of Scotland - Margaret of Scotland was born in Hungary and moved to Britain as a young girl. She married King Malcolm III of Scotland and they had eight children. She is known for being a good mother who raised her family in the faith, who influenced the people of Scotland and helped the poor as much as she could.
Shepherdess on the Green = Joan of Arc Joan of Arc was born a peasant and was a shepherdess at an early age. When she was 12 or 13, she had a vision telling her to go help recover her homeland. She felt that she was being called to act more courageously than any other in France. In 1429, when she was 17, she rode into battle and helped with many victories. She was captured by the enemies a year later, tried for heresy (which was later nullified) and put to death. She became a saint in 1920 for her courage and faithfulness to God.
Soldier = Martin of Tours - Martin of Tours was born in Hungary. His father was serving as a senior officer in the Roman Army. Against the wishes of his family, he went to a local Christian church at the age of 10 and became a catechumen or someone who wishes to be baptized. Because Martin was a son of a high ranking officer, he had to enter the army at the age of 15. When Martin was serving in Amiens, France, as they entered the city, he saw a beggar at the city gates. Martin cut his military cloak in half and gave it to the beggar who was shivering from the cold. He did this because he saw Christ in the beggar, and knew he had to help him. When he was 18, Martin finally got baptized and two years later, he left the military stating, “I am a soldier of Christ and I cannot fight.” He was jailed for being a coward and deserting the army, but was later released. He became a priest, and in 371 he was made Bishop of Tours. He devoted his life to spreading the word of God, founding monasteries, and being a faithful servant.
Priest = John Donne - John Donne was a poet, lawyer, and priest born in London in 1573. He was known for his skilled and beautiful writing. In 1615, with the persistent prodding of King James I, he became an Anglican priest and was made dean of the Cathedral in London. He was known throughout the region for his fine preaching, and for speaking about God with great skill. He died in 1631.
Slain by a Fierce Wild Beast = Ignatius of Antioch - Ignatius of Antioch lived and wrote during the second half of the First Century. He was the third Bishop of Antioch, and a follower of John. During his service to the church, he wrote many letters that let us know about his ministry, and eventually his death. He was taken by Roman soldiers who condemned him to death because he was a Christian. During his imprisonment, he wrote letters to his followers. Upon reaching Rome, he was sentenced to die after being thrown into a pit with wild lions.
Bee Collage: Find as many pictures of bees in old book, magazines or from the internet searches. Tape or glue the bees onto a piece of construction paper. Write “HAPPINESS IS NOT A FEELING THAT IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO US BUT AN ATTITUDE THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR HEART” or “WE NEED TO BE LIKE THE BEE, BUZZING HAPPILY THROUGH LIFE BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US”.
Flower Pots and Bees: Take a small flower pot and write “BE HAPPY FOR ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US” on it. Add dry flowers to the pot. Then glue small bees or puff balls from a craft store to the flowers and give it to a friend.
The “Bee Attitudes” Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/bee-attitude
The “Bee Attitudes” Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/bee-attitude-2 or click on Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-12
The “Bee Attitudes” Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/bee-attitude-1
Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for the time you spent with us today. Thank you for all we have learned from the saints past and present. Help us to remember that we are part of the communion of saints and are to help bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Amen
