A detailed study in the First Gospel as instruction manual for the early Church will be presented. Attention is paid to the organization of the teaching materials into five discourses and the progression from one to the other in preparation of the catechumen to join himself to the church in Baptism and to meet Christ in the Eucharist. Also discussed is the Evangelist’s placement of the episodes from the life of Jesus between each of the discourses. Special consideration is given to the Lord’s Prayer and the relationship of the miraculous feedings to Christ’s offering Himself to the Church in Holy Communion. Along with isagogical materials, the role of Matthew in the fathers of the Church in the first centuries A.D. is discussed to show how Matthew is rightly understood as “The Church’s Gospel.” (1.5 CEU)