The Beatitudes

They are the opening words with which Jesus inaugurates the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), standing at the very center of His preaching. «Blessed» means truly happy, radiant, favored by God: they are Jesus' definitive answer to the universal human question of where true happiness is to be found. With them He gathers the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, but elevates them to an infinite horizon: not a temporal homeland, but the Kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
• Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
• Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
• Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

And a ninth, addressed directly in the second person: blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account; rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

Only at first glance, which is why they are so startling: they declare blessed those whom the world pities—the poor, the meek, the sorrowful, the persecuted—while passing over the wealthy, the self-assertive, and the widely acclaimed. Yet they are not a celebration of misfortune, but divine promises: God Himself pledges to comfort, satisfy, and bestow His Kingdom. They are «paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulation».

Jesus Christ Himself. He is the poor man who had nowhere to lay His head, the meek one who welcomed sinners, the one persecuted unto the Cross, the pure in heart. The Beatitudes sketch His countenance. Living them is not merely adhering to a list of moral precepts, but becoming configured to Him (Jesus, life of Christ).

To keep the heart free from greed and detachment from the slavery of possessions, whether one has little or much. To those with little, it asks not to live consumed by envy or bitterness; to those with abundance, it demands generous detachment to help those in need. One only begins to love authentically when one readily sacrifices something of one's own for another (poverty, austerity).

Far from it: authentic meekness is a supreme act of fortitude. It is neither mere natural docility nor yielding out of fear of confrontation, but absolute self-mastery. It is forged «by severity toward oneself», which is why a truly meek person commands far greater reverence than a violent one: consider Jesus silent before His accusers, sovereignly in control of Himself in the height of the Passion (patience, fortitude).

Because they are not abandoned in their grief: God Himself pledges to comfort them. The Christian who suffers abandons himself trustingly to the Father who knows and provides, and that supernatural confidence imparts a deep joy that coexists with tears. This is not bitter stoic resignation: it is the lived experience, witnessed in countless saints, that even difficult days bring a hidden peace to those who trust in divine Providence (pain).

Laboring for peace—in family life, in the workplace, among nations—is the hallmark of God's children, even when human efforts seem to fall short: «If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all», Saint Paul exhorted, aware that peace requires goodwill on both sides. And persecution for righteousness' sake closes the list with realistic clarity: whoever strives to live this way will inevitably clash at times with worldly currents. Jesus never conceals this cost; He promises that the reward is infinitely worth it (courage).

They do not replace them: they begin where the Commandments reach their summit. The commandments establish the foundational minimum necessary to protect love; the Beatitudes point toward the heights of perfection. The commandment says «you shall not steal»; the Beatitude invites us to surrender our very goods for others. They represent the difference between merely avoiding evil and becoming like Christ.

Yes: the Virgin Mary first and foremost, and all the saints, each according to their personal vocation. They are not an unattainable ideal reserved for spiritual giants; they have been realized in real men and women who led ordinary, everyday lives. Every Christian is called to live them right where he is: in the family, in professional work, in illness, in victory, and in adversity (heaven, hope).