Mt 5, 1-12 The Beatitudes

Chapter 5

(Mt 5, 1-12) The Beatitudes

[1] When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. [2] He began to teach them, saying: [3] "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [4] Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. [5] Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. [6] Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. [7] Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. [8] Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. [9] Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. [10] Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(CCC 1716) The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 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. 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 (Mt 5:3-12). (CCC 1717) The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ's disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints. (CCC 1718) The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it: We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated (St. Augustine, De moribus eccl. 1, 3, 4: PL 32,1312). How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you (St. Augustine, Conf. 10, 20: PL 32, 791). God alone satisfies (St. Thomas Aquinas, Expos. in symb. apost. I). (CCC 1719) The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence, the ultimate end of human acts: God calls us to his own beatitude. This vocation is addressed to each individual personally, but also to the Church as a whole, the new people made up of those who have accepted the promise and live from it in faith.