The Beatitudes

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Humility is the beginning of the spiritual life. In order take up this supernatural task we must begin by acknowledging our complete dependence on God.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

While there are many things that cause us sadness, the worst of these is sin.
The second step of the spiritual life is to repent of our sins. Only the humble can truthfully acknowledge their sinfulness.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Meek does not mean weak or wishy washy. Meek means to be free of covetousness. The meek person possesses the land rather than let the land possess him.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
We can only achieve that which is difficult if we have desire, the strength of will to achieve a goal. Those who are blessed have a firm and unwavering desire for holiness

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
In many places Jesus teaches us to forgive those who sin against us.
The blessed freely give mercy to others because they have received mercy from God.

Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Only those who have faith can see God. Purity of mind and body allows faith to blossom in the soul.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
The Son of God came to heal wounds of sin and division. If we too want be God’s children we must also work for peace. Do we stir up strife and discord or do we cultivate peace.


Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
From the beginning Christians have always been persecuted for their faith. The world hates the ideals and the values of those who follow Christ. When the world rejects Jesus do we remain faithful to him or do we pretend like we do not know him out of respect for the world.