The Beatitudes (Mt. 5:1-12)

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.

Jesus’ sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:1 to 7:29) was addressed to the disciples and the crowd (Mt. 7:28).  It is a collection of material that derives from Jesus as documented in the Gospel of Mark and other sources.  Blessed in Latin is Beati, hence the Beatitudes.  The qualities mentioned in the Beatitudes stem from the spiritual perspective that those who embrace the way of life Jesus teaches are blessed because it leads to the Kingdom of God.  The beatitudes are virtues to which the Christian should aspire.  The true reward for practicing those virtues will be fully received in heaven.  

The poor in spirit are the humble, those who see themselves as spiritually poor and recognize their need to depend on God’s grace for everything.  The Kingdom of God awaits them where they will experience true happiness and union with God (v. 3).  

Those who suffer deep spiritual sorrow without complaining as a result of their righteousness will suffer for a while in the present time, but their grief will become joy (Jn. 16:20).  Such spiritual sorrow results from recognizing one’s sins against God and it leads to repentance.  God will forgive the sins of the true penitent and cleanse and comfort him ((1 Jn. 1:19; v. 4).

The meek are those who do not retaliate when faced with adversity but control their strength and act with gentleness and humility.  Meekness can lead to true greatness in the kingdom of God (Ps. 37:11; v. 5). 

Those who seek God’s righteousness in their lives will be rewarded because God is the source of all righteousness and happiness.  To seek God’s righteousness is to submit oneself to God’s plan (Mt. 3:14-15 note; v. 6).  

Those who show mercy, forgiveness, and compassion to their brother or sister will receive God’s mercy and forgiveness which is infinitely greater than man’s.  (Mt. 5:20; Mt. 6:12; Jas. 2:13; v. 7).  

The ancients believed the heart to be the seat of many things - emotions, intellect, thought, desires, deeds, and decision-making, among others.  If the heart is pure, it is free from any sinful thoughts or intentions that stop us from seeking God so nothing could separate us from God (Rom. 8:38-39).  We would see God face to face when he calls us - the Beatific Vision (Heb. 10:22; v. 8).  

Those who are peacemakers shall be seen as the image and likeness of God and are considered His children (Gen. 1:27; v. 9).  

Jesus tells his disciples that those who endure persecution for the sake of the Gospel (Acts 5:40-41) and for proclaiming the name of Jesus (Lk. 6:22) are blessed and will be rewarded in the kingdom of Heaven.  The prophets before them were persecuted and suffered hardships (vv. 10-12).

Almighty God, help us to embrace the virtues and attitudes that Jesus proclaimed, and strengthen our faith so that we may remain faithful in times of adversity.  Grant us the grace to forgive as you forgive us, and the strength to bear our suffering for the sake of your kingdom.  This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

                Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.