What Are the Beatitudes?

“Happiness is something we all want, but one of the great tragedies in this world is that so many people never find it because they look for it in the wrong places. The key to it is very simple – true happiness is to be found in God. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success or in our relationships with others, but in God. Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts."

— Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

We all want happiness, but where do we find it? Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels are a blueprint for happiness. While many people first think of the Ten Commandments as the most essential steps to living a faithful Christian life, in reality, Jesus calls us to go a step further. He calls us to take this step in the Sermon on the Mount—it is here we receive the Beatitudes.

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The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin beatus, meaning “happy.” Through the Beatitudes, Jesus shows us what it means to be happy and how we ought to live if we desire true happiness. This happiness is not simply a good feeling that fades after a while; it is a union with God, a union that begins in this life in our relationship with Christ but comes to its fulfillment in heaven. This is the happiness, the beatitude, which we were created for.

This happiness is beyond anything we can imagine or create for ourselves; it is a supernatural grace. Jesus’ Beatitudes—along with the Ten Commandments, Jesus’ other moral teachings, and the teachings of the Apostles—serve as a path that leads to authentic happiness. The hallmark of this path is its outward, missional focus: true happiness. Jesus tells us true happiness comes from loving and serving others, particularly the “least among us” (Matthew 25:40). In so doing, we are loving and serving Christ.

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WHAT DO THE BEATITUDES TEACH US?

The Beatitudes are not simply words on a page, or pious thoughts we revisit when the Sunday Gospel reading comes from the Sermon on the Mount. They are meant to be lived, day in and day out, by each of us who call ourselves Jesus’ disciples.

Let’s explore each of the Beatitudes as related to us by the Gospel of Matthew and dive a bit more deeply into what Jesus is teaching us through them.

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Blessed are those who mourn
Blessed are the meek
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure of heart
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are they who persecuted for the sake of righteousness
What are the rewards of heaven?

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT?

Poverty of spirit does not necessarily mean material poverty but rather an awareness of your need for God. Those who are poor in spirit are not attached to their wealth or material things because they know that those things do not last and cannot satisfy. They also recognize their complete dependence upon God for everything that they have and are thus more generous to the poor and choose a lifestyle that benefits those most in need.

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Consider supporting Divine Word Missionaries through almsgiving and through prayer. The Lord will never be outdone in generosity—he always provides abundantly for those who give generously.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED

GOD COMFORTS THOSE WHO MOURN

For the Christian, there is no way around mourning. Even if we have not suffered significant loss, trauma or abuse in our own lives, we know (or know of) others who have suffered greatly, and we grieve with them. The only way to avoid pain and suffering in this life is to cut ourselves off from others. In order to be compassionate to others in their pain, especially to the poor and defenseless in our society, we must be willing to act in solidarity with them and experience their pain. The ability to mourn with hope—which is what this beatitude exhorts us to do—indicates spiritual freedom: the freedom to acknowledge reality as it is and to trust that Christ can redeem and console us even in the greatest suffering.

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Who do you know in your life who is mourning? Reach out to them this week, even if it’s just a text saying, “I’m praying for you.”

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTH

WHO ARE THE MEEK?

The meek are not simply those who possess little to no earthly power; they are those who are not hungry for power. They are able to practice self-discipline in the face of evil, to resist the temptation to retaliate with violence, to care more for the well-being of others than they do about their own status.

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Examine your conscience: have you coveted power in your work, family life or community? If you’re in a position of power and authority, do you use it to serve others? How can you grow in meekness, reflecting to others Christ’s self-emptying on the cross?

BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY WILL BE SATISFIED

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?

What is your ultimate concern, day in and day out? That is what you “hunger” for. Jesus tells us that our primary concern should be righteousness, meaning the will of God. If we hunger for anything other than this, we will be unfulfilled. But what is the will of God? Jesus summarizes it in this way:, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”“There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). This means we must resist the temptation to become indifferent to the suffering and mistreatment of others, especially the poor and vulnerable, and develop an awareness and sensitivity to the needs of our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

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It’s easy to become indifferent to the needs of the poor in our midst, especially when we see them every day. Gather some water bottles, snacks and prayer cards or rosaries to hand out to any people in need you come across on your daily commute or while running errands. When you encounter someone to distribute these items to, look into their eyes, smile at them and assure them of your prayers.

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY

WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO SHOW MERCY?

Mercy, the free gift of love, is God’s most distinctive characteristic. To be a Christian, a follower of the God made man, is to become more loving, more merciful. The more we receive God’s gift of love, the more we are meant to give it. The Church has traditionally encouraged the faithful to perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, extending Christ’s love to those who most need it.

Human beings are body/soul composites, meaning that the spiritual and biological dimensions of our being are inextricably linked. Material necessities are not sufficient for a truly human life; our spiritual needs must also be met. This is why instructing the ignorant, advising those in need of counsel, consoling those who mourn, comforting those who suffer, forgiving those who have wronged us and bearing wrongs patiently are all considered spiritual works of mercy. They are spiritual because they pertain primarily to the spiritual welfare of the person, although of course the body and the soul are so intimately connected that any act of mercy affects the whole person.

The corporal works of mercy are based primarily on Jesus’ commands in Matthew 25: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving material assistance to the poor is one of the most important acts of love that we can perform.

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Read through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy listed above and make note of any that you are not now practicing. Choose one to focus on this week. For example, if your parish is in need of catechists, consider becoming one as part of “instructing the ignorant.”

BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART, FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PURE OF HEART?

The pure of heart are those who know that the most important thing in life is a loving relationship with God and with others. If I am pure of heart, my life is centered around God’s love. The pure of heart recognize the dignity and sacredness of every human being and recognize the image of God present in each person they encounter.

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The next time you encounter a person who does not value his or her own dignity (such as a family member engaging in self-destructive behavior), resist the temptation to judge or condemn, and instead pray specifically that their eyes are opened to their belovedness by God.

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY WILL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD

WHO ARE THE PEACEMAKERS?

If you orient your life toward God, you will necessarily become a peacemaker because God is the source of peace. Satan is the father of division, discord and war. As children of God, we are obligated to perform works of peace, beginning in our own families and communities.

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Is there a relationship in your life that is rife with conflict? Prayerfully consider small ways that you could move toward making peace in that relationship.

BLESSED ARE THEY WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR THE SAKE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PERSECUTED FOR THE SAKE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?

This is the beatitude of the martyrs. It frees us to have the courage to speak truth to power in the name of Christ. It means that we must witness to Jesus and the Church always, even when it is unpopular or dangerous. We must boldly work for and defend the innocent, the poor and the marginalized—even to the point of giving our lives for Christ in martyrdom.

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Offer a special prayer today (a Hail Mary, Our Father, rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, etc.) for persecuted Christians throughout the world.

WHAT ARE THE REWARDS 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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12

While this passage is included in the Beatitudes, it’s not technically a beatitude itself but rather the culmination of Jesus’ teaching on happiness.

If we accept and cooperate with the gifts of faith, hope and love given to us by Christ through the Church, then sin and death will not have the final word on our lives. We will begin to experience heaven on earth, because heaven is the perfect union with Christ. Any time we experience union with Christ we are getting a taste of heaven. Our eventual death will simply be the continuation and deepening of what we already have begun to live. It is after death that we finally experience what we have always longed for: the perfect happiness that can only come from union with God—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—in heaven.

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LIVING OUT THE BEATITUDES: BEING A WITNESS FOR CHRIST

As Divine Word Missionaries, we strive to share the Gospel through a missionary life of service. Looking at the work of our missionary Brothers and priests around the world, it is easy to see the Beatitudes lived out in concrete and inspiring ways.

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

Often, it is our missionaries who encounter this beatitude in the people they serve, especially the children. Bishop Józef Roszynski SVD experienced the generosity and poverty of spirit of a group of poor children in Papua New Guinea who were willing to give of their meager financial resources to save him from a violent encounter.

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

When a massive cyclone hit Mozambique in 2019, the damage was beyond what most of us can imagine: demolished homes, impassable roads, no electricity or food, medical supply shortages, families separated, and upwards of one thousand lives lost. The grief was palpable, not just for the people of Mozambique, but for our missionaries who serve there. Even though parish buildings and homes were destroyed and initial aid was limited, our missionaries did not despair. They continued to love those they serve with Christ’s love and distributed food and other basic material supplies to the people mourning with them.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

If the meek are those who do not covet power or worldly wealth, it would be difficult to find a greater example of this beatitude than Divine Word Missionary seminarians, priests and Brothers. They give up all kinds of worldly comforts, including the comfort of their birth language and culture, as well as the chance to “climb the ladder” in the corporate world. They choose instead to serve the poorest of the poor in places like India, Kenya or Brazil.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Few people can look away from the pain and suffering of a child. Divine Word Missionaries hunger and thirst for the safety, healing and flourishing of the children we encounter in our work. Our orphanage in Lembata, Indonesia, is an excellent example of this. Children who have lost parents or grandparents, as well as children from dysfunctional and abusive families, find refuge in this home where they are loved and cared for, often in ways beyond what they have experienced in their young lives.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Divine Word Missionaries live the corporal and spiritual works of mercy every day, whether we are feeding the hungry in Kenya, empowering the poor through education or living in solidarity with the poor. We are committed to showing mercy to the poor not only through material assistance but through the ministry of God’s love. As St. Teresa of Calcutta once remarked, “There are two kinds of poverty. We have the poverty of material; for example, in some places like in India, Ethiopia and other places, where the people are hungry for a loaf of bread—real hunger. But there is a much deeper, much greater hunger; and that is the hunger for love, and that terrible loneliness and being unwanted, unloved—being abandoned by everybody.” Through living this beatitude, Divine Word Missionaries hope to address both material and spiritual poverty in the places we are blessed to serve.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.

Our missionaries live out this beatitude by recognizing the dignity and belovedness of each person they encounter, no matter how difficult or unseemly their circumstances. At Bethany House of St. Martha in Salto de Agua, Mexico, our missionary priests and brothers welcome men, women and children who have made the perilous journey north from countries in Central and South America. They seek work, housing and a better life for themselves and their families. By providing shelter, food and the safety that the migrants crave after traveling in perilous circumstances, our missionaries at Bethany House of St. Martha are loving Jesus in the travel-worn men, women and children who come to them.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

One way that Divine Word Missionaries work for peace is by providing orphanages and schools for children who are harmed by violence in their communities. Children are often the ones who suffer most due to war, terrorism and domestic violence. If we do not help them recover from their trauma, give them the love they need, and provide them with education and material assistance, the cycle of violence will only continue.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Brother Paul Bongcaras SVD understands this beatitude from the inside. When he began his ministry to the prostitutes and pimps of the red light district of Cebu City, Philippines, he was seen as a rebel—even by his superiors in the order! Eventually, the skeptics realized the value of Bro. Paul’s persistence in befriending and helping the women and men who had been driven into prostitution by poverty and abuse. His work continues to bear fruit today, as more and more women learn skills and find meaningful work that accords with their dignity as daughters of God.

SEEKING THE REWARDS 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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

While Divine Word Missionaries live out the Beatitudes in clear and often radical ways, it is not necessary to be part of a religious order to follow Jesus’ teachings on true happiness. All of us, lay people included, are called to seek the kingdom of heaven in our daily lives. Whether we are serving Christ in our family, neighborhood, parish or school community, or city, we can bring the love and mercy of God to those we encounter.

The work of the Christian life can be exhausting. It can even feel defeating. In those moments, it is well to remember the words of a saint who devoted his life to the spiritual direction and encouragement of the laity:

"Rest is reserved for heaven, where the palm branch of victory awaits us. On earth we should always fight as though we are between fear and hope. But we must do this knowing that hope will always be the stronger, bearing in mind the power of the one who comes to our aid."

—St. Francis de Sales

SUPPORT CATHOLIC MISSIONARY WORK

Divine Word Missionaries regularly put the Beatitudes into practice through their daily works. If you’d like to support them in the mission, here are three ways to get involved:

First and foremost, please pray with us. Pray for Divine Word Missionaries worldwide, pray for those we serve and pray for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide our efforts. We would also love to pray for you by offering a Mass on behalf of someone you love.

Second, we invite you to prayerfully consider making a financial gift to the missions. Because we work in places where a little money goes much further than it does in wealthy countries, even a small gift can help us bring Christ’s mercy to the poorest of the poor.

Becoming a Monthly Donor is an incredibly helpful way to support our missionaries. Our most common gift of $25 per month enables reliable support for all of our mission projects.

Finally, we’d love to stay connected with you through our monthly email newsletter, where we share updates on the work of our missionaries.

Divine Word Missionaries. In Action.

BLESSED ARE THEY

What the Beatitudes Teach Us About Living Like Christ