The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-10). Jesus teaches us that if we live according to the Beatitudes, we will live a happy Christian life. The Beatitudes fulfill God’s promises made to Abraham and his descendants and describe the rewards that will be ours as loyal followers of Christ.

Pope Francis has underlined how the Beatitudes are a Christian’s “identity card” that “identify us as followers of Jesus.”  As well as the eight Beatitudes Pope Francis also proposed 6 more to “recognize and respond to new situations with fresh energy.”

Pope Francis has explained that holiness is not so much about “great deeds and extraordinary events” but rather “daily fidelity to the demands of our baptism.” Holiness, he said, “consists in the love of God and the love of our brothers and sisters — something that makes a person deeply happy, as the saints showed.

“That is why we call the saints blessed,” the Pope said. “The Beatitudes are their path, their goal, their native land. The Beatitudes are the way of life that the Lord teaches us, so that we can follow in his footsteps.”  Let us live the Beatitudes in our daily lives.

Pat Schifini, OSU