Readings: Rev. 7.2-14; Ps. 24; 1 Jn. 3.1-3; Mt. 5.1-12

The Eight Beatitudes. Scripture Scholars tell us that the Eight Beatitudes are Jesus' vision for moral behavior. The Ten Commandments are included herein, but whereas the Ten Commandments are negative commands, namely, "Thou shalt not …" the Eight Beatitudes are positive exhortations, namely, "Blessed are those ….". Scholars teach that many of Jesus' teachings were heard, received and written by the four evangelists who oftentimes incorporated their own words. The Eight Beatitudes, however, are so fundamental that we can be sure that these are Jesus' words. The same is said of three other statements: the institution of the Eucharist, the Kingdom of God sayings, and the Our Father prayer.

Another observation, not from Scripture scholars but from Fr. O'Malley, please. These beatitudes are ideals. We aim towards achieving them. Sometimes, with the help of the grace of God, we probably momentarily attain them. Many times, due to our sinfulness, we fall short of these ideals. We are in good company. Even the apostles, and the great men and women saints, including our deceased parents, fell short of these ideals. The happy vision of our Catholic faith is that we recognize that we are sinners, and that we keep trying, striving for these ideals and to become saints.

If everyone would pick up the Breaking News missalette in your pew, and turn to page 225, please, I'd like to review with you each of these beatitudes. By the way, the word "blessed" may be translated also as "happy".

1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The "poor in spirit" in Hebrew are called the anawim. They may or may not be poor in fact. Poor in spirit means that they have in their need no one else to turn to, or depend on, except God. God is their last hope. We are probably part of the anawim when we pray especially for our loved ones who are very sick, or for loved ones that they might return to the practice of their faith, or globally for an end to wars.
    
2. "Blessed are they who mourn." Mourning breaks our hearts. We mourn over sin first of all. In this country for the last 50 years, our political leaders whom we citizens have voted into office and who have appointed judges, have removed God's name and image from the public forum: from public schools and school events, from public prayers and town squares, from legislation. We mourn because our society has lost its Christian moorings. We mourn for our country in its post-Christian era.
    
3. "Blessed are the meek." Meekness in its Scriptural, not popular sense, means gentleness, approachability. Blessed are people who receive other people based on their inherent goodness and not based on their power, wealth, influence, intelligence, or potential advantage to themselves. We Christians want to greet and meet every person on the face of the earth based not on external factors but on each one's inherent God-given goodness.
    
4. "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Righteousness means that we stand right with God, that God judges us as right. This is the opposite of self-righteousness., where we judge ourselves as being and doing right. The goal is to be accepted and judged by God as righteous. The joke is told of some wealthy miser who died and stood before God and St. Peter. God condemned him because he never had shared his wealth. The person yanks Peter's sleeve and says that he once gave $20 to a poor person. Peter relays that information to God. God reconsiders and says, "Give him back his $20, and tell him to go to hell." What matters is how God judges us, no how we judge ourselves. Prepare for God's judgment on our righteousness.
    
5. "Blessed are the merciful." Mercy is one of God's defining traits. Right after Easter Sunday, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday when we imagine Jesus' rays of mercy extending to all people. In The Lord's prayer, we say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." We hope to receive God's mercy; part of the process is that we extend mercy to others. Whom do you need to forgive … genuinely, from the bottom of your heart?
    
6. "Blessed are the clean of heart." Some translations say "pure of heart" or "single-hearted". These phrases emphasize that we focus directly on God, on knowing and doing his will. Countless distractions enter into our consciousness throughout our days. The clean of heart are single-minded for God.
    
7. "Blessed are the peacemakers." Jesus' peace is not what the world calls peace, which is the absence of war. Peace in Christianity means "union in love". We need to respect and try to understand the people with whom we are in opposition, either individually or some large group. Even when we disagree with someone and determine that they are wrong, we still need to respect them and encourage them to follow God's way. Think of your own children, or siblings, or friends. Call a spade a spade, and continue to encourage people to follow God's way.
    
8. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake." Throughout Church history, Christians have suffered discrimination or death on account of their beliefs. In our post-Christian society, we too experience persecution. Be ready and willing to stand up for your faith.

In summary, let's live well our faith, depending on God alone, mourning over sin in our society, behaving meekly, humbly, mercifully, single-mindedly, peacefully. Why? Because Jesus has promised us: "For yours is the Kingdom of Heaven, where you will be comforted, satisfied, enjoy mercy, see God, and will be called a child of God for all eternity.