True to their Promise, members of our Secular Order consciously live their lives in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and it shows. This paper, examines the Beatitudes, as presented in St Matthew’s Gospel, to clarify just what is expected of secular members. The paper is posted as background material for Updates 9-14 of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity's Web-site.

Each of the beatitudes comprises two parts: a social aspect, and a spiritual reward. Pursuance of the social aspects leads to Christian Perfection through the practice of love of God, and of one’s neighbour; while the rewards become effective in the Heaven of our soul, here-and-now, and continue in eternity. That is, provided we are actively seeking perfection through charity and righteousness. These virtues enable humility to flower in the soul wherein God is to dwell. Humility is the mother of all virtues, leading to a right relationship between the creature and his Creator. The majesty of God is awesome: He is so powerful, so high, and so wonderful, whereas we are poor and lowly; and, yet, He chooses to dwell in the Heaven of our soul, to listen to our prayer, to fill us with grace and unbounded Love.

How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Greek word translated here as poor, would be better rendered as destitute. Jesus is our exemplar: He became poor for (our) sake, so that (we) should become rich through His poverty. (2 Cor. 8:9). A truly poor man has no power, no prestige, no influence. He is downtrodden and oppressed. There is no place in his life for impatience or jealousy, just acceptance: especially if he is on the bread-line. Yet, even in his poverty he can be rich, if he humbly trusts in God. Then, there is the man who, perhaps through ill-health or old-age, is no longer able to cope. He recognises his own inadequacy, his worthlessness, his destitution, and the impossibility of his life. Yet he humbly accepts the Will of God. More fortunate is the voluntarily poor man; who is truly humble: detached from those things in this world which are unnecessary for life, and using necessities of life in moderation. He is independent of the insanity of materialism, for his dependence is on God; and he is free from the cares of this life because of his complete surrender to the Will of God.

These are the poor in spirit. Jesus identifies with them and He offers them the hundredfold reward on earth: namely, the Kingdom of Heaven. God in him and he in God. (1 Jn 4:15) in the Heaven of the soul, here-and-now, is the happiness which Jesus promised.

Happy are the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
The submission of one’s will to the Will of God, and being dependent on the decisions of other people; not being overly dismayed by the loss of earthly possessions, and friends; or by illness, adversity, and disgrace; are recognised signs of maturity. To be calm, peaceful, and patient, because one is abandoned in true charity to the Will of God is the bedrock which supports gentleness and kindness; for only a patient man can be gentle in times of adversity. Again, Jesus is our exemplar: (He is) gentle and humble of heart.(Matt. 11:29).

The Greek word translated here as gentle could be rendered as mild-tempered, and the beatitude must be in accord with the Great Commandment: gentle with respect to God, and with respect to men. The gentle Christian is inspired by the Crucified. Lovingly and without question, he accepts the guidance of God and his Providence. In all his actions he seeks to follow God’s law because God’s way is best. How can he be stubbornly attached to his own judgement, devious, resentful and bitter about life, or proud before God, Our Father? When dealing with fellow-man, he calls to mind that God, the Father, is Father of us all, and so he is gentle. He has no desire to dominate, to wreak havoc; and is all-too-ready to turn the other cheek as Our Saviour taught: bearing reproaches and slights with equanimity. He does not judge harshly or impetuously: preferring to be lenient, preferring to forgive instead of to punish. At times though, his gentleness is deceptive: revealing a disciplined self. Yes, he is slow to anger; even righteous anger; but he is passionate to right wrong and injustice done to his fellow man. Be angry: and sin not.(Eph. 4:26) His anger is short-lived, selfless, and remedial. He judges the actions of a wrongdoer, never the wrongdoer himself; in whom he sees a brother to be loved, and helped: not vanquished.

This beatitude appears in the Psalms: But the meek shall inherit the land: and shall delight in abundance of peace (Ps. 36:11). The meaning originally expressed by inherit the land had changed over the centuries due to the fortunes of war and, to Jesus listeners, it may have seemed like an empty promise. However, Jesus was referring to a life promised, here-and-now, in the Heaven of the soul where there would be peace and power aplenty. In the Heaven of the soul, man lives by faith knowing peace because he can never be separated from the Love of God, and power because that same Love guides all of his actions.

Happy are they that mourn: they shall be comforted.
Here, in translation from the Greek the word mourn means mourning for the dead: deep sorrow piercing the heart, with tears which also wound the heart of Love. For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son (Jn 3:16). Can we have any conception of that Love? No, of course not: St Catherine of Sienna said that all one can do is to weep for love at the sight of the infinite mercy and goodness of the Crucified: when we will experience that ineffable Love in the Heaven of our soul, here-and-now. That Love instils compassion: compassion for the Crucified, for our neighbour in his suffering; and sorrow for our own faults and failings. It takes a truly gentle person to be compassionate; to afford consolation, and to express sorrow, to fellow-man in his suffering. In some ways, the German word einfühlung (implying: empathy, sensitivity, or understanding) comes closer to expressing what one should feel. The experience of sorrow completes a man’s education: he realises what matters in this life, the meaning of love, and the strength of his faith. That sorrow is no less real in genuine compassion: at the raising of Lazarus, Jesus … groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, … And Jesus wept. (Jn 11:33,35) Compassion should also be shown to the man suffering tyranny, oppression, and injustice. One may practice an ethical detachment, but must not extend this to the person. Jesus’ parable referring to the last Judgement (Matt. 25:31-46) points to the heinous sin of omission in not, at least, attempting to relieve the suffering of the person: covering the naked, visiting the sick, the housebound, and the prisoners.

God also shows compassion to the sinner who mourns: weeping for their sins. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. (Ps. 50:19) Yes, God forgives sins and, in His great Love and Compassion, He hides the enormity of those offences from the soul until it can cope with this: for the nearer one comes to God, the more clearly one sees His Perfection, and so the more one weeps at the sight of one’s sinfulness. Paraphrasing St Augustine: I was unaware that You were ready to lift me from the morass and to clean me. (Bk 6:16).

Perhaps the strangest paradoxes of all lie in the rewards promised with this beatitude: joy out of the tears of anguish, out of sorrow, and out of grief; and for the broken hearted. Like all of the other beatitudes the rewards commence here-and-now and continue in eternity. God knows all about a person’s suffering and tears, and He will comfort them. However, by being just a little more prayerful, the potential comfort can be so much greater. It costs nothing to be attentive to God in prayer with a lively faith; to offer one’s suffering and tears to God with a deep sense of love, conscious that He carried a heavy Cross to Calvary, and begging to be allowed to share that Cross with Him for the glory of God. The route is well-trodden, tried, and tested. The soul is prostrate in adoration before Him: one’s self is as nothing while He is present. Do you think that the Father is unaware of the soul’s protestation of love, its plea to be allowed to share the Love of His Divine Son? Not only is there joy in Heaven at this, there will be unalloyed joy in the Heaven of the soul!

Happy are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Here again the scope of the parable is increased by looking at the Greek text; for merciful includes the virtue of (supernatural) generosity. Generosity emerges as self-love gives way to love of God, and love of fellow-man in God. It is an outpouring of love in acts of compassion and charity. One can invert this, to reveal that only a compassionate person can be generous with fidelity and affection for everyone. Examples of generous acts are given by Holy Mother Church in the 7 spiritual, and 7 corporal, works of mercy: the performance of which emphasize one’s responsibility in society, increase reverence for God, and leave one better disposed to enter into a contemplative intimacy with Him. It may seem that there is not always a clear distinction between generosity and mercy. Yet, mercy is of God: God … is rich in mercy (Eph.2:4). It is an outpouring of the Love of God: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. (Lk. 18:13). Furthermore, since everyone is so dependent on the mercy of God, one is required to be merciful in one’s dealings with fellow-man: For I desired mercy and not sacrifice. (Osee 6:6). Also, it is incumbent on everyone to remember that they act merely as agents; for the mercy shown is of God. That mercy is enhanced by a show of steadfastness and fidelity (i.e., truth), for Thy mercy and Thy truth have always upheld me. (Ps. 39:12)

Psalm 22 leaves no doubt about the rewards here-and-now in the Heaven of the soul, for being merciful: I may dwell in the house of the Lord Ps.22:6); and again, I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy. For Thou hast regarded my humility: (Ps. 30:8). Yet Jesus also left us with a caution, But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you… (Matt. 6:15).

Happy those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: they shall be satisfied.
Jesus’ audience knew the reality of what it meant to be hungry and thirsty, unable to buy food and unable to find water. They may not have used words like zealous, or passionate; but they knew what it was to be desperate about something. Interest centres on the word righteousness: Jerome notes that it can have a wide meaning; Knox replaces it with holiness; Douay by justice; and Jerusalem by right. Obviously, it refers to the practice of virtue: He that is righteous, correcteth his way. (Prov. 21:29); and conformity with the Will of Christ in one’s life. Perhaps with passion or enthusiasm should be added and the question of the falling-off of enthusiasm addressed.

The gift of fortitude, usually associated with this beatitude, does combat disheartenment resulting from apparent contradictions and disillusionment. However, motivation through a lively faith, a buoyant hope, and unceasing prayer, is important. For the spirit of the Christian religion is uncompromising in its demands, which must be lived with love and in Love. For me to live is Christ, (Phil. 1:21); If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, (Matt. 19:21); he that not taketh up his cross is not worthy of me (Matt. 10:38); thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matt.22:37,39).

The spiritual reward here-and-now in the Heaven of the soul is a greater realization of God in me and I in God, with unalloyed joy in proportion to the extent that one is conformed to the Will of Christ, and transformed in Him through sharing His sufferings. Quite simply, one is lost in His Love.

Happy are the pure in heart: they shall see God.
To understand this beatitude it is useful initially to think of it simply as Happy are the pure. For our purity is both inside and out. Jesus requires an inward purity without blemish: heart, soul, and mind; attached only to Him in unalloyed love; and He helps one achieve this purity and the necessary detachment. Detachment implies seeing God in one’s self, or a neighbour; in a woodland or a windswept day; and in trials, or consolations. Detachment doesn’t reduce our appreciation, it increases it. One is reminded of The Canticle of Céline in which St Thérèse unfolds the everyday glories of God so beautifully. In His great Love He provides untold graces to develop virtues, along with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to purify the heart and mind; and Sacraments to cleanse and feed the soul.

One’s outward purity also comes under uncompromising scrutiny: Thy Father seeth in secret (Matt. 6:4) and, If thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off (Matt. 5:30). The insidious nature of scandal is frightening: where one visits, who one is seen with or talks to, how one dresses, the nature of one’s employment, are all potential material for the scandal-monger. Again, it may be that the outward purity is being defiled by self-seeking: for example making a show of giving alms or when in prayer. Often the person is quite unaware of this, and thankful for fraternal correction.

They shall see God is the reward: not the glorification of God just yet, here-and-now; but the counterpart of this with Jesus in the Heaven of the soul. Thy faith hath made thee safe. (Lk. 7:50) Of ourselves we have nothing, yet in His Love we have everything.

Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
The first thing to notice is that peacemakers are addressed directly: peace lovers only indirectly. In other words, those who are prepared to face, unpleasantness, and unpopularity to establish peace; to face up squarely to difficulty; to sacrifice everything, even their lives, in the quest for peace; and those who, in their everyday lives, are prepared to create an atmosphere of peace, calming troubled souls with love and kind words. This peace, invites the love of one’s enemies; but it looks beyond the negative absence of war and strife, to a peace which Jesus expects one to work for in His name. Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: (Jn 14:27) and, the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, (Phil. :7).

One must start by being at peace with oneself by attentiveness to God: through prayer, frequent confession and Holy Communion, and following a suitable rule of life. One has a further responsibility to live one’s life in accord with the dictates of Holy Mother Church and her Pastors. Then there is a responsibility for honouring one’s parents; and creating a right relationship with one’s neighbour, within one’s ability and means: being charitable, polite, chivalrous; and not engaging in fruitless argument, rivalry, jealousy, or hostility. To this must be added the responsibility, either through one’s chosen occupation or voluntary work; of seeking to improve living conditions for the homeless, the infirm, the sick and the aged; of being carers; and of feeding the hungry. As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. (Matt. 25:40)

The spiritual reward as expressed in the beatitude is a correct translation, but the phrase sons of God would have been rendered as God-like in Hebrew. In other words, the peacemakers have the special privilege of being the hands and feet of God here-and-now. Is not the servant ever joyful at being in the presence of his Master? As the eyes of servants are on the hands of their Masters,(Ps. 122:2).

Happy are they who are persecuted in the cause of righteousness.
[The next verse (Matt. 5:11) has not been included.] The format of this beatitude is consistent with the other seven: a social aspect and a spiritual reward; but the context is supernatural: people are being persecuted for a belief. From the time of Jesus, right through to the present day, there has been suffering. One has only to open a newspaper to read people being burnt to death in churches and butchered in Christian villages. These incidents are so horrific as to make the headlines, but what of the less widely known incidents ranging from a son or daughter being ostracized by their family for becoming a convert to the faith, or being put on the streets; to those tied in weighted sacks and found in the river. What about the thousands of missionaries down through the ages who have met their deaths at the hands of the very people to whom they were preaching the Good News; or by order of the rulers of the country in which they had dared to set foot. One will never know how many have witnessed to the faith, or how many have been martyred: all because they were somehow fundamentally different!

Once more there is the apparent paradox of the promised reward: joy out of persecution and suffering. As was mentioned earlier, the promised reward attached to suffering could be small unless the sufferer had offered it, either by intent or in the fullness of time, to the glory of God through Jesus. The same principle applies here, but has been overruled by God himself: If we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him. (Rom. 8:17); as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation. (2 Cor.1:7); If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. (2 Tim.2:12) May Almighty God be glorified in His Martyrs and in His Saints.

The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the site owner and as such may not be assumed to reflect or represent the official teaching of Holy Mother Church at any time past or present.