Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Introductory Prayer:  Father, you dwell in heaven with all your blessed ones. In Christ, you have called me to be holy, a saint, blessed and happy. I desire to know you with the wonder of the saints, love you with their ardor and follow you with the awareness that the sufferings of this life are nothing in comparison with the joys you have prepared for the blessed in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Petition: Lord, grant that I may know you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly.

1. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying The Sermon of the Beatitudes is revolutionary. It completely overthrows our normal, human tendency to seek happiness in power, rank, possessions comfort, self-centeredness and pleasures, and it ushers in a new regime, both shocking and startling, that can only be understood when we look at Christ's example.

To see if I need Christ to come and upset the existing order of values in my own life and shock and startle me, all I have to do is to read them slowly, one by one in his presence. What stands out is that Christ's way of life is not so much a question of practices as an attitude of the soul and spirit that gives rise to certain actions. This attitude can be summed up in "lay up treasures where neither moth will eat or rust corrode them." Jesus refers in the Beatitudes to a series of choices in which one action will give us a reward here, and the other a reward in eternal life.  The Christian sets his heart on heaven. Re-read them before Jesus and ask him with each one, "Lord, is my heart here in this world or have I truly chosen you and eternal life?

2. The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1717) When we ask Jesus to show us his face, to reveal himself to us; he responds, Blessed are the poor in spirit. Christ is the most blessed person who has ever lived and he is also the most poor in spirit as well as the meekest. No one hungers and thirsts after justice as much as Jesus does; no one is purer of heart than he; and no one was ever persecuted or suffered as much as he did for righteousness' sake. And still Christ is most blessed!

The Beatitudes also express the vocation of the faithful (CCC, 1717). I was called from nothing into existence to share in beatitude. That is my awesome destiny. Who would ever desire anything less? Lord, what do I need to do in order to be as blessed as you are? What do I need to do in order to reach the happiness you created me for? There is only one way to be blessed with Christ. My countenance must begin to resemble His: poor in spirit, pure of heart and also persecuted for righteousness' sake.

3. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. The road Christ chose for himself and on which he invites us to follow him is not easy. Christ does not hide the fact that as his faithful followers we will meet the same fate as he did. The one who chooses to follow Christ faithfully will be persecuted, reviled and slandered. This is not something that pertains to the past. There are places in the world today where those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are physically persecuted. We have brothers and sisters around the world who are not afraid to lay down their lives on his account.

However, there is another kind of persecution Christians face today. How hard it can be at times to stand up for what is right and for the Gospel. In both developed and undeveloped countries today the Church is persecuted, an attempt is made to silence it. Do I silence the message of Christ by not being his apostle, by human respect? How hard it can be at times to live as faithful Christians, faithful to Christ's teaching and to the Church. Perhaps no one is threatening to take away my life for His sake and for the sake of the Gospel yet it is not easy for me to bear witness to Him all the time. I must never stop hungering for righteousness and never give into fear. I must pray for a steadfast and courageous heart so that I may follow His example and live as a faithful Christian here and now, among my friends and relatives. Only through the sacraments will I receive the strength to bear witness to Christ in a society where He is not known and loved.

Conversation: Lord Jesus, You are Truth itself and in following you I know that I will reach the goal of my life, Heaven. You are The Way to eternal life and indeed you are that Life which I have been granted to share in through baptism. Thank you for this great gift of sharing in your divine life for I know that living out the Beatitudes does not depend merely on my human efforts but on the power of your life within my soul.

Questionnaire:

1. Which beatitude do I practice most, and which do I practice least?
 
2. What aspect of the countenance of Jesus Christ attracts me most? How do I feel God is calling me to live that aspect in my everyday life?

3. What has been causing me to keep my faith to myself?