My Dear People,

Today we read the beatitude from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience who have become Christians. He uses words which have special meaning to the Jewish people. For example, this is called the Sermon on the Mount. 

When the word “mountain” is used in the Old Testament, it indicates it is something important and is coming from God.  For example, the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. The Temple was located on Mount Moriah, the highest place in Jerusalem. The psalms specifically mention the words: “going up to the temple of the Lord”  even though for the people of Galilee the temple is south.  The people never would use the words “we are going down to Jerusalem,” rather “we are going up to Jerusalem” (the Temple was there). Elijah, when offering a sacrifice, had fire come from heaven onto Mount Carmel, proving that the God of the Hebrews was the true God, and the gods of Baal were false gods. Jesus was transfigured on Mount Tabor. The place where Jesus gave His sermon is called the Mount of the Beatitudes. There is a beautiful church there today, managed by an Italian community of sisters. 

The Hebrew people received the Ten Commandments through Moses. Now, at the beginning of this discourse, Jesus stands as the new Moses, going up the mountain in Galilee not to receive the law but to teach it. 

The Greek word for happy (Makarios) denotes blessedness or happiness, in the sense of  being in a fortunate situation.  It was often used in an ancient literary form known as “beatitude” to introduce someone who is to be congratulated or praised for being privileged or in an enviable situation. In Jewish tradition, beatitudes either commended those who took a certain path of life with a promised future or offered consolation to those who suffered afflictions.

Both elements are found in Jesus’ beatitudes in 5:3-11. He identifies the underlying attitudes and characteristics of a true disciple and commends those who take this path of discipleship, calling them truly happy. At the same time, the beatitudes encourage the faithful who are suffering as they follow this same path. They are in a praiseworthy situation because God will console them in the future. The structure of Jesus’ list may shed light on these two aspects. Jesus frames the beatitudes with the same blessing at the beginning and the end of this list—for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven (5:3,10) indicating that several kinds of blessedness are aspects of the one supreme blessing—possession of the kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus’ beatitudes represent a reversal of values, turning the world’s standards for happiness upside down. Many of the people whom the world would consider to be among the most miserable—the poor, the mourning, the meek, the persecuted—Jesus proclaims to be in an advantageous situation, for God looks now with favor on them and assures them of consolation in the future. Jesus thus challenges his followers to see life from God’s viewpoint, not the world’s. When his followers live by God’s standards, they are truly in a fortunate state in life, no matter what their circumstances may be, for they bring a glimmer of the joy and hope of the heavenly kingdom into the present world. 

Ultimately the beatitudes are nothing less than a portrait of Christ’s own life. Matthew depicts Jesus as meek (11:29 12:15-21); merciful (9:27-31; 15:22; 17:14-18), and persecuted (27:27-31, 39-44). As an indirect portrait of Jesus, the beatitudes “display the mystery of Christ himself, and they call us into communion with Him.”

Yours in Christ,   

Fr. Vincent Clemente