Introduction: How Blessed Are We!

This Sunday’s passage is probably the best known and most quoted part of the Gospel, the Beatitudes, which mark the beginning of Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” – the first of five major discourses in Matthew’s Gospel. These five major discourses (in subsequent chapters) may have originated as a collection of the core teachings of Jesus aimed at Jewish Christians who were struggling with relating their new faith with their Jewish heritage. It is noteworthy that Matthew‘s setting on a mountain makes Jesus like a Moses-like figure. In fact, Matthew’s Gospel highlights Jesus as “the New Moses” for his audience of Jewish Christians.

If you were to summarize Jesus’ core teachings into one collection, what would those teachings be?

The Beatitudes (from the Latin beatus, meaning “blessed” or “favored by God”) have echoes in Wisdom literature and the prophets. Matthew casts  the nine Beatitudes as parallel statements of blessings. Each blessing begins in the third person plural (“Blessed are they”) that assumes communal living and relationships. In other words, these are not blessings merely for the individual but for the faith community!

In what way is St. Andrew’s Parish blessed?

The beatitudes present a framework for Christian living and the high bar/the ideal in following the Way of Christ in the contemporary world. No one fully lives out these nine beatitudes in their lifetime. Even the saints struggled with these ideals.

Where do you struggle to live out an ideal of Christ?

Important point. To understand the Beatitudes is to understand the audience. Jesus is speaking to people at the bottom of the social ladder. These people seek in Jesus another world of possibility beyond their suffering. He promises that they are the truly blessed ones, not those who are rich, comfortable, or complacent now. 

The Beatitudes both convict and comfort. How?

“A few of the nine Beatitudes necessitate a bit more explanation; for example, poor in spirit is not an acceptance of poverty but an inward freedom and receptiveness to God that leads to the pursuit of righteousness above all else. The word meek means those who are poor, afflicted, or humble, while mercy is one of God’s primary attributes – along with justice. To be clean of heart refers to pure motives and a clean conscience.” -Mahri Fleckman

Where do you need to be “clean of heart” and “poor in spirit? 

I would invite you to read and ponder the words from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12a.

What word or words caught your attention?
What in this passage comforted/challenged you?

Further Questions and Reflections:

The beatitudes are radical, demanding one’s life and fidelity. As you pray with them, how do they speak to you today?

Ponder: Jesus can encourage us to live in the spirit of the beatitudes because he himself lived them and knew that a life of integrity and honesty is indeed a blessed life. 

When you think of your own life and challenges today, what would be your beatitudes?

Jesus uses the word “blessed” in this passage. Does it ring true for you? Where are you "blessed?" 

Ponder: The beatitudes should always strike a chord deep in our hearts. This week stay with the one which speaks to you most, either because you feel called to that particular attitude or because it represents your present struggle. 

Four times in these beatitudes we are told that the most unfortunate in this world are actually the ones who are blessed by God. This turns all worldly values upside down. Have you yet experienced the upturning of your own worldly values?

Ponder: The Beatitudes are our portrait of Jesus.


Deacon David

Deacon David Suley
St. Andrew Apostle Catholic Church
Silver Spring, Maryland

Published with Permission

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