284 THE BEATITUDES ORDER MANKIND TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

YOUCAT Lesson 284

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

284  Why are the Beatitudes so important?

Those who yearn for the kingdom of God look to Jesus’ list of priorities: the Beatitudes.  [1716-1717, 1725-1726]

Painting: …..“Let the Children Come to Me” by Carl Heinrich Bloch 1834-1890. …..284  Blessing of the 


Children     Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them,  but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.  After he placed his hands on them, he went away. 

From Abraham on, God made promises to his people.  Jesus takes them up, extends their application to heaven, and makes them the program for his own life: the Son of God becomes poor so as to share our poverty; he rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep (Romans 12:15); he employs no violence but rather turns the other cheek (Matthew 5:39); he has mercy, makes peace, and thereby shows us the sure way to heaven.

“For he alone is the way that is worth following, the light that is worth lighting, the life that is worth living, and the love that is worth loving.”  Bl. Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

“To will all that God wills, and always to will it, on all occasions and without reservations, is the kingdom of God that is completely within.”  Francois Fenelon (1651-1715)

1716-1717, 1725-1726

I.            THE BEATITUDES

…….1716   The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven: --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

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.(Matthew 5:3-12)¹²


…….1717   The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ's disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints. --CCC 

IN BRIEF

…….1725   The Beatitudes take up and fulfill God's promises from Abraham on by ordering them to the Kingdom of heaven. They respond to the desire for happiness that God has placed in the human heart. --CCC


…….1726   The Beatitudes teach us the final end to which God calls us: the Kingdom, the vision of God, participation in the divine nature, eternal life, filiation, rest in God. --CCC