“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…” (Matthew 5:11) Joy is an essential element of the spiritual life, and is one of the “fruits of the Holy Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22) There is no genuine spirituality without joy. From the first pages of the Gospel, until the very end, the apostles of Christ, with Mary His mother and all of
“Blessed are they 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 for my sake.” (Matthew 5:10-11) In saying these words, Christ promised that those who would follow Him would certainly be persecuted. This is a central prediction of the Gospel
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Christ, the “prince of peace,” (Isaiah 9:6) gives the peace of God to those who believe in Him. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. (John 14:27) I have said these things to
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Purity of heart means to be free of all wicked motivations and sinful intentions, and to have no unworthy interests and self-seeking desires. It means to be totally free from anything which blinds and darkens the mind so that it cannot see things clearly and honestly. It means to be totally
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) To be merciful is to be like God, for “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalm 103:8) The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love for thousands, forgiving
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) Strictly speaking, this beatitude of the Lord blesses, not the righteous, but the seekers of righteousness. It is those who are hungry and thirsty for what is just and good who receive the blessings of God who also says: Do not be anxious, saying “What shall we
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Meekness is an essential possession of the spiritual person. Jesus Himself was meek. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4) This is the second beatitude, and it logically follows the first. If one is poor in spirit, liberated from the spiritual and physical lusts of this world, he will necessarily mourn and weep over the conditions of man. The poor in spirit know how foolish and sad it is to be
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) This first beatitude is the fundamental condition for all man’s spiritual progress and growth. Before everything else, if a person wants to live the life of God, he must be poor in spirit. To be poor in spirit is to recognize clearly that one has nothing which he
In the Gospel writings, the beatitudes introduce the teachings of Jesus and are traditionally considered to contain the most concise summary of the spiritual life of man. In the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the beatitudes are chanted when the Book of the Gospels is carried in solemn procession to the sanctuary to be proclaimed as the Word of God to the faithful. Thus it is
