Chapter III — On the evangelical Beatitudes

1. How many and which are the evangelical Beatitudes?

The evangelical Beatitudes are eight:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.

3. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be satisfied.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Why did Jesus Christ propose the Beatitudes to us?

Jesus Christ proposed the Beatitudes to us to make us detest the maxims of the world, and to invite us to love and practice the maxims of His Gospel.

3. Who are those whom the world calls blessed?

The world calls blessed those who abound in riches and honors, who live merrily, and who have no occasion to suffer.

4. Who are the poor in spirit, whom Jesus Christ calls blessed?

The poor in spirit, according to the Gospel, are those who have the heart detached from riches; who make good use of them, if they possess them; do not seek them with eagerness, if they have them not; bear with resignation the loss of them, if these are taken from them.

5. Who are the meek?

The meek are those who treat their neighbor with gentleness, and bear with patience his defects and the wrongs received from him, without complaints, resentment, or revenge.

6. Who are those who mourn, and yet are called blessed?

Those who mourn, and yet are called blessed, are those who suffer with resignation tribulations, and who are afflicted for the sins committed, for the evils and the scandals seen in the world, for the distance from heaven, and for the danger of losing it.

7. Who are they that hunger and thirst after justice?

Those who hunger and thirst after justice are those who ardently desire to grow ever more in the divine grace and in the exercise of good and virtuous works.

8. Who are the merciful?

The merciful are those who love their neighbor in God and for love of God, have compassion on his miseries, both spiritual and corporal, and seek to relieve him according to their powers and their state.

9. Who are the clean of heart?

The clean of heart are those who have no affection for sin and keep far from it, and avoid above all every kind of impurity.

10. Who are the peacemakers?

The peacemakers are those who preserve peace with their neighbor and with themselves, and seek to make peace among those who are in discord.

11. Who are those who suffer persecution for justice' sake?

Those who suffer persecution for justice' sake are those who bear with patience derision, reproaches, and persecutions for the cause of the faith and of the law of Jesus Christ.

12. What do the different rewards promised by Jesus Christ in the Beatitudes signify?

The different rewards promised by Jesus Christ in the Beatitudes all signify, under different names, the eternal glory of heaven.

13. Do the Beatitudes procure for us only the eternal glory of heaven?

The Beatitudes do not procure for us only the eternal glory of heaven, but are also the means to lead a happy life, as far as possible, in this world.

14. Do those who follow the Beatitudes receive already some recompense in this life?

Yes, certainly, those who follow the Beatitudes receive already some recompense even in this life, because they already enjoy an inner peace and contentment, which is the beginning, though imperfect, of eternal happiness.

15. Can those who follow the maxims of the world be called happy?

No, those who follow the maxims of the world are not happy, because they have not the true peace of soul, and run the danger of being damned.