What are the Beatitudes and why are they central to Catholic morality?
Proclaimed by Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), the eight Beatitudes are the heart of Christian moral teaching. They respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in the human heart, depicting the countenance of Jesus Christ and outlining the path to true blessedness. Unlike legalistic external codes, the Beatitudes call for an interior conversion of heart—poverty of spirit, meekness, purity of heart, mercy, and peacemaking—promising that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who embrace Christ's cross.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1716-1724
- Matthew 5:3-12
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