the attitude for the beatitudes
"How blest are..." —Matthew 5:3
The Lord wants to bless us more than we can ever imagine because He loves us even to dying on the cross for us. He wants to bless us by showing us kindness. However, if we are proud, we will misappropriate this type of blessing. Therefore, the Lord blesses the proud by giving them sternness rather than kindness (1 Pt 5:5). To be blessed with kindness, we must humble ourselves (Mt 23:12).
To be blessed right now with the glory of God's kingdom, we must humble ourselves by choosing material poverty and/or persecution for righteousness' sake (Mt 5:3, 10). To be blessed with consolation, we should humble ourselves by sorrowing for our sins (Mt 5:4; see 2 Cor 7:10). To be blessed with land, we are to choose the humility of lowliness (Mt 5:5). To be blessed with fulfillment, we must humble ourselves by seeking holiness rather than the fulfillment of our selfish desires (Mt 5:6). To be blessed by receiving God's mercy, we must humble ourselves by giving mercy to those who have hurt us (Mt 5:7). To be blessed with seeing God, we are to humble ourselves by rooting out of our hearts anything not of God (Mt 5:8). To receive the blessings reserved for God's children, we must humble ourselves by making peace rather than war against our enemies (Mt 5:9). The blessings of the Beatitudes are based on one attitude — humility.
Prayer: Father, may I joyfully humble myself for love of You.
Promise: "Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the stream." —1 Kgs 17:6
Praise: By God's grace, Carla forgave her husband for committing adultery.
Reference: (For more teaching on this subject, order our pamphlet, The Beatitudes.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 29, 1995
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 4, 1995