1. THE BEATITUDES Chapter 16

2. Overview of Jesus’ Public Ministry Jesus public ministry began at His baptism  Jordan River  By St. John the Baptist  Trinity Revealed  Holy Spirit descended on Christ  Father: “This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased” 40 days in the desert  Fasting and overcoming temptation Jesus taught, healed, and performed miracles  Parables Old Testament focused on “you shall not”  Jesus gave positive teachings on how to be a follower

3. Beatitudes A beatitude is a special blessing/spiritual happiness The Beatitudes sum up the joy in store for those who follow Jesus The blessings are available to all people  Regardless of wealth, education, health, popularity  The Pharisees had taught that misfortune was a punishment of God  Showed you were not in His favor Eucharist given to help live this Christian life

4. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” May have possessions  Would be willing to give them up if necessary Value heavenly treasure above all else  God fills up their hearts, since they aren’t filled with desire for possessions

5. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” Mourn  Sorrow for sin  Sorrow for the loss of someone dear They will receive strength to make it through the struggle Their sorrows will bring them closer to God  Can be united to His sorrows  Lazarus’ passing  Garden of Gethsemane

6. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” Meek = truly humble and kind  Don’t think of themselves as better than others  Accept the gifts and limitations God gave them  They understand where they are in relation to others

7. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” A blessing for the heart that wants what God wants If we desire the right things, God will help us Joy in doing God’s will

8. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” Mercy = Love shown to those in need  As well as those who are undeserving Merciful people help others, forgive others, and show others kindness They will receive mercy from God “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”

9. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” Pure in heart  Chaste lives  Do not have excessive love for earthly things Single-hearted devotion and love for God Feel God’s presence in this life  Spend eternity with Him in the next

10. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity” Peacemakers remove obstacles that keep people apart Work to bring sinners back to God They are God’s special people on earth  Will be among the saints in Heaven

11. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Related to: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” If we are living Christ’s life, we will be persecuted  After all, He was persecuted  Sharing in Christ’s death leads to sharing in His Resurrection