Matthew 5:1-12:

Summary: “Beatitude” comes from the Latin word for “blessed,” which here describes not an emotional state but a relational state. The blessed person is one who lives in the favour and approval of God. The beatitudes are Kingdom attributes, and as such they describe the blessed life in many ways that run counter to our natural inclinations as sinful human beings. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that with each beatitude Jesus utters, the gulf is widened between the disciple and the crowd, and the call to come forth from the crowd becomes increasingly urgent. With each of these eight virtues and characteristics, Jesus articulates the glory of the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven. 

For Personal Reflection: Which of these beatitudes do you think is most manifest or comes most easily to you? Which do you find the most difficult?