Beatitudes and the Kingdom of God

Beatitudes

• The Beatitudes represent attitudes for following Jesus and achieving holiness and happiness.
• First Beatitude emphasizes humility, recognizing our need for God.
• Second and Third Beatitudes focus on compassion and respect, respectively, uplifting those who mourn and the meek.
• Fourth and Fifth Beatitudes encourage a desire for holiness and mercy.
• The Sixth Beatitude highlights a heart focused on God, and the Seventh emphasizes the pursuit of peace.
• The Eighth Beatitude acknowledges standing for righteousness despite persecution.

Kingdom of God

• Refers to God's reign of peace, justice, and love as proclaimed by Jesus.
• Initiated through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
• Represents God's process of reconciling and renewing all creation, ongoing until the end of time.

Metanoia

• Greek term meaning repentance; involves turning away from sin with the intent to embrace a Christian life.

List of Beatitudes

• Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
• Blessed are they who mourn: they will be comforted.
• Blessed are the meek: they will inherit the land.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: they will be satisfied.
• Blessed are the merciful: they will be shown mercy.
• Blessed are the clean of heart: they will see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers: they will be called children of God.
• Blessed are those persecuted for the sake of righteousness: theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Justification

• Justification is the Holy Spirit's grace cleansing us from sin through faith and baptism.
• Connects to justice: giving what is due and being in balance.
• It reflects God's mercy by removing barriers to union with Him.

Grace

• Defined as a free, unearned favor from God received at Baptism.
• Adopts individuals into God's family and empowers them to live as His children.
• Types include sanctifying grace, sacramental grace, and actual grace.

Charisms

• Special gifts from the Holy Spirit intended to build the Church.
• Originates from the Greek word "charis," meaning divine gift; related to the concept of grace.

Discipleship

• A mandate for baptized Christians to follow Jesus and participate in His prophetic, priestly, and kingly roles.

Contemplative Orders

• Religious communities focused on prayer over active ministry.
• Men's contemplative orders include Benedictines, Trappists, and Carmelites; women's include Benedictines, Poor Clares, Carmelites, and Trappistines.

Apostolic Orders

• Focus on serving others through teaching, preaching, and caring for those in need.
• Women’s congregations include Sisters of Charity, Franciscan Sisters, Sisters of Mercy, and Dominican Sisters.
• Men’s orders include Jesuits, Franciscans, Salesians, Holy Cross, Christian Brothers, and Dominicans.

Purpose of Creation

• God created humans to know, love, and serve Him, aiming for eternal happiness and reward.

Jesus' Beatitudes and Human Happiness

• The Beatitudes outline attitudes necessary for living a Christian vocation and achieving true happiness.
• They lead to God's kingdom, resulting in divine vision, family adoption, and eternal rest.

Jesus as the Moral Norm

• Jesus serves as our moral norm, embodying human standards while being fully divine.
• His life offers a model for moral living, providing guidance for Christians.