Jesus meant the Beatitudes to be as important to Christians as the Ten Commandments are to Jews.

Monday, 6/6/16

We have the first twelve verses of Chapter Five of Matthew's Gospel in which Chapters Five, Six, and Seven constitute "The Sermon on the Mount."

St. Matthew cleverly wrote these three chapters to help us compare the teachings of Christ to the teachings of Moses. Back when Moses laid down the Old Law for the people, he had them gather at the foot of Mount Sinai while he went up the mountain with his tribal; leaders around him.

For the "Sermon on the Mount" Jesus had his Apostles around him on the mountain, while the people waited below. Then, as the Old Law began with those famous "one-liners" the Ten Commandments, so  the New Law begins with its own "one-liners," the Beatitudes.

When I was fourteen, and I had enrolled in the Minor Seminary, I began worrying that the priest there would ask me to recite the Beatitudes. But I needn't have worried about that. Priests, as well as most Catholics, never pay much attention to the Beatitudes.