This morning's General Audience began at 9:05am local time (3:05am EST) inside the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from other parts of the world.
In his speech, the Pope began a new cycle concerning the Beatitudes (cf Mt 5:1-11).
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Now let's frame these words of Jesus in general; in future catecheses we will comment on the individual Beatitudes, one by one.
First of all, it is important to understand how the proclamation of this message came about: Jesus, seeing the crowds following him, climbed the gentle slope surrounding the lake of Galilee, sat down and, addressing his disciples, announced the Beatitudes. The message was addressed to the disciples, but in the distance, there were also the crowds, that is, all humanity. This is a message for all humanity.
Furthermore, the mountain refers to Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Commandments. Jesus began to teach a new law: to be poor, to be meek, to be merciful ... These new commandments are much more than norms. In fact, Jesus did not impose anything, but rather, he revealed the way of happiness - his way - by repeating the word blessed eight times.
Each beatitude is made up of three parts. At first there is always the word blessed; then comes the situation in which the blessed find themselves: poverty of spirit, affliction, hunger and thirst for justice, and so on; finally there is the reason for blessedness, introduced by the conjunction for: "Blessed are these for, blessed are they for ..." This is repeated for all eight Beatitudes and it would be nice to learn them by heart, to repeat them, to have this law that Jesus gave us in your mind and heart.
Let us pay attention to this fact: the reason for blessedness is not the current situation but the new condition that the blessed receive as a gift from God: for they will receive the kingdom of heaven, for they will be comforted, for they will inherit the earth, and so on.
In the third element, which is precisely the reason for happiness, Jesus often uses a passive future: they will be comforted, they will inherit the earth, they will be satisfied, they will be forgiven, they will be called children of God.
But what does the word blessed mean? Why does each of the eight Beatitudes begin with the word blessed? The original term does not indicate someone who has a full belly or one who is doing well, but rather a person who is in a condition of grace, one who is progressing in the grace of God and who is progressing on the path of God: patience, poverty, service to others, consolation ... Those who progress in these things are happy and will be blessed.
To give himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths, perhaps those of our limits, of our tears, of our defeats. This is the Easter joy of which our Eastern brothers speak, the person who has the stigmata but who is alive; the one who has gone through death and has experienced the power of God. The Beatitudes always bring us joy; they are the way to joy.
It would do us good to take the Gospel of Matthew today, chapter five, verse one to eleven and read the Beatitudes - perhaps a few more times, during the week - to understand this road that is so beautiful, this sure path to the happiness that the Lord offers us.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking participants, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from the United States of America. Upon all of you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
In his speech, the Pope began a new cycle concerning the Beatitudes (cf Mt 5:1-11).
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we begin a series of catecheses on the Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 5:1-11). This text begins the Sermon on the Mount and has illuminated the life of believers and non-believers alike. It is difficult not to be touched by these words of Jesus, and it is right that we should be filled with a desire to understand and accept them more fully. The Beatitudes comprise the Christian's identity card - this is our identity card -, because they define the face of Jesus himself, his lifestyle.
Now let's frame these words of Jesus in general; in future catecheses we will comment on the individual Beatitudes, one by one.
First of all, it is important to understand how the proclamation of this message came about: Jesus, seeing the crowds following him, climbed the gentle slope surrounding the lake of Galilee, sat down and, addressing his disciples, announced the Beatitudes. The message was addressed to the disciples, but in the distance, there were also the crowds, that is, all humanity. This is a message for all humanity.
Furthermore, the mountain refers to Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Commandments. Jesus began to teach a new law: to be poor, to be meek, to be merciful ... These new commandments are much more than norms. In fact, Jesus did not impose anything, but rather, he revealed the way of happiness - his way - by repeating the word blessed eight times.
Each beatitude is made up of three parts. At first there is always the word blessed; then comes the situation in which the blessed find themselves: poverty of spirit, affliction, hunger and thirst for justice, and so on; finally there is the reason for blessedness, introduced by the conjunction for: "Blessed are these for, blessed are they for ..." This is repeated for all eight Beatitudes and it would be nice to learn them by heart, to repeat them, to have this law that Jesus gave us in your mind and heart.
Let us pay attention to this fact: the reason for blessedness is not the current situation but the new condition that the blessed receive as a gift from God: for they will receive the kingdom of heaven, for they will be comforted, for they will inherit the earth, and so on.
In the third element, which is precisely the reason for happiness, Jesus often uses a passive future: they will be comforted, they will inherit the earth, they will be satisfied, they will be forgiven, they will be called children of God.
But what does the word blessed mean? Why does each of the eight Beatitudes begin with the word blessed? The original term does not indicate someone who has a full belly or one who is doing well, but rather a person who is in a condition of grace, one who is progressing in the grace of God and who is progressing on the path of God: patience, poverty, service to others, consolation ... Those who progress in these things are happy and will be blessed.
To give himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths, perhaps those of our limits, of our tears, of our defeats. This is the Easter joy of which our Eastern brothers speak, the person who has the stigmata but who is alive; the one who has gone through death and has experienced the power of God. The Beatitudes always bring us joy; they are the way to joy.
It would do us good to take the Gospel of Matthew today, chapter five, verse one to eleven and read the Beatitudes - perhaps a few more times, during the week - to understand this road that is so beautiful, this sure path to the happiness that the Lord offers us.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking participants, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from the United States of America. Upon all of you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
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