What is Beatitude?
Let's hear a Carmelite Master explain it
On the Beatitudes, which are in the School of Jesus Christ
Thy disciples are certainly Blessed, O Most Sweet Teacher, because through Thy command they have received the remedy of life, which no academy of the children of this world has attained. To be sure, the founders of various sects, endlessly disputing about human happiness, have not lacked infinite misery both in this world and in the next, together with their listeners and followers. But Thou, Lord, who art happiness itself, dost make Thy servants blessed not only in the future age with its supreme felicity; but also in this life Thou grantest them a certain incipient happiness through the most perfect acts of virtues, which are exercised in Thy school.
Thou, the divine truth, hast said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," namely, Thy disciples who are not inflated, not proud, who, with profound humility, have reached a certain contempt for worldly goods, in which they become very similar to those who already enjoy Thee, despising all visible things because of the eminent knowledge of the divine vision of Thee. In these is the kingdom of heaven, the beginning of perfect wisdom, according to which Thy Spirit begins to reign in them.
Thou hast said, "Blessed are the meek," Thy servants, because through the most excellent meekness, they reach a certain tranquility of heart, resembling Thy peaceful children, who already live in Thine eternal peace. In them there is a possession of the land, a resting affection in the stability of Thy perpetual inheritance.
Thou hast said, Lord, "Blessed are those who mourn," because in this kind of mourning, Thy Spirit leads along the most chaste disciples to a certain victory over concupiscence, with its passions so excellently mortified that they approach the freedom of glorified bodies as much as the state of imperfect wayfarers allows. These mourners are consoled ineffably by Thy sweetest Spirit.
Thou hast said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice," because by the impulse of Thy Spirit, Thou makest Thy servants most eager to fulfill justice, so that they wonderfully seem to represent the consummate justice of those who dwell on the abundant mountain of justice, of which Thy heavenly city is full. These hungry and thirsty are satisfied with Thy food, which is to do the will of Thy Father.
Thou hast said, Lord, "Blessed are the merciful," because Thy servants reach a certain degree of mercy in which they are very similar to Thy innermost regions. These merciful ones obtain inestimable mercies from Thee even in this life.
Thou hast said, "Blessed are the pure in heart," because in this life, they are elevated by Thee to a certain purity of heart, untainted by passions, so wonderful that they seem to be close to the brightness of the heavenly Jerusalem, Thy bride. These, with the eye purified through the gift of understanding, are said to see Thee in a certain way.
Thou hast said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," because they bear the highest likeness of Thy divinity, in which there is no change or shadow of turning. Now these, whom Thou hast declared to be called the children of God as much as the present life allows, have all things peaceful, and are most suitable vessels to serve Thee, whose begun happiness in this life is that they may be called and be the children of Thy Father.
Thou hast said, Lord, "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for justice," because they are so strengthened by Thy Spirit that, doing inestimable goods, they can endure most grievous evils without injury to the heart, in which they are wonderfully assimilated to the most blessed possessors of Thine inheritance.
And indeed, this incipient happiness, which Thou hast proclaimed to the children of men, Son of the Most High God, is much greater than all the happiness that men imagine for themselves, who wander outside Thy school. It is, however, a certain beginning, to be perfected by Thee, O most liberal rewarder, with such and so ineffable an abundance of Thy goodness and sweetness that those good valuers and esteemers of the Good will be amazed without end, those whom Thou hast enlightened to contemplate the riches of Thy most ample house.