Jour 1 de 33

Matthew 5:1—19

The Beatitudes. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

[1] Videns autem Jesus turbas, ascendit in montem, et cum sedisset, accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus, [2] et aperiens os suum docebat eos dicens :

[3] Beati pauperes spiritu : quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum.

[4] Beati mites : quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram.

[5] Beati qui lugent : quoniam ipsi consolabuntur.

[6] Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam : quoniam ipsi saturabuntur.

[7] Beati misericordes : quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur.

[8] Beati mundo corde : quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt.

[9] Beati pacifici : quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur.

[10] Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam : quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum.

[11] Beati estis cum maledixerint vobis, et persecuti vos fuerint, et dixerint omne malum adversum vos mentientes, propter me : [12] gaudete, et exsultate, quoniam merces vestra copiosa est in caelis. Sic enim persecuti sunt prophetas, qui fuerunt ante vos. [13] Vos estis sal terrae. Quod si sal evanuerit, in quo salietur? ad nihilum valet ultra, nisi ut mittatur foras, et conculcetur ab hominibus. [14] Vos estis lux mundi. Non potest civitas abscondi supra montem posita, [15] neque accedunt lucernam, et ponunt eam sub modio, sed super candelabrum, ut luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt.

[16] Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus : ut videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in caelis est. [17] Nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem, aut prophetas : non veni solvere, sed adimplere. [18] Amen quippe dico vobis, donec transeat caelum et terra, jota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege, donec omnia fiant. [19] Qui ergo solverit unum de mandatis istis minimis, et docuerit sic homines, minimus vocabitur in regno caelorum : qui autem fecerit et docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno caelorum. [20] Dico enim vobis, quia nisi abundaverit justitia vestra plus quam scribarum, et pharisaeorum, non intrabitis in regnum caelorum.

Notes

Except where otherwise stated, the notes are from St Thomas Aquinas' commentary on Matthew's Gospel.

Aug. Whoever will take the trouble to examine with a pious and sober spirit, will find in this sermon a perfect code of the Christian life as far as relates to the conduct of daily life. Accordingly the Lord concludes it with the words, “Every man who heareth these words of mine and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man, &c.”

[1] And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. [2] And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:

[3] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are the poor, i.e., the humble, who reckon themselves to be poor; for they are the truly humble who reckon themselves poor, not only in external things, but even in interior things; I am a beggar and poor (Ps 40:17); on the other hand: I am rich, and made wealthy, and have need of nothing: and know not, that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev 3:17). Mat L2 415
• Isaiah sets out the beatitudes in descending order: and there will come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord will rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of piety. And the spirit of the fear of the Lord will fill him (Isa 11:1–3). Christ sets them out the other way around.  Mat L2 415

[4] Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.

• Gentleness is required, which restrains one with regard to anger, just as temperance restrains one with regard to concupiscence; for he is meek who does not grow angry.
• And note that this consists in two things. First, that a man is not angered; second, that if he is angered, he restrains his anger. Mat L2 419
• 421. This second beatitude is related to the gift of piety, because those get angry, properly speaking, who are not contented with the divine ordering of things.
• They will possess the land, i.e., the glorified body of Christ, because they will be conformed to that brilliance in their own body; his eyes will see the king in his beauty, they will see the land far off (Isa 33:17); who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory (Phil 3:21).

[5] Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

• By which we are drawn away from the evil of harmful pleasure or enjoyment.
• And this mourning can be explained in three ways. First, for sins, not only personal, but another’s as well, for if we mourn those who are dead in body, much more those who are dead spiritually;
• Second, it can be taken as mourning for our dwelling in present misery; woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! (Ps 120:5).
• Third, according to Augustine, for the mourning which men make over the joys of the world, which they abandon by coming to Christ; Now as we mourn over the dead, so these men mourn, because it cannot be but that they feel some sorrow in abandoning everything. Mat L2 422
• 423. Moreover, to these three mournings correspond three consolations, because to the mourning for sins corresponds remission of sins, which David begged for, saying, restore unto me the joy of your salvation (Ps 51:12).
• To the delay of the heavenly homeland and the dwelling in present misery corresponds the consolation of eternal life, about which it is said, I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them joyful after their sorrow (Jer 31:13); and, you will be comforted in Jerusalem (Isa 66:13).
• To the third mourning corresponds the consolation of divine love; for when someone sorrows over the loss of a thing loved, he takes consolation if he acquires another thing more loved. Hence men are consoled when instead of temporal things they receive spiritual and eternal things, which is to receive the Holy Spirit; which is why he is called the Comforter (John 15:26). For men rejoice through the Holy Spirit, who is the divine love; your sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:20).
• 424. And one should note that this beatitude is appropriated to the gift of knowledge, because they mourn who know the misery of others; hence it says about certain men who do not have such knowledge, they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace (Wis 14:22); on the other hand, he that adds knowledge, adds also labor (Eccl 1:18).
• 425. And one should notice that this reward is so ordained that the second is always added onto the first. For first he said, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; afterward, for they will possess the land: for it is more to possess than merely to have. Likewise, afterward, for they will be comforted: for it is more to be consoled than to possess, for some possess things but do not take delight in them.

[6] Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

• General justice: Jerome says that it is not enough that a man should work the work of justice, unless he works with desire; I will freely sacrifice to you (Ps 54:6). And in another place, my soul has thirsted after the strong living God; when will I come and appear before the face of God? (Ps 42:2). I will send forth a famine into the land: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11). Therefore it is a hunger when someone works with desire.
• In the time of Pythagoras, those who studied were called ‘sophi’, i.e., wise men; but Pythagoras did not wish to be called ‘sophos’, i.e., wise, but ‘philosopher’, that is, a lover of wisdom; in this way the Lord wills that his own be and be called lovers of justice.
• But if it is understood as about particular justice, which is that a man render to each what is his own, then it is fittingly said, blessed are they who hunger, because hunger and thirst properly belong to the greedy, since those who desire to possess another’s goods unjustly are never satisfied. Hence the hunger about which the Lord speaks is opposed to this one, namely the hunger of the greedy. And the Lord wills that we pant after that justice in this way, because we will never be, as it were, satisfied in this life, just as the greedy man is never satisfied. Mat L2 427
• 429. According to Augustine, this beatitude is reduced to the gift of fortitude, because it pertains to fortitude that a man works justly.

[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

• 430. To be merciful is to have a miserable (compassionate) heart at the misery of others. Moreover, we have pity on the miseries of others when we think of them as our own. Now, we sorrow for our miseries, and we are eager to drive them away; therefore you are truly merciful when you are eager to drive away the misery of others. Mat L2 430
• And the misery of one’s neighbor is twofold. First, in temporal things, and for this we should have a miserable (compassionate) heart; he who has the substance of this world, and will see his brother in need, and will shut up his innermost from him: how does the charity of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17). Second, when a man is made miserable through sin; because, just as there is beatitude in the works of the virtues, so there is a particular misery in vices. Sin makes nations miserable (Prov 14:34).
• 432. This beatitude is reduced to the gift of counsel; because this is a unique counsel, that we should obtain mercy amidst the dangers of this world. Mat L2 432

433. So in this way are set down the acts of the virtues by which we are withdrawn from what is evil and do what is good. Now are set down the acts by which we are disposed to what is best;

[8] Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

• 435 namely those who have a general cleanness from unworthy thoughts, by which their heart is a holy temple of God, in which they see God by contemplating; for ‘temple’ seems to be said from ‘contemplating.’ But in a particular way, blessed are the clean of heart, i.e., those who have cleanness of body; for nothing so impedes spiritual contemplation as uncleanness of body does. 
• And therefore, some say that the moral virtues, especially chastity, advance one toward the contemplative life.
• Just as when I see something living, we can say that I see life, insofar as I see certain indications by which its life is pointed out to me, so it will be in the divine vision, because the reflection of God in the new heaven and the new earth and the glorified bodies will be so great that by it we will be said to see God as though with the bodily eyes.

[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.

• Just as cleanness of heart disposes one to the vision of God, so peace disposes one to the love of God, by which we are called and are sons of God; and thus it disposes one to the love of neighbor, because, for he who loves not his brother, whom he sees, how can he love God, whom he does not see? (1 John 4:20).
• Peace is the tranquillity of order. Now, order is the arrangement allotting the proper place to equals and unequals. Therefore peace resides in this, that all hold their own places. Hence the mind of man ought first to be subject to God. Second, the motions and inferior powers which are common to us and the brutes should be subject to man, for man has dominion over the animals by reason; let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moves upon the earth (Gen 1:26). Third, that a man have peace toward others, because thus he will be entirely ordered.
• However, this ordering can only exist in holy men; much peace have they who love your law (Ps 119:165); there is no peace to the wicked (Isa 48:22), for they cannot have interior peace. They lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and such great evils peace (Wis 14:22). Such peace the world cannot give; not as the world gives, do I give unto you (John 14:27). Similarly, all this is not enough, but they ought to make peace among those who quarrel; joy follows those who take counsels of peace (Prov 12:20).
• Nevertheless, one should know that this peace is begun here, but not perfected, because no one can have the animal movements entirely subject to reason; but I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin, that is in my members (Rom 7:23). Hence true peace will be in eternal life; in peace in the same I will sleep, and I will rest (Ps 4:9); and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).
• 442. Now, this seventh beatitude is adapted to the gift of wisdom, for wisdom makes men to be sons of God.
• One should note likewise that peace is placed in the seventh beatitude, just as rest in the seventh day (Gen 2:2).

[10] Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: [12] Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

• 443. Next is set down the eighth beatitude, which indicates the perfection of all the preceding beatitudes; for a man is perfect in all these things when he does not give up at all because of afflictions. The furnace tries the potter’s vessels, and the trial of affliction just men (Sir 27:6). Blessed therefore are they who suffer persecution.
• Now, the persecution itself does not make one blessed, but the cause of the persecution; hence he says, for justice’s sake; but if also you suffer any thing for justice’s sake, blessed are you (1 Pet 3:14).
• 444. The prophets were killed, not because they denied the faith, but because they announced the truth; John the Baptist was killed because he announced the truth, and he was a martyr.
• And it should be noted that this beatitude is set down in the eighth place, just as circumcision, in which a certain general circumcision of martyrs is foretold, also happened on the eighth day.
• And it should be known that all beatitudes pertain to three things, for the first three are about removing an evil, namely, blessed are the poor (Matt 5:3), blessed are the meek (Matt 5:4), and blessed those who mourn (Matt 5:5); the next four are about the working of good; but the last pertains to patiently enduring evil.

[13] You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men

• 451. Therefore he says, you are the salt. He compares them to salt for four reasons.
• First, because of the generation of salt, which is from water and wind and the heat of the sun: for the spiritual generation is from the water of baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit: unless someone is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5); and from the heat of the sun which is the fervor of love that comes from the Holy Spirit, the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us (Rom 5:5).
• Second, because of the uses of salt, the first of which is that all things are seasoned with salt: hence he signifies the wisdom that apostolic men should have, for the wisdom of doctrine (Sirach 6:23); walk in the wisdom of God toward those who are without (Col 4:5). The second reason was in Leviticus, for in every sacrifice salt was added (Lev 2:13), for the apostolic teaching should shine out of our every work.
• The third reason is that it consumes an excess of humours and by doing so, it preserves from rotting: and in the same way the apostles curbed carnal desires through their teaching: for the time past is sufficient (I Pet 4:3); not in rioting (Rom 13:13).
• The fourth effect is that it renders the earth(ly) sterile: hence it is said that some conquerors sowed salt outside the city they had seized so that nothing would grow; so also the evangelical teaching makes the earth sterile, namely so that earthly works do not spring up in us: have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5:11).

[14] You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. [15] Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. [16] So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

• 456. You are the light. Here is set forth the third dignity of apostles. For just as they must deter others from evils, so they must also illuminate. And concerning this he does two things: first, he shows their dignity; second, he removes faint heartedness.
• The city was the congregation of believers, namely, that very gathering of the apostles: glorious things are said of you, city of God (Ps 87:3). But it was situated on a mountain, namely, in Christ: the mountain of the house of the Lord (Isa 2:2); a stone was cut out of a mountain (Dan 2:34).
• No one receiving a benefit should do something against the intention of the one giving it. God gave you knowledge so that you might share it: as every man has received grace (1 Pet 4:9–11).
• By lamp can be understood first the Gospel teaching: a lamp to my feet (Ps 119:105), for a lamp has light as part of it; the light of truth is set down in Sacred Scripture, but it is lit by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Or by lamp the apostles can be understood, in the fact that the light of grace is brought in to them: John . . . was a burning and a shining light (John 5:35); I have prepared a lamp for my anointed (Ps 132:17). Or by lamp can mean Christ, for just as a lamp is a light in a clay jar, so is his divinity in his humanity: you are my lamp (2 Sam 22:29).
• The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light (Luke 16:8); and that is the more literal exposition. Therefore according to this a lamp is set under a bushel when the teaching is hidden in worldly fear; But if by the lamp is understood Gospel teaching or Christ, then the bushel can be understood as the synagogue: for Christ did not become incarnate in order to remain hidden in Judea, but so that he might reveal himself to the whole world, I have given you to be the light of the Gentiles (Isa 49:6).
• But upon a lampstand. This is explained in three ways, for by the lampstand can be meant the body, and by the lamp, the Gospel teaching; Or, by the lampstand is understood a church, for those who are lamps are placed in high places, as the lamp shining upon the holy lampstand (Sir 26:22). But if lamp is understood to mean Christ, then the lampstand means the cross: through the blood of his cross (Col 1:20).
• 'bushel' - A measure of capacity used for corn, fruit, etc., containing four pecks or eight gallons. A vessel used as a bushel measure.

[17] Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. [18] For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. [19] He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

• It should be known that amen is Hebrew, and no translator has dared to change this word out of reverence, for the Lord used it frequently. And it is taken sometimes in force of a noun, hence amen: truth; sometimes it is an adverb, i.e., truly, and so it is taken here; sometimes it stands for fiat: ‘so be it’; hence in the Psalm where we have ‘fiat’ for the Hebrew ‘amen’. Hence the verse says, for ‘vero’, ‘truly’; for ‘fiat’, ‘amen’ is said. Hence the Lord here excites the attention of his listeners.
• There are lesser commandments, according to Chrysostom, commandments of Christ; hence who will break one of these least commandments which I am about to tell you. And he continues thus: for the law cannot be broken, therefore, by the fact that I do not do away with it, whoever does will be liable to the penalty. And those things are called least first because of humility, as someone might call himself small, as in: unless you . . . become like children (Matt 18:3); or they are called least as regards the transgression because he sins less who breaks it, but there are greater things than the law that Christ commands as regards observance, for the law commands: you shall not kill, but Christ commands not to grow angry.
• 474. Augustine says otherwise, as well as Jerome: he speaks literally about the least precepts that are in the law because he says jot and tittle; and they are called the least things because the chief things are love the Lord your God, and your neighbor (Mark 12:30–31); hence certain observances are called least precepts, like many in Leviticus 19. And he says this to confront the Pharisees, for Pharisees transgressed many things for the sake of their observances, as he says later in this Gospel: then you have made void the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition (Matt 15:6).

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost / Beatitudes

The following table summarizes the points of correspondence, shown in the commentaries of St Thomas Aquinas above, between the Beatitudes and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. The order of the latter has been reversed to correspond with the order of the Beatitudes.

(8) qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam (who suffer persecution for justice): the eighth beatitude, the perfection of all the rest.
                                                                         
(7) sapientia (wisdom) <> pacifici (the peacemakers): the seventh day is the day of rest
(6) intellectus (understanding) <> mundo corde (the clean of heart)
(5) consilium (counsel) <> misericordes (the merciful)
(4) fortitudo (fortitude) <> qui esuriunt at sitiunt justitiam (who hunger & thirst after justice)
(3) scientia (knowledge) <> qui lugent (they that mourn)
(2) pietas (piety) <> mites (the meek)
(1) timor Domini (fear of the Lord) <> pauperes spiritu (the poor in spirit)

[1] Et egredietur virga de radice Jesse, et flos de radice ejus ascendet. [2] Et requiescet super eum spiritus Domini : spiritus sapientiae et intellectus, spiritus consilii et fortitudinis, spiritus scientiae et pietatis; [3] et replebit eum spiritus timoris Domini.

[1] And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. [2] And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. [3] And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. [Isaiah 11]

Prières

Veni Creator Spiritus (for chant, see here).
Ave Maris Stella
Magnificat (for choral version see here, starting at 30 minutes).
Gloria