 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account(*).Rejoice and be glad,for your reward is great in heaven.Matthew 5:3-12.
* = “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "
 You are made of body and soul. Obviously you know what makes your body happy......but how much do you know about what makes your soul happy?
The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' preaching on Earth.
They take up the promises made to the chosen people going all the way back to Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.
It is also a call to happiness.:
The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it:
 We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated. (13) How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you.(14) God alone satisfies.(15)FOOTNOTES:
13 St. Augustine, De moribus eccl. 1, 3, 4: PL 32,1312.
14 St. Augustine, Conf. 10, 20: PL 32, 791.
15 St. Thomas Aquinas, Expos. in symb. apost. I.
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