Today is the first of three consecutive days when I am presiding at the parish daily Mass. The three gospels are all taken from Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. What follows is really one longer reflection delivered over three days because these three Gospel passages form a remarkably coherent sequence. They are not merely three disconnected sections of the Sermon on the Mount; they describe a progression in Christian discipleship:

• Who we are becoming (The Beatitudes) – today
• What our lives are meant to do (Salt and Light) – tomorrow
• The foundation upon which we live (Fulfillment of the Law) – the next day

Together they form a unified theme: The Shape, the Mission, and the Foundation of the Christian Life.

Who we are becoming (The Beatitudes)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes up the mountain, sits down, and begins to teach. His first words are not commands. He does not begin by telling his disciples what they must do. Instead, he describes the kind of people who belong to the Kingdom of God. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven…Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy…Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

When we hear the Beatitudes, it is tempting to hear them as a checklist of virtues. But they are more than that. They are a portrait of Jesus himself. Jesus is poor in spirit, trusting completely in the Father. Jesus is merciful toward sinners. Jesus is pure of heart. Jesus is the peacemaker who reconciles humanity to God through the Cross. In other words, the Beatitudes show us what a life transformed by God looks like.

This is important because we often think about our life of faith in terms of activities: attending Mass, praying, serving others, following commandments. All of these are important. But before Christianity is about what we do, it is about who we are becoming. It is about God shaping us into the likeness of Christ.

That shaping often happens quietly. We become merciful by learning to forgive. We become humble by recognizing our dependence on God. We become peacemakers by choosing reconciliation over resentment. Most of us do not become saints through dramatic moments. We become saints through daily conversion.

The Beatitudes remind us that God is not simply interested in improving our behavior. He is transforming our hearts. 

As we begin this three-day journey through the Sermon on the Mount, let us ask ourselves: What kind of person is God shaping me to become? Because before Jesus speaks about our mission in the world, he first teaches us the shape of the Christian life.

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Image credit: Sermon on the Mount (1877) by Carl Heinrich Bloch, Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Public Domain