The beatitudes are strategies for avoiding the illusions of worldly fulfillment in order to find the things that truly satisfy. We might be so bold as to rephrase them this way:
Blessed are those who do not seek wealth as their ultimate goal, they will receive a lasting reward, and true treasure in heaven.
Blessed are those who are not addicted to worldly comfort, they will be open to "be comforted" by God himself, who will wipe away every tear (see Revelation 21:4).
Blessed are those who do not seek power as their highest good, they will share in the victory of Jesus in the battle that truly matters (see John 16:33).
Blessed are those who refuse to be content with the injustice and compromise of the world, in the end they will see their desires realized (see Luke 18:7).
Blessed are those who are willing to forego vengeance or strict justice in favor of mercy whenever possible, since, in doing so, they welcome the source of all mercy.
Blessed are those who hearts aren't filled with the toxic words and images with which the world tries to fill them (see Luke 6:44-46). They will remain sufficiently clear to see the only vision that matters, the only sight that can satisfy the heart.
Blessed are those who attempt negotiation and conciliation rather than resorting to violence. In doing so they become like Jesus himself, who came to save us, rather than condemn us (see John 3:17).
Blessed are those who are not deterred from playing their part for the Kingdom of God because of threats, violence, or other opposition. Since it is necessary to undergo trials for the sake of the Kingdom (see Acts 14:22), only people with such firm resolution can attain it.
Blessed are those who do not shrink from confessing Jesus as Lord because of insults, slander, or persecution. Jesus will more than recompense whatever we suffer for the sake of his name. This is why we read that the disciples in Acts were "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name" (see Acts 5:41).
God does not enjoin the beatitudes on us merely because they are good for us, but because they reflect the priorities of his own heart when it is expressed in a human life. Thus, they perfectly summarize the attitudes of Jesus himself, who preferred nothing to the will of his Father. But do we see how they also perfectly capture the heart of Mary? Mary was she who, in her Magnificat rejoiced in her lowliness. Repeatedly we are told that she kept the pure treasure of God's words and deeds as the central focus of her heart (see Luke 2:19, Luke 2:51).
The beatitudes are not merely meant to be a positive spin on a fallen world. They are the only path to joy. They are the blueprint for becoming who were are meant to be. They take as many expressions as their are people. In the saints we recognize the manifold shapes that living the beatitudes can take. Far from religion insisting on conformity and taking away what makes us unique, the beatitudes allow us to become our true selves, and empower us to overcome our false selves enslaved by fear. The benefits of the beatitudes really do begin here and now, even in this life, since they save us from so many false promises. But they reach their culmination in a climax of worship that we hope to enjoy, together with the saints we celebrate today, in the courts of heaven.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb."
