A “beatitude” is a spoken declaration of the blessedness of a person. It often refers to a spiritual benefit, as for instance, “blessed are those who show mercy” or a wish, “may the Lord bless you with a safe journey.” Often also there is a condition involved: “the people who keep the law will be blessed." (Book of Proverbs 29:18).

Jesus did not invent beatitudes: the First Testament has up to 50 examples of them. By Jesus’ day, people would have recognized one of these when it was spoken and would have been at home with it. Jesus gave nine of them in the Sermon on the Mount.

(a) The first four seem to name bad things and call them good. Blessed are the poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungry and thirsty. Jesus seems to be saying that “it is a blessing to be weak and unhappy.”

But he is radically innovative in this—from the Latin radix, root.” He is rooted in God, who is the profound wellspring of life and love, rather than in some other place nearer the surface. Thus, these first four beatitudes are actually assurances to people who suffer—the displaced, the abandoned—that they are blessed and much loved by God.

(b) The next three more resemble the ancient form: Blessed are the merciful, the clean of heart, and the peacemakers. These three sound reasonable, if a bit bland. But actually they are a spiritual step upwards from the first four. They are encouragements to people who want to take action in the world on behalf of the Kingdom. Their blessedness consists of being at work with Jesus as a companion.

(c) Then come the last two, which are stunning: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” And, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you. … ” These sound like curses, not blessings. Who could want them?

Yet they too are an enhancement of the ones that go before. They assume that you might actually want to participate in Jesus’ ultimate act of love, a love which cuts through false honor, wealth, and pride. Maybe you would be called to take up the cross with Jesus. Such radical love is blessed because it comes from being so close to God, whose very identity is love.

So we find at least three stages of ascent in the following of Jesus: (1) suffering, (2) working for others, and (3) persecution endured as a result. The saints are examples in each of these areas because of their love for God and others. They are near the radix, the very root of happiness or “blessedness.”

The question for you and me is whether we even begin to be attracted in any way to such categories. We can make a review of our lives and get an idea. If we do not fit into them, we can meditate on this radical question: how strong is your desire for anything at all? You do not have to want persecution, but what do you want? Can you “desire to desire” an openness to Jesus and to his Father?

If so, you are on the road to blessedness.