We continue with the interpretation of the seventh beatitude.
St. Justin of Ćelije offers practical advice on how to fulfill this beatitude:
“But I am poor,” someone might say, “I have no money or possessions!” Yes, but you have a soul, and in it, all the riches of divine mercy. Pray to God for the hungry, for the thirsty, for the naked, for the sick, for captives, for travellers—for that, too, is mercy. Fast for others—that, too, is mercy. Weep for the unrepentant—that, too, is mercy. Suffer for the salvation of your neighbors—that, too, is mercy. Do not return insult for insult; do not return evil for evil, but overcome evil with good. Bless those who curse you, pray to God for those who persecute you; do good to those who hate you, and do not cause others to stumble—all of this is mercy upon mercy. And to do all of this, a person only needs a soul and a body—nothing else, none of the riches of this world… The mercy of the Christ-like person has no end, no boundaries. He must never say to himself: I have shown enough mercy! If he does, that is the death of his soul. If he ceases to be merciful, he is already dead, spiritually dead before his physical death, for he has separated himself from God, Who is the only source of immortality and eternal life.”
We now turn to the eighth verse, the beatitude that reads:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
The Holy Fathers have written extensively on this beatitude. Indeed, the goal of our ascetic effort in the Church—the goal of all our striving, fasting, prayer, and ecclesial life—is precisely the purification of the heart. St. Gregory the Theologian explains why this purification is so crucial:
“The one who sees God, in that very vision already possesses all that is contained in the list of blessings—eternal life, incorruptibility, immortal bliss, a kingdom without end, unceasing joy, true light, spiritual and sweet nourishment, inaccessible glory, perpetual rejoicing, and every good thing.”
In modern times, people often understand the heart in its most primitive sense, either as the muscular organ that pumps blood or as some centre of emotion—something many consider to be an infallible guide and believe should always be followed, as is commonly said today: “Follow your heart.”
In Orthodox understanding, however, the heart has a much deeper meaning.
St. Justin of Ćelije writes:
“The Lord said: blessed are the pure in heart. But why did He not say: blessed are the pure in mind, or in eye, or in conscience, or in body? Because the Lord understands the heart to signify the whole person, the entirety of his psychophysical nature. The heart is the centre and focal point of human existence, of the human person. It is the source of all thoughts, all feelings, all desires, all deeds. The Lord expresses this truth about the human heart in this way: From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness (Mark 7:21–22; cf. Matt. 15:19).”
It is often said that the commandment to guard the heart from every evil thought is excessively strict or simply impossible for modern people. St. Gregory of Nyssa emphasizes that God has not given us commandments that cannot be fulfilled—commandments that exceed our nature. He says that God did not command creatures without wings to become birds, nor those created to live on land to live under water. From this, he concludes that if all other laws are given in accordance with created strength, then so too are the commandments of the Gospel attainable by human beings.
St. Philaret of Moscow continues this thought of St. Gregory and writes:
“‘How strict!’ say those who are unwilling to take up the labour of inner purification. ‘How hard!’ say even those who have felt something of this effort. Strict or not, the requirement to renounce all evil thoughts remains. We did not invent this commandment, nor did we impose it as a condition for seeing God and enjoying divine blessedness; it was He who said: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. … As for the labour involved in inner purification, I do not deny it is difficult. Even if someone were to say it is impossible, I would not argue. However, difficulty is resolved, and impossibility vanishes, as soon as we add faith in the Word of the Logos who created everything from nothing: The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27). By the gift of God’s grace, it is not hard to hate evil thoughts, which, by nature, are repugnant and loathsome to any person who has not entirely lost his conscience.”
As we can see, St. Philaret clearly articulates a spiritual law that is reflected in the lives of the saints. They gave all their effort, but it was God’s grace that enabled them to fulfill the commandments, to attain purity of heart, and to rise in this life to the vision of God.
Let us now read the ninth verse in which the Lord says:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
In interpreting this verse, the Holy Fathers offered various insights into what it truly means to be a peacemaker in the eyes of God. For example, Saint Basil the Great speaks of peacemakers as those who, in the name of God, beseech others to be reconciled with Him—essentially, he regards Orthodox Church missionaries as peacemakers. Saint Chromatius of Aquileia includes among the peacemakers all those who avoid ecclesiastical strife and schism, writing: “Peacemakers are all who have distanced themselves from the scandal of discord and disputes, who preserve brotherly love and peace in the unity of the universal faith.” Hence, from the words of Saint Chromatius, we see that all of us Orthodox Christians, who remain faithful to the canonical Church are fulfilling the Lord’s commandment—which is indeed a great consolation.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa, for his part, explains how the fulfillment of this beatitude can beautify and ease our daily life. He writes: “Let us clarify what peace is. It is nothing other than a disposition toward one’s neighbor filled with love. Just as disease vanishes upon the return of health, and darkness disappears at the appearance of light, so too with the arrival of peace all contrary passions are cast out… What kind of good this is, I think, scarcely needs words. Just consider the life of people who live in mutual hatred and suspicion.” In my view, this provides a remarkable example of how the Lord’s commandments are highly relevant to our everyday lives, helping make our existence here on earth more peaceful, more beautiful, and free from quarrels and tension.
This beatitude also concerns our inner world. Saint Isidore of Pelusium teaches that it is essential to establish peace within ourselves in the following way: “The sons of God are, first and foremost, those who are at peace with themselves… who put an end to internal strife by subjecting the body to the spirit and persuading what is lower to submit to what is higher… and then, those who bring peace to others living in discord with themselves and with others.” As we can see, Saint Isidore clearly articulates the order of cultivating inner peace—first within one’s own life, and only then in the lives of others. Some Orthodox Christians make the mistake of immediately beginning to preach and teach others upon turning to the faith, without first striving to acquire peace themselves. In the words of Blessed Jerome of Stridon: “What benefit is there in reconciling others with one another through your efforts, if within your own soul a battle of passions rages?”
Saint John of Kronstadt also speaks to the cause of enmity in our lives, writing: “Each of us, brethren, must not allow the passions to disturb us. We must reject the first stirrings of passion and in every way maintain a state of peace, just as the Apostle commands: live in peace with one another (1 Thess. 5:13). From where do disputes, divisions, and misunderstandings arise among us? From our failure to restrain the impulses of the passions in our hearts and uproot them at their inception; from our failure to learn how to be still within ourselves, in the depths of our souls. Therefore, it is the duty of each of us to acquire a peaceful spirit—that is, to bring oneself to a state where one’s spirit is disturbed by nothing.”
Adapted for the contemporary reader based on patristic commentaries by Stanoje Stanković.
