Pope: the Beatitudes, a "navigator" that indicates the course of Christian life

They prevent us from taking the "three steps" that lead to perdition: attachment to riches, vanity and pride. Among all the Beatitudes, Francis has indicates one "that is not the key" to all others, "but it makes us think": "Blessed are the meek." It is “a way of being that brings us so much closer to Jesus. "

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Beatitudes are the "navigator" that indicates the course of Christian life and avoids us going down the "three steps" that lead to perdition: attachment to riches, vanity and pride, said Pope Francis, in Mass celebrated this morning at Casa Santa Marta.  The Pope was taking a cue from the passage of the Gospel of Matthew on the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus "taught the new law, which does not erase the old" but the "perfects" it bringing it "to its fullness."

"This is the new law, this which we call the Beatitudes. It is the new law of the Lord for us. They are the guide to the right route, they are the navigators for Christian life. Right here we see, on this road, following the indications of this navigator, we can move forward in our Christian life. "

Francis then recalled the considerations that the evangelist Luke makes within the same passage at the end of the Beatitudes, commenting on the words of the evangelist Luke who also speaks  of the Beatitudes and lists what he calls the ‘four woes’: ‘Woe to the rich, to the satiated, to those who laugh now, to you when all speak well of you’. And recalling the fact that many times he has said that riches are good, what’s bad the Pope reminded us is ‘the attachment to riches’ which becomes idolatry." This is the anti-law, the wrong navigator. The three slippery steps that lead to perdition, just as the Beatitudes are the steps that take us forward in life” he said.And these three steps that lead to destruction are the attachment to riches, because I do not need anything. “Vanity – that all must speak well of me, making me feel important, making too much of a fuss… and I am convinced to be in the right” he said, referring also the parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and the Tax Collector: “O God I thank you that I am such a good Catholic, not like my neighbor ...'. This happens every day ... According to vanity and, third, pride that is is pride, the satiation and the laughter that closes one’s heart”.

Of all the Beatitudes – the Pope said there is one in particular: “I’m not saying it is the key to all of them, but it induces us to much reflection and it is: Blessed are the meek. Meekness”.  “Jesus says of himself: ‘learn from me for I am meek of heart’, I am humble and gentle at heart. To be meek is a way of being that brings us close to Jesus” he said.  “The opposite attitude, Pope Francis concluded, always causes enmities and wars…lots of bad things that happen. But meekness, meekness of heart which is not foolishness, no: it’s something else. It’s the capacity to be deep and to understand the greatness of God, and worship Him”.

• Vatican Pope Francis beatitudes mildness wealth pride vanity