Jesus preaches the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Some spiritual teachers believe the Beatitudes correspond to the three stages of interior life, writes Father Ho. (I. Makarov/Wikimedia)
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They respond to the natural desire for happiness and reveal the goal of human existence.
Hence, the eight beatitudes are the road map for the spiritual life. Some spiritual teachers pointed out that the eight beatitudes correspond to the three stages of the interior life – the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive life.
The first three beatitudes (the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the meek) correspond to the purgative way for they help us to be detached from sin and worldly pleasures.
The next two beatitudes (those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and the merciful) correspond to the illuminative way for they help us to desire and practise virtues.
The last three beatitudes (the pure in heart, peacemakers, and the persecuted) correspond to the unitive life for they are the fruits of union with God through charity.
In his excellent book The Three Ages of the Interior Life, Father Garrigou-Lagrange wrote: “The first three beatitudes tell the happiness that is found in the flight from sin and deliverance from it, in poverty accepted for love of God, in meekness, and in the tears of contrition. The two following beatitudes are those of a Christian’s active life: they correspond to the thirst for justice and to mercy exercised toward one’s neighbour. Then come those of the contemplation of the mysteries of God: the purity of heart which prepares the soul to see God, and the peace which springs from true wisdom. Finally, the last and most perfect of the beatitudes unites all the preceding ones in the very midst of persecution endured for justice’s sake. These are the final trials, the condition of sanctity.”
On March 27, 1977, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (the future Pope John Paul II) attended an exhibit about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) in Krakow, Poland. The Cardinal called Frassati the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes” and encouraged people to attend the exhibit with these words: “Go and look at these photographs. Behold the man of the eight beatitudes who bears in himself the grace of the Gospel, the Good News, the joy of salvation offered to us by Christ.”
Pier Giorgio used to ask the gardener to wake him at five o’clock in the morning so that he could sneak out of the house to pray the Rosary and tend to the sick and poor. He led an upright life, promoted social justice, and did works of mercy. He deepened his spiritual life by loving Jesus in the Eucharist and Our Lady with an ardent heart.
The message of Our Lady in Fatima and the lives of the three Fatima seers help people of all ages to grasp the spirit of the Beatitudes.
The final message of Our Lady to the three children left a deep impression in their hearts. Our Lady said, “Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended.” This message urges us all to flee from sins and to mourn for them.
The three children grew in virtues by performing spiritual works for mercy. They patiently shared the message of Our Lady with others, prayed for the intentions of different people, and urged people to amend their lives. Our Lady said to the children, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.” In response, the children dedicated themselves to a life of prayer and penance for the salvation of souls.
The three children loved to contemplate God through prayer. St. Francisco enjoyed hiding before the Blessed Sacrament or in nature to think about God and to comfort Jesus. The three seers are truly “Children of the Beatitudes.”
真福八端配對靈修的層次
根據天主教教理，「真福八端」是耶穌傳導的中心，針對人性對喜樂的自然渴望，和展視人性生存的目標。因此，「真福八端」是靈修生活的道路圖。
有靈修導師指出，「真福八端」配對著三個階段的內修生活 ──「煉路、明路及合路」。
首三個「真福端」是「甘貧樂道、哀慟憂傷、溫和善良」，屬於上述的「煉路」，幫助我們脫離罪惡與俗樂。隨著的兩端「真福」，是「渴慕義德、憐憫之心」，屬於上述的「明路」，幫助我們渴求和修煉德行。餘下三個「真福端」是「內心純潔、締造和平、為義承難」，是我們經由耶穌與天主穩定而密切地結合為一的佳果。
我們從加里.拉格朗日神父的靈修良書「三階段的內修生活」學到：首三個真福，告訴我們在脫離罪惡後，內心會得到真正的喜樂。我們要因愛天主而安貧和溫良、痛悔流淚。之後的兩端真福，是直屬我們基督徒的使徒生活：要以渴望公義和向近人行憐憫。最後三個真福為默觀天主的奧蹟: 純潔的心是為靈魂作好準備，冀能得見天主；而和平來自真正的智慧。最後、也是綜合之前的真福，達致完滿的真福：甘願為公義而受迫害 ── 是為最後的試煉，以瑧聖境。
1977年3月27日，嘉祿.沃伊蒂瓦樞機（即後來的教宗聖若望保祿二世）在一個展覽伯鐸.喬治.彌格.弗薩棣（1901 - 1925）生平上，稱他為「真福八端的人」，並推薦大家參觀這展覽，說：「看看這些圖片，看看這位真福八端的人，他活在福音的聖寵和基督賜予救恩的喜樂中。」
真福伯鐸.喬治請園丁早上五時叫他起床，為的是能大清早離開住所，誦唸玫瑰經，去探望貧病的人。他渡正直的生活，推動社會公義，參加慈善工作；他又以敬愛聖體、孝愛聖母，以優化自己的靈修生活。
「花地瑪聖母」的訊息和三位小小年紀的神視者的生活，都向不同年齡的人推崇「真福」精神。在最後的訊息中，「花地瑪聖母」向三位小童說：「別再冒犯天主，因為衪已深深地被冒犯了！」強調我們要遠離罪惡、要因罪惡而傷痛。
花地瑪三位小童，藉慈愛善功使聖德增長------耐心地傳遞聖母的訊息，為不同的人祈禱，勸人徹底改過。聖母對小童們說：「祈禱！多祈禱！為罪人做補贖；很多人落了地獄，是因為沒有人為他們祈禱和做補贖。」三位小童響應聖母的呼籲，為罪人渡殷切的祈禱和補贖的生活。
三位小童喜用祈禱默觀天主。小聖方濟喜躲在聖體前、或身處大自然，專心默想天主、安慰耶穌。他們三位確實是「真福的兒童」。