1. The Beatitude Attitude Coppin’ a ‘tude with God

2. Opening Prayer I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete (Jn 15:11)

3. What BEST describes you? 1. I am able to love, accept and forgive others. I know that God loves, accepts and forgives me by the sacrament of reconciliation. 2. I am able to handle the “ups and downs” of my life. I like my life. 3. I am able to share credit with others. I see myself as a team player and a servant of others. 4. I know that I must have God in my life in order to be happy 5. I am not overly attached to my stuff. I could give up my cell phone if I needed to. 6. I can be a leader without being “bossy”. 7. I look for opportunities to serve God in my everyday life. 8. I am willing to stand up or speak up for what God says is right, even if I am rejected for it.

5. The Beatitudes Sermon on the Mount 8 sure fire steps to happiness

6. The 8 Beatitudes – What do they mean in my life  Blessed are the…………………………………  Makarios - Greek for “joy” (some scholars say “lucky” or “fortunate”)

7. The Sermon on the Mount. When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: The Beatitudes “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:1-12)

8. Blessed are the: 1.Poor in spirit 2.Mournful 3.Meek 4.Hungry and thirsty to serve God 5.Merciful 6.Clean of Heart 7.Peacemakers 8.Persecuted for the sake of God

10. St. Thomas Aquinas: the four substitutes for God  Wealth  Power  Pleasure  Honor

11. Bishop Elect Barron explains how they can become “substitutes for God”  Wealth – when we become overly attached to material things and they become our central concern  Power – when desire for worldly power becomes our central concern  Pleasure – when good feelings, physical, emotional and psychological become our central concern  Honor – when the desire to be noticed and approved of becomes our central concern

12. The Beatitudes help us deal with the 4 substitutes for God  Blessed are the poor in Spirit, who are not addicted to wealth, but share their possessions in mercy to others. Blessed are the merciful, for God’s mercy will be theirs. God’s mercy is his love.  Blessed are those who mourn, who are not addicted to pleasure, but can endure life’s hardships to become pure of heart. Those who are pure of heart will know God.  Blessed are the meek, who are not addicted to worldly power. They can use the power God gives them to become peacemakers. Peacemakers are children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of God and are not addicted to honor. They are able to hunger and thirst to serve God. They will be filled with God’s Grace.

13. Happiness comes from God  Jesus told us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt. 6:33)  Read the Beatitudes again – Matthew Chapter 5  Go see the movie “Woodlawn” and look for examples of the Beatitudes at work against the 4 substitutes for God.  Table talk – relate the questions from the beginning of class to one or more of the Beatitudes. Think about how one of the 4 substitutes for God might interfere with your life.

14. Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.