◎教皇連続講話【山上の説教】①イエスが語る「幸い」が意味するものは何？

（2020.1.29　バチカン放送）

　教皇フランシスコは、1月29日、バチカンで水曜恒例の一般謁見でのカテケーシス（教会の教えの解説）で、「山上の説教（真福八端）」（マタイ福音書5章1－11節）をテーマにした新たな連続講話を始められた。

　「真福八端」とは、イエスの「山上の説教」の冒頭部分、「心の貧しい人は、幸いである、天の国はその人たちのものである」という言葉から始まる教えを指す。

　教皇は、「真福八端」の考察を通して、「キリスト者だけでなく、多くの人々を照らしてきたこの教え、『イエスの御顔と生き方を反映し、キリスト者の身分証』ともいえるこれらの言葉を、深く理解し、受け入れることができるように」と望まれた。

　そして、初回のこの日は「真福八端」の概要をとらえ、次回からはこの教えの内容を一つ一つ説明したい、と述べられた。

　まず、教皇は「真福八端」のメッセージがどのような状況で告げられたのかを振り返られた。

イエスはご自分に従って来る群衆を見て、ガリラヤ湖を囲むなだらかな山に登られ、腰を下ろされると、弟子たちに向かってこの「真福八端」を告げられた。

　教皇は「このメッセージは弟子たちに対するものでしたが、その背後には群衆の姿があったように、これは全人類に向けたものであったのです」とされたうえで、「『山』という言葉は、モーセが十戒を神から授けられたシナイ山を思い起こさせますが、イエスもまた山に登り、そこから新しい掟を教え始められました」と指摘。

　「貧しくあれ、柔和であれ、憐み深くあれ、など、その新しい掟は、単なる規範を超えたものであり、イエスは何一つ強制することなく、『幸い』という言葉を8回繰り返しながら、幸福への道を明かしているのです」と説かれた。

　次に教皇は、「真福八端」の文章の組み立て方について、「教えの一つひとつに、『心の貧しい人は』『悲しむ人は』『義に飢え渇く人々は』などの条件が挙げられ、それらは常に『幸いである』という言葉で結ばれます。そして最後に、『天の国はその人たちのものである』『その人たちは慰められる』『その人たちは地を受け継ぐ』など、なぜそれが『幸い』であるかの理由が示されています」とされた。

　さらに、「では、『幸い』とは何を意味するのでしょうか」と問いかけられ、「それはお腹がいっぱいであるとか、物事がうまくいった、という人の状態を指すのではありません。『恵みの中にある人』『神の恵みのうちに成長する人』の状態を指しているのです」と語られた。

　そして、「神はご自身を私たちに与えられるために、しばしば、思いがけない道を選ばれ、それは時に私たちの限界や涙や敗北を知る道であったりすることがありますが、『復活の喜び』とは、苦しみや死を通した神の力の体験なのです」と説かれた。

「『真福八端』は幸福に到達するための道」と説く教皇は、マタイ福音書5章を読み、「主が私たちに示す、幸いへのこの確かな道を理解するように」と促された。

（編集「カトリック・あい」）

（2020.1.29　VaticanNews　Linda Bordoni)

　Inaugurating a new cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Beatitudes, Pope Francis reflects on Jesus’ invitation to conduct a life of humility, poverty and mercy.

　Pope Francis said that In order to give Himself to us, God often chooses “unthinkable” paths that point us beyond our “limitations, tears and failures,” towards that Paschal joy born of Christ’s own passage from death to life.

Speaking to the pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the Wednesday General Audience, he reflected on the Sermon on the Mount pronounced by Jesus who, he said, “enlightened” the lives of believers and also of many non-believers.

“It is difficult,” the Pope said, not to be touched by these words, and he encouraged the faithful to understand and welcome them “ever more fully” because “they contain a kind of Christian identity card”.

The proclamation of the Beatitudes

The Pope explained how the proclamation of the message came about: When He saw the crowds Jesus went up the “sweet slope” surrounding the Lake of Galilee, sat down and addressed the disciples proclaiming the Beatitudes.

“The message is addressed to the disciples, but there are crowds stretching to the horizon, there is all humanity. It is a message for all humanity,” he said.

A new law

The “mountain”, the Pope continued, recalls the one in Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. However this time, he said, the setting is not that of a “terrible storm”, but of a place in which the “sweet power” of the Good News is in the air.

Thus, Pope Francis said, Jesus began to teach a new law that calls us to be poor, to be meek, to be merciful.

These “new Commandments”, he added, are much more than norms: “In fact, Jesus does not impose anything, but reveals the path to happiness,” repeating the word ‘blessed’ eight times.

God’s gift

Pope Francis explained that each Beatitude is composed of three parts: the opening word “Blessed” followed by the situation in which those who are called blessed find themselves – poor in spirit, mourning, thirsting for justice – and finally the reason for which they are blessed.

“There are eight Beatitudes and it would be nice to learn them by heart and to repeat them in order to keep this law that Jesus gives us in our mind and in our hearts,” he said.

He highlighted that the reason for Beatitude is not to be found in one’s present situation, but in the new condition that those who are blessed receive as a gift from God: “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, “for they will be comforted”, “for they will inherit the land” and so on.

A condition of grace

As for the “reason” for happiness, the Pope noted that Jesus often uses passive verbs like “they will be satisfied”, “they will be shown mercy”, “they will be called children of God”; saying that the Beatitudes teach that we are blessed not by our present situation, but rather by the new condition that is ours by God’s grace

The Pope went on to dwell on the word “Blessed”, saying that in its original meaning it does not indicate someone “with a full belly or who is doing well.” He explained that it refers to a person who finds him or herself in a state of grace and who is going forward on the path indicated by God with patience, poverty, service towards others, consolation.

“He or she who goes forward on that path is happy, will be blessed,” he said.

Read the Beatitudes

Reiterating that the Beatitudes “always lead to joy”, the Pope invited those present to take the Gospel of Matthew in hand and read chapter 5, verse 1 to 11, “perhaps a couple of times during the week, in order to understand this beautiful and secure path to happiness that the Lord proposes to us.”

Greetings to pilgrims

At the end of the audience, Pope Francis greeted the groups of pilgrims present in various languages, and reminded those from Poland that on Sunday, on the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord, the Day for Consecrated Life is celebrated in their country and he asked for prayers:

“Let us pray for the religious who dedicate themselves to God and to their brothers and sisters in daily service, according to their charism, so that they may always be faithful witnesses of Christ’s saving love. Let us also pray for new vocations to the consecrated life.”

（バチカン広報発表の教皇講話の全文）

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

　Today we begin a series of catecheses on the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew (5.1-11). This text which opens the “Sermon on the Mount” and which illuminated the lives of believers, even of many non-believers. It is difficult not to be touched by these words of Jesus, and the desire to understand them and accept them ever more fully is right. The Beatitudes contain the Christian’s “identity card” – this is our identity card – because they outline the face of Jesus himself, his lifestyle.

　Now let’s frame these words of Jesus globally; in the next catecheses we will comment on the individual Beatitudes, one by one.

　First of all, it is important how the proclamation of this message came about: Jesus, seeing the crowds following him, climbs the gentle slope surrounding the lake of Galilee, sits down and, addressing his disciples, announces the Beatitudes. Therefore the message is addressed to the disciples , but on the horizon there are the crowds , that is, all humanity. It is a message for all humanity.

　Furthermore, the “mountain” refers to Sinai, where God gave Moses the Commandments. Jesus begins to teach a new law: to be poor, to be meek, to be merciful … These “new commandments” are much more than norms. In fact, Jesus does not impose anything, but reveals the way of happiness – his way – by repeating the word ” blessed ” eight times .

　Each bliss is made up of three parts. At first there is always the word ” blessed “; then comes the situation in which the blessed find themselves: poverty of spirit, affliction, hunger and thirst for justice, and so on; finally there is the reason for bliss, introduced by the conjunction “why”: “Blessed are these because, blessed are they because …” So are the eight Beatitudes and it would be nice to learn them by heart to repeat them, to have this law in your mind and heart that Jesus gave us.

　Let us pay attention to this fact: the reason for bliss is not the current situation but the new condition that the blessed receive as a gift from God: “because of them is the kingdom of heaven”, “because they will be comforted”, “because they will inherit the earth “, and so on.

　In the third element, which is precisely the reason for happiness, Jesus often uses a passive future: “they will be comforted”, “they will inherit the earth”, “they will be satisfied”, “they will be forgiven”, “they will be called children of God”.

　But what does the word ” blessed ” mean ? Why does each of the eight Beatitudes begin with the word ” blessed “? The original term does not indicate someone who has a full belly or is doing well, but is a person who is in a condition of grace, who progresses in the grace of God and who progresses on the path of God: patience, poverty, the service to others, consolation … Those who progress in these things are happy and will be blessed.

　To give himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths, perhaps those of our limits, of our tears, of our defeats. It is the Easter joy of which the Eastern brothers speak, that which has the stigmata but is alive, has gone through death and has experienced the power of God. The Beatitudes always bring you joy; they are the way to joy.

　It will do us good to take the Gospel of Matthew today, chapter five, verse one to eleven and read the Beatitudes – perhaps a few more times during the week – to understand this road so beautiful, so sure of the happiness that the Lord offers us.

教皇フランシスコは、1月29日、バチカンで水曜恒例の一般謁見でのカテケーシス（教会の教えの解説）で、「山上の説教（真福八端）」（マタイ福音書5章1－11節）をテーマにした新たな連続講話を始められた。

「真福八端」とは、イエスの「山上の説教」の冒頭部分、「心の貧しい人は、幸いである、天の国はその人たちのものである」という言葉から始まる教えを指す。

そして、初回のこの日は「真福八端」の概要をとらえ、次回からはこの教えの内容を一つ一つ説明したい、と述べられた。

まず、教皇は「真福八端」のメッセージがどのような状況で告げられたのかを振り返られた。

「『真福八端』は幸福に到達するための道」と説く教皇は、マタイ福音書5章を読み、「主が私たちに示す、幸いへのこの確かな道を理解するように」と促された。

（編集「カトリック・あい」）

（2020.1.29 VaticanNews Linda Bordoni)

Inaugurating a new cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Beatitudes, Pope Francis reflects on Jesus’ invitation to conduct a life of humility, poverty and mercy.

Pope Francis said that In order to give Himself to us, God often chooses “unthinkable” paths that point us beyond our “limitations, tears and failures,” towards that Paschal joy born of Christ’s own passage from death to life.

The proclamation of the Beatitudes

A new law

God’s gift

A condition of grace

Read the Beatitudes

Greetings to pilgrims

（バチカン広報発表の教皇講話の全文）

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Now let’s frame these words of Jesus globally; in the next catecheses we will comment on the individual Beatitudes, one by one.

Let us pay attention to this fact: the reason for bliss is not the current situation but the new condition that the blessed receive as a gift from God: “because of them is the kingdom of heaven”, “because they will be comforted”, “because they will inherit the earth “, and so on.

In the third element, which is precisely the reason for happiness, Jesus often uses a passive future: “they will be comforted”, “they will inherit the earth”, “they will be satisfied”, “they will be forgiven”, “they will be called children of God”.

It will do us good to take the Gospel of Matthew today, chapter five, verse one to eleven and read the Beatitudes – perhaps a few more times during the week – to understand this road so beautiful, so sure of the happiness that the Lord offers us.

　教皇フランシスコは、1月29日、バチカンで水曜恒例の一般謁見でのカテケーシス（教会の教えの解説）で、「山上の説教（真福八端）」（マタイ福音書5章1－11節）をテーマにした新たな連続講話を始められた。

　「真福八端」とは、イエスの「山上の説教」の冒頭部分、「心の貧しい人は、幸いである、天の国はその人たちのものである」という言葉から始まる教えを指す。

　そして、初回のこの日は「真福八端」の概要をとらえ、次回からはこの教えの内容を一つ一つ説明したい、と述べられた。

　まず、教皇は「真福八端」のメッセージがどのような状況で告げられたのかを振り返られた。

（2020.1.29　VaticanNews　Linda Bordoni)

　Inaugurating a new cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Beatitudes, Pope Francis reflects on Jesus’ invitation to conduct a life of humility, poverty and mercy.

　Pope Francis said that In order to give Himself to us, God often chooses “unthinkable” paths that point us beyond our “limitations, tears and failures,” towards that Paschal joy born of Christ’s own passage from death to life.

　Now let’s frame these words of Jesus globally; in the next catecheses we will comment on the individual Beatitudes, one by one.

　Let us pay attention to this fact: the reason for bliss is not the current situation but the new condition that the blessed receive as a gift from God: “because of them is the kingdom of heaven”, “because they will be comforted”, “because they will inherit the earth “, and so on.

　In the third element, which is precisely the reason for happiness, Jesus often uses a passive future: “they will be comforted”, “they will inherit the earth”, “they will be satisfied”, “they will be forgiven”, “they will be called children of God”.

　It will do us good to take the Gospel of Matthew today, chapter five, verse one to eleven and read the Beatitudes – perhaps a few more times during the week – to understand this road so beautiful, so sure of the happiness that the Lord offers us.