by Beverly McNeff

The beatitudes, as Jesus stated them in the Bible, were considered a promise of hope for the people of the time. The term “beati” translates to “happy,” “rich,” or “blessed.” As he stood and delivered what came to be known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was not speaking to the rich and powerful but to the poor and disenfranchised who hungered for a message of release and healing from their oppression. His message was not a focus on the outer world for salvation, but a focus on the inner truth that would release their minds and hearts.

There is debate over how many beatitudes Jesus offered since the gospels of Mathew and Luke differ. But, generally, there are considered to be eight simple statements that give hope, such as: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled; Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy; Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God; Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

In our lives today, we often hunger for that same hope and healing. Our world is filled with injustice, attack, violence, sickness, and pain; these are the same concerns the followers of Jesus had. And yet to his followers, then and now, Jesus is saying the same thing: we are blessed. Not because we may feel we are suffering, but because His Help has never left our side. This awareness is our way out of suffering. We need to recognize that we are blessed and be glad, for we are not alone and have a mighty purpose to fulfill.

A Course in Miracles is a powerful how-to path for us to awaken to the Help that is ever available and follow its prescription for our healing. As I reviewed the Course’s Workbook lesson 123, “I thank my Father for His gifts to me,” I realized it actually encompasses A Course in Miracles’ very own beatitudes. Here is how this lesson’s eight “beatitudes” are stated, with additional commentary to allow you to feel their power and help in your life right now.

“Beatitudes” from A Course in Miracles

1. “Be glad today, […] your Father has not left you to yourself […] He has not abandoned you […] nor let you wander in the dark alone.”
We have not been left to our own demise. We are not lost forever in our distorted thinking, for God has never left our side, no matter how lost we may feel or how fearful the world may seem. Acknowledging His Presence can not only transform our lives but also give us the power to face any obstacle the world may present.

“If you knew Who walks beside you on the way that you have chosen, fear would be impossible.” (T-18.III.3:2)

2. “Be [glad] He has saved you from the self you thought you made to take the place of Him and His creation.”
He has saved us from our unworthy thoughts, for no illusion of the world can change the truth of Who we are. No matter how many times we have doubted or denied God’s presence in our lives, or how harsh we have been to others and ourselves. God continues to call to us imploringly to turn to Him.

“You are altogether irreplaceable in the Mind of God. No one else can fill your part in it, and while you leave your part of it empty your eternal place merely waits for your return.” (T-9.VIII.10)

3. “[Be glad] His Love forever will remain shining on you, forever without change.”
As we are told in the Course, love is all-encompassing. In reality, there can be no opposite to what is all, but the impossible has been inserted into our thinking, and fear appears to be love’s opposite. Fear (thoughts of anger, attack, judgment, depression, etc.) can have no power in truth. In the mind that has lost its way, His Love still remains. Even when we feel alone, this eternal flame of love can never be extinguished.

“Nothing you can do can change Eternal Love.” (M-C-5.6:10)

4. “[Be glad] that you are changeless, for the Son He loves is changeless as Himself.”
Love will remain our essence even when we wander into fear because what is changeless (our eternal Self) cannot be mocked. This awareness has nothing to do with our bodies or our actions in these bodies, and thank God for that! We are not asked to attack ourselves for the mistaken actions we have taken in this world, but to look at those actions with the Guide God has given us in the Holy Spirit, so that those pains can be healed. His Voice will help us to look with forgiving eyes so we might focus on the solution to our illusions and not reinforce them.

“Learn, then, the happy habit of response to all temptation to perceive yourself as weak and miserable with these words: I am as God created me. His Son can suffer nothing. And I am His Son.” (T-31.VIII.5)

5. “Be [glad] you are saved.”
We are saved, and that is something for which we should be glad. It is not sometime in the future that we will find this awareness, but in every holy encounter with another.

“When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him you will see yourself. As you treat him you will treat yourself. As you think of him you will think of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose yourself. (T-8.III.4)

6. “Be glad you have a function in salvation to fulfill.”
If every encounter with another is a holy encounter (which can occur in person or in thought), this gives us an opportunity to find salvation now. Will we be guided to take some action in this world? Perhaps, because in lesson 71, “Only God’s plan for salvation will work,” we are “asking God to reveal His plan to us” when we affirm:

What would You have me do?
Where would You have me go?
What would You have me say and to whom?

We are asked to give Him full charge of our practice so we might fulfill His plan for salvation, whether that means we do “something” in the world or are asked to hold the truth for a Child of God. Both expressions are equal in power to heal.

While we are a vessel for His Will, let us remember we have a great purpose every day: To arise in glory every morning because we do have a function to fulfill here and now!

“I will arise in glory, and allow the light in me to shine upon the world throughout the day.” (W-237.1:2)

7. “Be [glad] that your value far transcends your meager gifts and petty judgments of the one whom God established as His Son.”
Our value is not determined by what we have or have not accomplished in the world; our value is determined by God, Who sees us all as His beloved Child in Whom He is well pleased. It is time we move past the negative self-talk that fills our minds and realize that all of us (yes, even YOU) have a mighty purpose.

“True humility requires that you accept [that you are the light of the world] because it is God’s Voice which tells you it is true. This is a beginning step in accepting your real function on earth. It is a giant stride toward taking your rightful place in salvation. It is a positive assertion of your right to be saved, and an acknowledgment of the power that is given you to save others.” (W-61.3.1)

8. “[Be glad] that in our solitude a Friend has come to speak the saving Word of God to us.”
We are here to light this world with miracles by seeing every encounter (or attitude we hold about ourselves) as an opportunity to extend love. We are here to see only the extensions of love or the calls for love. To help us translate this truth (in thought and action) into the world, we have been given a Friend (the Voice for God). It is now time we recognize the fact that we are not alone; we have the Help we need. But, “His word is soundless if [we do not hear it].”

Therefore, we need to practice listening to make it dependable. We do our workbook lessons, read the text, and focus within as we become quiet and comfortable with asking for Help in every encounter. We need to not become discouraged, but bring every fear or doubt, however great or small, to Him.

“The Holy Spirit’s function is entirely communication. He therefore must remove whatever interferes with communication in order to restore it. Therefore, keep no source of interference from His sight, for He will not attack your sentinels. But bring them to Him and let His gentleness teach you that, in the light, they are not fearful, and cannot serve to guard the dark doors behind which nothing at all is carefully concealed. We must open all doors and let the light come streaming through. There are no hidden chambers in God’s temple.” (T-14.VI.8)

And finally…
Let us take these eight thoughts from lesson 123, “I thank my Father for His gifts to me,” and consider them our new beatitudes. As the beatitudes were revolutionary gifts from a ground-breaking teacher, let us remember that teacher (Jesus, our elder brother) is still with us today to remind us of the Christ we all are. Injustice, insanity, and chaos have always been part of the world because it is a world that believes in sin – that we are separated from each other and God. A Course in Miracles tells us that the “cost” of restoration with God is for us to release our painful illusions and accept the truth of God’s love for us. Salvation is with us right now, and a promise given us by God that we would find our way to Him. As we read in the Course,

“Here is the only ‘sacrifice’ You ask of Your beloved Son; You ask him to give up all suffering, all sense of loss and sadness, all anxiety and doubt, and freely let Your Love come streaming in to his awareness, healing him of pain, and giving him Your Own eternal joy. Such is the ‘sacrifice’ You ask of me, and one I gladly make; the only ‘cost’ of restoration of Your memory to me, for the salvation of the world.” (W-323.1)

May we together realize the gifts we have been given and the Help that is ever available. And, when we feel lost and alone, let us remember, “Only what you have not given can be lacking in any situation.” (T-17.VII.4) Therefore, let us give by “becom[ing] the messenger who brings [God’s] Voice with [us], and lets It echo round and round the world.”

We have a mighty purpose in salvation, and we have everything we need to fulfill our healing and awakening right now. Now that is something to definitely be grateful for.

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Above quotations from A Course in Miracles lesson 123 unless otherwise indicated.