May 11th, 2025

Gaudete et Exsultate blog series: Chapter 3

In this post, I'm going to be (as promised in the intro) reflecting on Chapter 3 of Gaudete et Exsultate, by Pope Francis. You might be wondering - why Chapter 3, since the last post was on Chapter 1? Well, here's why:

My understanding is that Chapter 2 is more controversial and has been a stumbling block to some readers, as it seemed to partake in some of the controversies with which Pope Francis was engaged within the Church. I am not going to skip it, but I intend to read it last. That way, I can make sure I don't get sidetracked by controversy and miss out on insights that are part of the core of the message about holiness.

So, here we go, on Chapter 3, In the Light of the Master.

Key Themes

Chapter 3's first section leads us through the Beatitudes - "a Christian's identity card", as Pope Francis calls them. These short, but infinitely deep, aphorisms encourage me to give myself completely to God.

As Pope Francis reminded me in Chapter 1, God's vision for my life is not for me to be sad or beaten down by impossible demands from God, but should show up in my life as joy and a wonderful freedom, even though sorrows, disappointments and confusion will still dog me. He reiterates the same theme here:

The word “happy” or “blessed” thus becomes a synonym for “holy”. It expresses the fact that those faithful to God and his word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness. (64)

(Or, as a friend who gave a retreat I attended reminded us, we can contrast the Beatitudes with worldly or fleshly "Me Attitudes". 😆)

The Pope reflects on each of the Beatitudes briefly but profoundly. This chapter is too rich for me to be able to do justice to the reflections on each of Beatitudes. I think I could read it 10 times and get more out of it each time. Each of the reflections ends with a restatement of the definition of holiness, for example:

Thus, Pope Francis is extending his earlier definition of holiness, "experiencing, in union with Christ, the mysteries of his life", to more concrete and specific markers of that unity.

In the second section of Chapter 3, The Great Criterion, the Pope relates the Beatitudes to Christ's call to the works of mercy in Matthew 25, 31-46

Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.

Pope Francis insists that I must let Jesus' words really enter me and change my life:

Given these uncompromising demands of Jesus, it is my duty to ask Christians to acknowledge and accept them in a spirit of genuine openness, sine glossa. In other words, without any “ifs or buts” that could lessen their force. (97)

There's no contradiction or competition in principle between contemplation and service:

The best way to discern if our prayer is authentic is to judge to what extent our life is being transformed in the light of mercy. For “mercy is not only an action of the Father; it becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are”. (105, quoting Francis in Misericordiae Vultus)

I understood this to mean that God wants to change my heart - to reorient it completely! - and that then, God willing, his Spirit and light may work through me to benefit others as well. Maybe a kind word, or a hand to steer away from danger, or even just a bite to eat for a hungry person or a few clean diapers for a mom who's run out.

The next paragraph (106) is worth quoting in full:

Here I think of Saint Thomas Aquinas, who asked which actions of ours are noblest, which external works best show our love for God. Thomas answered unhesitatingly that they are the works of mercy towards our neighbour even more than our acts of worship: “We worship God by outward sacrifices and gifts, not for his own benefit, but for that of ourselves and our neighbour. For he does not need our sacrifices, but wishes them to be offered to him, in order to stir our devotion and to profit our neighbour. Hence mercy, whereby we supply others’ defects, is a sacrifice more acceptable to him, as conducing more directly to our neighbour’s well-being”.

"We supply others' defects". This was helpful for me, since so often I think of "mercy" as meaning forgiveness, but it's much broader! Any time someone has served me by teaching, nursing, visiting, etc., they've been merciful to me, by giving something they have, often without asking for anything back. Today, coincidentally, is Mother's Day in the USA - may our mothers' hearts for mercy inspire us!

Some thoughts of my own

A higher standard

Pope Francis lays down a number of challenges for me in this chapter. One I will note is in his reflections on "Blessed are the pure in heart". He reflects that " Nothing stained by falsehood has any real worth in the Lord’s eyes" (84) and "From the heart’s intentions come the desires and the deepest decisions that determine our actions" (85). I think, at times, I tend to excuse myself for thoughts or flights of imagination. For example, if I make a rude gesture in traffic, I'd confess that to a priest, but if I enjoy imagining screaming at the other, it somehow doesn't count. But Francis has a higher standard for me, one where my heart, as it is reflected in my thoughts, is the true measure of me.

I think of Pope Benedict's wise words: "The ways of the Lord are not easy, but we were not created for an easy life, but for great things, for goodness." (Often modified in quoting to "You were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.") God's vision of greatness is so different from the world's.

Blessed are those who mourn

This Beatitude has often struck me. Many of the others are straight-forward to pursue - it may be extremely hard to be meek, or to be a peacemaker, but at least I think I intellectually know how. But how to become mournful?

Pope Francis places this in the context of the coming cross.

Much energy is expended on fleeing from situations of suffering in the belief that reality can be concealed. But the cross can never be absent. A person who sees things as they truly are and sympathizes with pain and sorrow is capable of touching life’s depths and finding authentic happiness. (75-76)

"A person who sees things as they truly are". Wow!

And even if I probably won't be executed unjustly, I will still die, only God knows when. I took away from this a Memento Mori - that I can't really pursue happiness without looking mortality straight in the face and embracing life as tending towards death.

Who is "the world"?

Pope Francis follows a long Christian and Biblical tradition in often contrasting a holy, Christian approach to a worldly one. For example:

Jesus offers a justice other than that of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated in various ways. (78)

I realized, as I read, that I needed to avoid turning this phrase into an "us vs them" way of thinking. After all, I think Jesus wouldn't call the people around me "the world", he'd call them "my neighbors".

I think, although I don't remember exactly where I read it, that the best way to think about "the world" is that it's a part of each one of us, a part of me I'm called to resist. I think I understand "the world" as any temptation which leads me to see things not as they are. It's a veil over my eyes, that turns me away from seeing as God sees.

Other people - Christian or not, pious or disinterested - should get the assumption that they are seeking for justice and mercy, just like me.

Postscript

Finally - reading this chapter was one reminder, among many, of how fruitful it is to patiently and repeatedly reflect on the Beatitudes, and indeed the whole Sermon on the Mount. I'm going to look for more reflections on this topic to read once I'm done here. If you have recommendations, hit me up.

Sincerely,
David Smedberg