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The 10 Commandments reflect the Morality of Jesus. The 8 Beatitudes reflect the Spirituality of Jesus. This is the same Morality and Spirituality God expects from us!
The 10 Commandments and the 8 Beatitudes create in us that which brings us the most happiness in life—fellowship with God!
Living by the 10 Commandments frees us from being enslaved to sin.
The 10 Commandments contain the basic teachings of the Natural Law. Natural Law (also called, "The Divine Law" or "the Golden Rule" by some)
is engraved in the soul of every human being. This Law states, "do unto others as you would have done unto you!" (Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:12).
What does, "do unto others as you would have done unto you" mean? If you do not like to be lied to, then don't lie to another. If you don't like to be cheated, then don't cheat someone else. If you do not like to be ridiculed, then don't ridicule someone else, etc. God commandments teach us what to do in every situation. If everyone in the world obeyed the 10 Commandments and 8 Beatitudes every day of their lives, we would have world peace…
The 10 Commandments
Breaking any of God's 10 Commandments deteriorites the grace and presence of God living in us. This can lead to mortal sin depending on the gravity of the sin committed (see, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1849-1864).[1]
Murder, abortion, adultery, divorce, missing Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation (just to name a few) are considered mortal sins depending on the culpability of the person involved.[2] Mortal sin separates us from the Life of God just as sin separates us from each other's life.[3]
The 10 Commandments are found in Chapter 20 of the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament. They state:
1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
The 8 Beatitudes
"Beatitude" means "happiness" (i.e., the Beatific Vision, the moment we see God and are filled with wonder, awe and happiness gazing at our Creator and Sustainer.)
The 8 Beatitudes are a self-portrait of Jesus' personality and spirituality. The 8 Beatitudes are our spiritual connection to Christ. Jesus possessed and lived all eight of the Beatitudes. He wants us to do the same!
The 8 Beatitudes are found in Chapter 5 of the Gospel recorded by Matthew. They state:
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
7.Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Always remember! Our soul is eternal, and only that which is eternal—God—can satisfy that which we eternally long for—happiness, peace and love. No other person, place or thing—not even our parents, siblings, spouse, children, or friends—can do this.
Making the 10 Commandments and the 8 Beatitudes our model for virtuous living will always ensure we have a happy life in God. The Sacraments and Graces given to us by God give us the strength to live by God's commands which are always for our benefit, not His…
[1] For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."(131) (CCC 1857).
[2] (CCC 2261, murder); (CCC 2271-2272, abortion); (CCC 2181, missing Mass); (CCC 1856; 2380; 2400 adultery);
(CCC 2384-2385; 2400, divorce).
[3] Other examples of grave sins that can have mortal consequences are: masturbation (CCC 2352; 2396), fornication (CCC 2353; 2390), pornography (CCC 2354; 2396), prostitution (CCC 2355), rape (CCC 2356), homosexual relations (CCC 2357; 2396), polygamy (CCC 2387), incest (CCC 2388).