Archbishop Fulton Sheen is still one of the most powerful Catholic American evangelist and defender of the faith in the history of the United States. The following is a small reflection that I have developed based on his treatment of the Beatitudes in his book The Life of Christ.

 One way to make enemies and antagonize people is to challenge the spirit of the world.  The world has a spirit, as each age has a spirit.  There are certain unanalyzed assumptions, which govern the conduct of the world.  Anyone who challenges these worldly maxims, such as, “you live only once,” “get as much out of life as you can,” “who will ever know about it,” “what is sex for if not for pleasure?” is bound to make himself unpopular.

In the Beatitudes, Our Divine Lord takes those eight flimsy catchwords of the world—“Security,” “Revenge,” “Laughter,” “Popularity,” “Getting Even,” “Sex,” “Armed Might” and “Comfort”—and turns them upside down.  To those who say, “You cannot be happy unless you are rich,” He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”  To those who say, “Don’t let him get away with it,” He says, “Blessed are the patient.”  To those who say, “Laugh and the world laughs with you,” He says, “Blessed are those who mourn.”  To those who say: “If nature gave you sex instincts you ought to give them free expression, otherwise you will become frustrated,” He says, “Blessed are the clean of heart.”  To those who say, “Seek to be popular and well known,” He says, “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely because of Me.”  To those who say, “In time of peace prepare for war,” He says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Sheen, Fulton J. The Life of Christ (New York: Image Books Double Day, 1977)

8 Beatitudes	8 Buzzwords
Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit             Jesus tells us that the way to happiness has nothing to do with wealth or having all our material needs met but instead has to do with being in proper relationships with God, others, and oneself.	Wealth   The world tells us that the true way to happiness is by selfishly getting all our material needs met. It does not matter how one does it or who one has to hurt. All that matters is "the one with the most toys wins!"
Blessed Are They Who Mourn            Jesus informs us that sadness is a part of life. He encourages us not to run away from it but to embrace it together. It is good for us to have compassion on others and to share their sorrows because it helps builds community and there we will find the strength we need to endure the things to cause us to mourn.	Laughter            The world tells us that we should avoid pain and suffering as much as possible and that it is alright and good for us to laugh at other people's misfortunes especially if it takes negative attention off of us.
Blessed Are The Meek   Jesus informs us His disciples that being like God has nothing to do with being all powerful, always in control, and always right but rather has everything to do about emptying oneself and being the servant of all out of love.	Security            The world tells us true happiness comes when we control our environments and it is alright to use force if necessary to control our environments. When we focus on our security we see others as the enemy and not as brothers and sisters.
Blessed Are They Who Hunger And Thirst For Justice            Jesus encourages us to be passionate about justice and peace and that are to stand up for the rights of all even if this means physical discomfort for us	Comfort            The world tells us not to get involved and not to care about others. The secret to happiness according to the world is to simply lay back and be as comfortable as possible. There is no need to care about others.
Blessed Are The Merciful       Jesus teaches us that if we are to be truly His followers that we must learn to forgive others when they have hurt us. We are to model ourselves after our Heavenly Father who is all loving and all merciful. We are to free ourselves from the pain that comes to us from holding grudges.	Revenge            The world tells us that we need to be strong in order to be safe and if someone wrongs us we need to seek revenge. The world tells us that forgiveness is a sign of weakness and that no one should be trusted.
Blessed Are The Pure of Heart   Jesus pleads with us to have a pure heart. A heart that is motivated out of love for others and not out of selfishness. We are most like our true-selves Jesus tells us when we are loving and wanting what is best for the other person even if this requires a sacrifice on our part	Sex            The world tells us that life is all about pleasure and it does not matter how we get this pleasure as long as we feel it. The world does not respect the gift of sexuality like the Church does but rather the world inspires people to seek out personal gratification above true sacrificial love.
Blessed Are The Peacemakers            Jesus informs us that God is most pleased with us when we are about trying to bring about peace in the world. The God who has never forced Himself on another desires us to imitate His example.	Force            The world tells us that "it is the survival of the fittest" and that we need to take what we want otherwise we will be a victim. Who cares about building healthy relationships with others as long as I get what I want.
Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted       Jesus honestly tells us His followers that life will not always be easy for us and that quite often the popular choice will not be the correct choice. We are challenge therefore to stand up for what is right and true and never to compromise for the sake of popularity.	Popularity   The world tells us that it is more important to be liked than to be right or truthful. The world tells us that the popular opinion is always right even if it is harmful to others