Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
This saying is the second blessing, by which Jesus reveals the divine mystery of consolation. By “those who mourn,” he means not only those who bear the sorrows and losses of life, but even more those who mourn for their sins and grieve because of humanity’s sinful condition. Their sorrow flows from purity of heart and love toward God. This mourning does not lead to despair, but leads to repentance and the renewal of the heart, because it is not the sorrow of helplessness, but of remorse, which brings a person near to God. Jesus promises that such mourners will be comforted, not by a human word, but by God’s presence and grace, which turns pain into peace. Thus, the saying teaches that spiritual consolation is born from repentance, and true joy from the awareness of forgiveness. The world avoids sorrow, but Christ says that the sincere sorrow of the heart—repentance born because of sin—becomes the path that leads to comfort and peace.