The beatitude of purity of heart holds a profound promise: the vision of God and a deeper understanding of His will. Rooted in Christ’s teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, this virtue goes beyond moral integrity, touching the essence of spiritual transformation.
Reflections on the Gospel Beatitude of Purity of Heart
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
— Matthew 5:8
Among all the Beatitudes, this sixth one holds particular significance for the practical implementation of spiritual life, which the Eastern tradition refers to as asceticism. Purity of heart is the key standard of ascetic practice, established by Christ for His disciples.
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
— Proverbs 4:23
Saint Symeon the New Theologian defined the essence of inner purity in this way:
"Pure is the heart that has no thought or imagination of the world but is wholly attached to God and united with Him."
However, purity of heart is an almost unattainable goal for human beings (Matt. 19:26). By our own efforts, we can only partially cleanse the heart. Divine assistance is essential. Yet, much depends on the individual as well. God desires and waits for us to turn to Him with a plea for the purification of our hearts, fully prepared to accept and apply the remedies for the soul that the loving Physician prescribes.
Herein lies a challenge: often, even while formally asking God for help, we are not truly willing to accept it. This is because such acceptance inevitably demands sacrifices, including letting go of material comforts and even emotional attachments:
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."
— Luke 14:26-27
Nonetheless, the purification of the heart is a non-negotiable step on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. Nothing impure will enter God’s dwelling, and if we fail to purify our hearts in this life, we will have to pass through the purifying fire of Purgatory.
Self-Knowledge
If a person’s heart is not pure, they perceive the world, themselves, and their place in it distortedly, through the lens of desires and passions. This warped perspective conceals truth and creates illusions with no real foundation. Such a state leads to spiritual ailments like hypocrisy, pride, and vanity.
By purifying their heart, a person begins to see themselves as they truly are. This clarity enables them to distinguish good from evil and right from wrong—a critically important skill on the path to salvation.
Understanding God’s Will
Purity of heart is an essential condition for discerning God’s will. The human heart is like a mirror, dulled by the dust of passions and material concerns. In such a state, the light of Truth refracts and dims, leaving only faint and distorted reflections that cannot dispel the darkness in the soul’s depths.
The Apostle Paul speaks of this in his letter to the Corinthians:
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."
— 1 Corinthians 13:12
The essence of the New Testament revolves around the pure heart, capable of discerning the will of God naturally, without relying on the memorization of hundreds of complex and conflicting laws that failed to save the people of the Old Testament.
The prophet says:
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."
— Ezekiel 36:25-27
This transformative promise invites us to seek a pure heart as the foundation for knowing God and living in accordance with His will.
Seeing God
"Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!" (Psalm 73:1).
The goodness of the Lord is so profound that He reveals Himself to those with a pure heart.
God is present in every atom of His creation at every moment, but only those with a pure heart can perceive His constant Divine presence and derive the fullest spiritual benefit from it.
Only by seeing God can we truly love Him; otherwise, our feelings toward Him will either be superficial or insincere.
Ways to Purify the Heart
"No one can attain purity of heart and perfection except through true humility, which a person must first practice toward their brothers and also toward God in the secrecy of the heart, fully believing that without His protection and help, given every moment, one cannot achieve perfection," wrote St. John Cassian.
St. Ephrem the Syrian noted that "chastity consists not only in abstaining from fornication and carnal pleasures but also in being free from other passions."
St. John Climacus emphasized the importance of meekness and self-restraint in the quest for purity.
St. Isaac the Syrian recommended using faith and almsgiving as quick means to purify the heart. In practice, bodily labor and study of the Divine Scriptures are also invaluable for maintaining purity.
Abba Heremon considered freedom from anger essential: "The farther a person drives away the passion of anger, the closer they come to purity."
St. John Climacus described complete surrender to God as the key to achieving purity:
"Show the Lord the weakness of your nature, recognizing your powerlessness in everything, and you will imperceptibly receive the gift of chastity."
Thus, the psalmist appeals to God:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10).
We cannot purify ourselves on our own; therefore, we turn to the Source of true and undefiled purity.
Conclusion
Thus, the beatitude of purity of heart grants a person the vision of God and His will, as well as the ability to truly see themselves and others. All of this creates the most favorable ground for the growth of other virtues mentioned by the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount, which proclaimed the New Covenant in place of the Old Covenant, rendered obsolete with the coming of Christ.
Moreover, without purity of heart, we cannot be truly guided by the Lord, nor can we inherit the legacy that He left to His faithful through the blood covenant of the New Testament.