The beauty of the Beatitudes has stirred many souls and led them into a deeper understanding of God’s love. I admit—without any pride in this statement—that I am not one of those people.
Logically, I understand their importance, but that movement of awe toward them never arose in my own heart. Over the years, I have watched with curiosity as my friends chose to write their theses on the Beatitudes, used the passage as the Gospel for their wedding Mass, and even created children’s resources on the subject. Their fascination with the topic and devotion to spreading the joy of its promises were things to which I could not relate.
Still, deep down, I knew the problem was me—which is why I was interested in reading Father Mark-Mary Ames’s new book, The Eight Promises of God: Discovering Hope in the Beatitudes. Within the first few pages, it became clear that Father Mark-Mary had written the book for people like me—because he, too, had once felt the same way.
Summary + Structure
Our God is a God of order and design—and this book reflects that, being both highly structured and easy to navigate. It contains ten chapters in total.
The first explains the meaning of the “blessed” portion of the Beatitudes, and the second focuses on the reward promised at the end of each one. In both chapters, Father Mark-Mary clearly identifies common misunderstandings and misplaced emphases. It was here that I realized my own understanding had only ever been partial.
The next eight chapters each address one of the Beatitudes and follow a consistent, reader-friendly structure. Each begins with a personal story from the author’s life that illustrates the true meaning of the Beatitude. From there, Father Mark-Mary shows how Jesus Himself lived it. He then offers ways we can live out the Beatitudes in our own lives, and while he claims from the get-go that the book does not offer practical application steps, I found his explanations so clear that practical steps within my own life seemed obvious. Finally, he presents an example of how the Blessed Mother embodied the Beatitude—providing inspiration for the rest of us non-divine persons.
This rhythmic, repeated structure makes the book easy to follow, easy to pause at any point, and easy to revisit when looking for key insights.
After covering all eight Beatitudes, Father Mark-Mary concludes with a concise two-and-a-half-page summary of his major takeaways—providing the reader with a clear and accessible reference point.
Writing Style
Father Mark-Mary writes in the same way he speaks: warmly, invitingly, and as if he were in the room with the reader. His tone carries the love of a pastor who longs for all people to know the love of their Heavenly Father.
Each section is filled with humor, insightful analogies, and gentle wisdom. And in the places where he addresses common misunderstandings—where I recognized my own mistakes in trying to live out the Beatitudes—I never felt discouraged or condemned. On the contrary, it was as if I could finally recognize how thirsty I was, why I hadn’t found satisfaction, and where to go to find Living Water.
I felt challenged and encouraged at the same time.
Themes + Messages
The theme is clearly stated in the subtitle: discovering hope. The Beatitudes are at the very heart of Christ’s message to the world. While they can often seem like a heavy burden—disappointing and unexpected qualifications for citizenship in the Kingdom of God—that impression only captures the first half of the blessing.
Christ Himself embodied each of these ways of living, and we, His disciples, are called to imitate Him. Just as He died and rose again, each Beatitude carries a kind of “death” to self in its first half, followed by the promise of Resurrected glory in the second half. It is, at its core, a message of hope—and that makes it easy to embrace, even if it means correcting things in my own life.
My Personal Verdict
I began this book with a sense of detachment from the Beatitudes—familiar with them, but never personally moved by them. What Father Mark-Mary offers in The Eight Promises of God is not just explanation, but invitation. His warmth, clarity, and structure opened up the Beatitudes in a way I’d never experienced.
If you’ve ever felt distant from this part of the Gospel—or found it hard to connect with what seems like a list of hard demands—this book is for you. It’s for the unsure, the curious, the tired, and the hopeful. It’s a gentle but honest guide toward seeing that the Beatitudes aren’t burdens, but promises. And now, for the first time, I believe that too.
Grace Bellon is a wife, mom, and high school theology teacher who has spent years walking with young people as they wrestle with faith, identity, and the ache for something more. She writes from the heart of a classroom, the hustle of family life, and the quiet corners where the Lord speaks most tenderly. She believes in miracles, mercy, and the delicate art of balancing home-cooked meals with takeout nights. Her sweetest joys are found in the company of one man who keeps her coffee cup full, her children who keep her laundry baskets fuller, and the Eucharist which fills her heart and soul.
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