Meaning of “Blessed” in the Beatitudes

As noted in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament, the Greek word markarios is “an adjective meaning ‘fortunate’ or ‘blessed.’” “The term,” the authors add, “is not used as an invocation of God’s blessing but as a declaration that a person has either received a blessing from God (Matt. 16:17; Rom. 4:7) or can expect to receive his blessing in the future (Jas. 1:12; Rev. 14:13; 22:14).”

For more on this subject, please see CCC 1716ff. and this homily of Pope St. John Paul II during his trip to the Holy Land in March 2000.