This teaching is a continuation of the sixth beatitude. A heart-shaped mirror that reflects back to us the condition of the real us.
It opens with the five evidences of purity in the heart. The characteristics of a pure heart:
- A transparent life - the absence of hypocrisy.
- Purity of motives - the ability to honestly evaluate why you do what you do so that you can progressively begin to reject unholy motivation.
- A clear conscience - as the scripture said, is void of offence toward God and void of offence toward men.
- Singleness of heart - the absence of double-mindedness, steadfastness of purpose.
- Moral purity of the thought life - the continued ability to sift through and with an ever increasingly higher standard reject those things that represent moral compromise.
