The third beatitude in Matthew is

Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.

The Beatitudes can be seen as a progression: having been poor in Spirit before God and having mourned our own faults before God we learn our own position before God and other people. Meekness is a virtue, and means we will listen to God and others and not push our own wants and wishes. We want to do God’s will and are flexible and open to God and not set in our ways.

It is ironic that the meek will inherit the earth. The normal way of things is that the proud and pushy get what they want. Perhaps there is a sense that if we do God’s will the work is of lasting value on earth.

Mother Teresa said  of this beatitude, ‘Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you are blamed, you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint, you will not put yourself on a pedestal.’