6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 15, 2026

Jesus’ interpretation of the law and what that means for us

Matthew 5:17-37

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, “You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, “Raqa,” will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, “You fool,” will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.” But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP

Sirach 15: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10; Matthew 5: 17-37

Those of us gathered for worship today are truly diverse: from different cultural backgrounds, countries of origins, races, etc. But what binds us together is our baptism in Jesus. Whatever our differences and whatever language we speak, we all say together, “We believe in Jesus Christ and so his way is our way.” Our basic identity is that we are a community of Jesus’ followers and we love him. Therefore, our love for him urges us to live like him. But does not hearing the Sermon on the Mount these Sundays leave you weak in the knees? How can we ever live these teachings? How will we even know how to live them? Because of his miracles and teachings Jesus had attracted great crowds. In order to teach those closest to him, he took them up a mountain. Two Sundays ago, we heard the Beatitudes, the introduction to a collection of his teachings which we call the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes called for the profound inner change necessary for anyone wanting to follow Jesus. That kind of change is spelled out in his subsequent teachings. When we hear Jesus’ sermon, what Paul says in 1 Corinthians today is true: we are called to live, not according to the wisdom of this age, but according to God’s wisdom. That wisdom, Paul reminds us, has been revealed to us in the life of Jesus made known to us, “through the Spirit.” Through the gift of the Spirit, we have come to accept Jesus Christ as God’s full revelation in the flesh. We need to remind ourselves today that the same Spirit makes it possible for us to live according to Jesus’ teaching. After all, Jesus is not just giving us a stricter, higher code of ethics. That is not what makes his teachings special. Rather, through our baptism and the gift of his Spirit, we have the desire and divine power to live what we are being taught again today. That new Spirit in us is what enables us to live, as Jesus tells us, with a “holiness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. I am choosing the short form of the gospel today. The longer offering (5:17–37) just seems like a lot. I do not want to overwhelm the congregation with a long list of “do’s and don’ts.” But even in the shorter version we hear Jesus calling us, not to a superficial, exterior performance of commandments, but to a far more profound response – deeper, interior change that will enable us to do as he instructs. How discouraged his followers must have been when Jesus taught in this way! After all, the Pharisees were considered the righteous and holy ones. Jesus’ challenge though was not only to his followers, but to the Pharisees and scribes as well. Their religion was to go deeper than exterior works – the right motives had to support right behavior. His demands are high indeed! They seem impossible to achieve. The Pharisees spent a lot of time and energy fulfilling the Law. They were of the middle class and, unlike the desperately poor, who comprised most of Jesus’s followers, the Pharisees had the education and leisure to pursue purity of observance. What chance did the illiterate, overworked and burdened poor followers of Jesus have? For that matter, what chance do we have in fulfilling these teachings? And yet, Jesus calls for a holiness that surpasses those scribes and Pharisees! From today’s gospel selection, we hear that Jesus wants to cut short, at its inception, a path that might lead to murder. So, he says to his disciples they are to control their anger. In cases of adultery, families would seek retaliation on the couple because of the shame brought down on those families, especially on the husband. To prevent adultery and the subsequent blood feud that would erupt, Jesus tells his disciples not even to think such a thing – no lusting after another. In addition, good community relations, especially among believers, would be possible if people behaved honestly with one another; if they could trust each other’s words. So, no lying. Jesus called his disciples to exemplary behavior. Such ways of being with one another, besides forming loving relationships in the community, would also draw attention to that community and to the teachings of the one they followed –Jesus. Today he is giving concrete examples of what we heard him say to his disciples last week. They are to be “salt of the earth,” “light of the world” and a “city set on a mountain.” Note the structure for the sayings. Each begins: “You have heard of the commandment….” Then Jesus presents his unique teaching, “But I say to you….” He credits the former teaching and by giving specific examples, calls his disciples to a greater righteousness, a more exacting “law.” A “new law.” We Christians are called to a different way of living, in our relations to each other and then to the world. We seek reconciliation where there is anger and alienation. We take our desires despite the license of the world around us. We are faithful to one another and so, when we make promises, we keep them. What will help us live the challenges Jesus places before us? Certainly, we cannot do it merely by gritting our teeth and putting our nose to the grindstone. Instead, we fix our eyes on Jesus, and we turn to each other in mutual love and support. Sound idealistic? Yes it does, but Jesus would not ask us to fulfill something he would not help us accomplish. It is no wonder that our Sirach reading was chosen today. It is part of the Wisdom tradition in the Hebrew Scriptures. According to that tradition human actions have specific consequences. We are free to conform our lives to God’s ordered ways, or not. In today’s reading, though short, the word “choose(s)” is mentioned three times. This Wisdom reading underlines our freedom and so encourages us to use it to make choices in accord with God’s wisdom. As difficult as these choices may be at times, the believer hears Sirach’s words of encouragement: “trust in God, you too will live.” We are assured that making these choices will be life-giving, for God’s eyes rest on the faithful. (“The eyes of God are on those who fear God....”) Jesus’ life showed us what the Sermon looks like when enfleshed. He is now our wise teacher who shows us the way to life and gives us his Spirit to help us to choose those life-giving ways. His disciples are to continue putting flesh on the Sermon in their lives. Whatever our circumstances, people who may never read the Sermon on the Mount should be able to learn its content by examining our lives.

Quotable

“The Sermon on the Mount fills me with bliss even today. Its sweet verses have even today the power to quench my agony of soul.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Blessed are they who observe God’s decrees, who seek the Lord with all their heart. —Psalm 119: 2

As we just celebrated St. Valentine’s Day, thoughts of the heart are still fresh on our minds. For many of us, it is a day of showering our dear ones with visible signs of our love. I wonder how many of us Christian adults took this day to shower God, hidden in the guise of a stranger, with love? What would our children learn from loving encounters with the disadvantaged and the poor? Beginning in 1843, The Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) is one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies active in over 130 countries throughout the world. The Missionary Childhood Association seeks to: inspire children to be open-hearted in their communities; help children experience the joy of being part of a global family where everyone is important and helps one another; and educate children in a missionary outlook, expanding their awareness of the needs of children worldwide. It serves as a vital tool for children to grow in faith and develop a sense of universal solidarity, the sensitivity to others that is an essential dimension of Christianity. MCA’s motto is “Children Helping Children” through prayer, evangelization, and action. To learn more: The Missionary Childhood Association - Pontifical Mission Societies. A bit of history about MCA: Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson was much in demand by French bishops, who were serving as missionaries in the USA – the “Missions” of his day, to visit the young U.S. churches and then return home to encourage support for their work. In 1839, Bishop Forbin-Janson did just that, sailing across the ocean and landing in New York. He also visited New Orleans and Baltimore, as well as Canada, all on horseback. When he returned to France two years later, he met an old friend – Pauline Jaricot – who had founded the Society that was helping to support the missionary efforts he had seen firsthand in the United States. During a conversation between these two friends in 1843, Bishop Forbin-Janson shared his own longtime dream – to help the children of the Missions. He was convinced that children rich in faith and love were capable of playing their own part in the Church’s mission – and of even stirring adults to the same generous missionary spirit. Sometime during the course of their talk, the Holy Childhood Association, now Missionary Childhood Association was born. It continues to be love on a mission.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Reflection: What will help us live the challenges Jesus places before us in the Sermon on the Mount? Certainly, we cannot fulfill them merely by gritting our teeth and putting our nose to the grindstone. Instead, realizing our limitations, we turn to Jesus and ask for a renewed gift of his Spirit. Sound idealistic? Yes it does, but Jesus would not ask us to fulfill something he would not help us accomplish.

So, we ask ourselves:

• In what ways might I be tempted to practice religion outwardly, while resisting the deeper inner change of heart that Jesus calls for?

• How is God inviting me – right now – to move beyond simply following rules and toward a more honest, loving, and merciful way of living?

Post Cards to Death Row Inmates

“One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is carried out.” —Pope Francis

Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I am posting in this space several inmates’ names and locations. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know that: we have not forgotten them; are praying for them and their families; or whatever personal encouragement you might like to give them. If the inmate responds, you might consider becoming pen pals.  

Please write to:

Edward Davis #0100579 (On death row since 3/12/1992)
Kenneth Rouse #0353186 (3/25/1992)
Michael Reeves #0339314 (5/14/1992)

—Central Prison P.O. 247 Phoenix, MD 21131

Please note: Central Prison is in Raleigh, NC., but for security purposes, mail to inmates is processed through a clearing house at the above address in Maryland. For more information on the Catholic position on the death penalty go to the Catholic Mobilizing Network: http://catholicsmobilizing.org

Donations

“First Impressions” is a service to preachers and those wishing to prepare for Sunday worship. The Dominican Friars sponsor it. If you would like to support this ministry, please send tax deductible contributions to:

Fr. Jude Siciliano, OP
St. Albert Priory
3150 Vince Hagan Drive
Irving, Texas 75062-4736

Make checks payable to: Dominican Friars. Or go to our webpage to make a secure online donation: https://www.PreacherExchange.com/donations.htm

First Impressions — Ash Wednesday by Jude Siciliano, OP

Joel 2: 12-18; 2 Corinthians 5: 20-6:2; Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18

Dear Preachers: Ash Wednesday. The very title has an ominous ring to it. Add to that the somber reminder as ashes are imposed on our foreheads, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The alternative formula, “Turn away from your sin and be faithful to the gospel,” sounds much better. I want to “be faithful to the gospel”. But I am too quick to skip that opening, “Turn away from your sin.” Sounds like, “Repent!” to me. There it is again, that serious note. No matter how you put it, I am dust and I must repent. No getting around the serious shift in sights and sounds the liturgy just took. Ash Wednesday is preceded by Fat Tuesday’s excesses because we all know how grim Lent can be. Let’s enjoy ourselves one last time before we enter the long dark tunnel of Lenten denial. So goes the popular notion of Lent. But suppose it isn’t such a glum note? Suppose there is something joyous and relieving about Lent? Suppose in other words, it is a time to clear away the distractions and hear again the liberating message of the Gospel? And suppose it is also a time to renew our community’s commitment to spread that message to others by our words and deeds? Still more, suppose it is a call to live as the reconciled community we claim to be, wouldn’t that be a powerful message and an invitation to others to be part of us? We really don’t need Ash Wednesday to remind us that we are dust. Reminders of dust are all around us. Dust is what we return to at the end of our lives. But long before we breathe our last, life reminds us of the corruptibility of everything. So much of what we put our confidence in ages, breaks, comes apart at the seams and wears out. All that is new, shiny and glitzy have a very short life expectancy. Mortality touches even our most noble human treasures: loved ones die; sickness limits us; age saps our energies and our noble efforts to do good feel the strain of the long haul. This day’s liturgical action puts ashes on our foreheads, dust before our eyes, but the ashes are just a reminder of what life does to us all too frequently. It comes over to us and, in one way or another, rubs ashes on our foreheads, and says, “Remember, you are dust.” It is frightening to thing about how much we forget and run away from this reality. So much of our society bases our identity and worth on what we have achieved and what we own. Today says, “Remember, it is dust.” But after we are told to repent we are invited again to “be faithful to the gospel.” We are invited today to remember that we are baptized Christians, called to be in the world in a unique way. The world we live in is guided by different standards and norms for behavior. These ashes also remind us that our old way of life is dead – turned to dust. We don’t belong to the old world any longer, so we need to stop living as if we do. We are reborn to a new life. And our lives in Christian community must reflect this new life and help others to hear the message we hear today, “Remember all else is dust” In Paul’s language, our lives are an invitation to others to, “...be reconciled to God,” for we too are “ambassadors for Christ.” Walter Brueggeman, referring to the dust statement in Gen 2: 7 (“The Lord God formed the human person of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living creature.” ), says that the Ash Wednesday liturgical formula reminds us that the human person is fundamentally material in origin, subject to all the realities of an “earth creature”. And since dust is no “self-starter,” the reality of the human situation is that we depend on God’s free gift of breath. We are humans totally dependent on God for each moment of our existence. This is not a curse, but what it means to be human. So, when we are told to remember we are dust today, we are also making a statement about ourselves to God. It is as if we are saying, “Remember our origins O God. We are dust without you. So much of what we touch turns to dust if not done in your name. Sustain us moment to moment in your life and through the death of your Son, deliver us from our sin.” Who are we humans? We are creatures gifted from moment to moment by our gracious God and that is not a bad thing to remember as we enter another Lent. It is important during Lent not to privatize the season. Over the generations, with the separation of adult baptism from the Vigil, we lost a sense of the communal sense of Lent. What we got instead was a highly individualized experience focusing on private spirituality with personal penances and “spiritual development.” As always, the scriptural readings give us balance and keep us on track. While we won’t be focusing on Joel, notice, in passing, the call for the assembly to gather, “Notify the congregation, assemble the elders....” The community is being gathered and reminded to turn back to God, “...Rend your hearts not your garments and return to the Lord your God.” The selection from 2 Corinthians puts our Lenten focus on the community’s renewal in mission. Paul’s letter reveals that the Corinthian community showed the same flaws as our own church communities. (The first thing we said in today’s eucharistic gathering was “Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.”) We do tend to idealize the early church community, don’t we? It’s as if they were the perfect model of what it means to be a Christian community and we are always falling short of their mark. But they were, and we are, always in need of reconciliation. In fact, Paul speaks very boldly appealing on God’s behalf for this reconciliation. Jesus is the sign that God wants to be reconciled to us. There is an urgency to this appeal for reconciliation. “Now is the acceptable time.” Things must have been pretty hot among the Corinthian Christians! We may be resistant to God and to changing our ways (“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”), but God is once again taking the initiative to appeal to us to return. Throughout the first 7 chapters of this letter Paul is focusing on the gospel message of reconciliation and on the nature of Christian ministry. This community was split into bickering factions. Paul can be quite harsh in his criticism of them. Christ’ death has reconciled us to God and so, not to live as a reconciled community is to deny that gospel and to fail to be, with Paul, an “ambassador for Christ” to the world. Lent calls us back to God and to each other in community. The message we are to proclaim is a message to be preached by the witness of the whole community as we live out our joyful awareness of what God has done for us.

Sacred Space—Your daily prayer online

Matthew 5:17-19

The Word of God—Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to the crowds, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Some thoughts on today’s scripture. When I read these words I am troubled, Lord. Some scholars deny the authenticity of these verses. After all, Jesus nowhere insists on observance of all 613 precepts of Old Testament law, much of it ceremonial. What sense have these words for me? That the meaning of the law is love of God and of my neighbour. Jesus is no destroyer of people’s devotions and faith. He does not abolish the faith practice of a people or a person. All the goodness of our religion and our faith is precious to him. His grace is given to each personally; each of prays differently, or with a variety of times, places and moods. ‘Pray as you can, not as you can’t” is one of the oldest and wisest recommendations for prayer. Prayer is entering and relaxing into the mystery of God’s love, each in our own way. Jesus teaches by word and action, by saying and doing. His example of life is our guide and our encouragement. There is a link between what we say and what we do, and when this link is strong, we are strong in the kingdom of God. We are ‘to walk it as we talk it.” Sincerity and integrity of life is what we are called to. I consider how it is that my way of living and my world’s influence on others. I pray in thanksgiving for those places in my life in which I can imagine that I have a good influence. I ask God’s help in the areas for my example and inspiration might be better. But Jesus lived in such a way that the words of the scriptures came to life. I think of how the scriptures come to life in me by what I do and what I say. I think of all those who have taught me, calling to mind the people who have helped me to understand God’s ways. I give thanks for them and ask for blessing. I pray that I may be such a person for those around me. Jesus pointed to the continuity in God’s work and action. I think of the traditions and teachings that have brought me to where I am and I ask God to continue to draw me to life. Jesus saw a continuity of God’s message as he spoke as had the prophets of old. I realise that I too have a history and tradition - some of which is known to me. I thank God for all of those whose insight builds me up. I ask God to continue to bless me and to lead me into the wisdom that Jesus had. I pray in respect for all who teach the faith that has come to us from the apostles. All the law and the prophets is summed up in the law of love?   St. Paul speaks of “giving my body to be burned, but without love, it is as nothing”. How is it that we constantly put so many demands and ‘laws’ before the law of love? Is it because it is so challenging, so without limit. I am called to give nothing less than my all! What is it like to read this? Can I dare to ask for this gift? To give my all?  As the poet said “lest having thee I might have naught beside” Talk to Jesus about this? Do I want this gift? Or maybe I am at the stage where I am only able to want, to want it? The scripture scholars have difficulty reconciling Jesus' words here with his freedom of spirit in many matters concerning the Sabbath. Jesus did not reject the Old Testament of the Jews, but brought it back to its basics: love God and love your neighbour; and he stresses here as elsewhere, that our life should be of one piece, so that people should be able to read our principles from our behaviour – that is more important than being able to instruct people in the law of God. It is harder to live one sermon than to preach a dozen. The fulfilment of the old religion would be a person, Jesus Christ. The law is good only because it leads to Christ. All of religion is good only insofar as it leads us to God and through Christ. Our prayer in the company of Jesus leads us to God our Father in the fullest way possible, the way of Jesus. Oddly enough, Jesus seemed to break significant rules of the Jewish faith as it was practiced in his time: his disciples gathered food from the fields on the Sabbath; he didn’t observe the rules of purification of cooking and drinking vessels beloved of the Pharisees; he allowed the “unclean” to approach him and was rendered ritually “unclean” by such contact; and he associated with sinners. “Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” (Luke 15:1-2) How is Jesus not “abolishing” but “fulfilling” the law in this way? Could it be his profound union with people, his loving engagement with people, especially people in difficulty or people being excluded? Is this what being “great in the kingdom of heaven” means? Jesus did not come on earth to abolish what had already been revealed. The law and the prophets indicate the mind of God. The Son of God just added a divine dimension to them. Such teaching should hold sway for us, while heaven and earth endure. It is bad enough to break one of these commandments, but to teach someone else to do the same is terrible. It is useful for us to ask ourselves, do we proclaim such teaching, or following our own opinions do we oppose his law? We need to see the sacredness of all God’s teaching. Jesus was a Jew: he lived out the Torah (the Law), which expressed the love-relationship between God and the Chosen People. He did this by revealing in his life and death the love of God in a dramatic new way. We too are called to fulfil that sacred relationship in our lives. By looking at my life and listening to me would anyone know that God is at the centre of my heart, and that I try like Jesus ‘always to do what pleases him’ (John 8:29)? Not so easy to pray this gospel! “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets...” The heart of the Law was and is: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... and your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus came “to fulfill” the law. Observing external laws is not enough. Jesus wants listening hearts, courageous, generous and discerning. Hearts like his. Are you ever called to be prophetic by rising above peer pressure and speaking the truth in your heart? End your prayer with the writer of the Psalms: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. (Psalm 25:4-5). The relationship between the Old Testament and the novelty brought by Jesus was one of the main issues the Gospel had to face. Here Jesus insists on the continuity between the Law and himself. Yet, by affirming that he is bringing the Law to its perfection he is claiming special powers for himself, divine powers. This is the real difference: Jesus is God himself. The perfection that Jesus brings to the Law is in its spirit and not in the individual observances: the Law is fulfilled by love, which becomes the greatest commandment of all, and in the spirit of freedom, the freedom of the children of God. I ask myself what is my manner of fulfilling the law and teaching it to others, I ask the Father for his pardon. I also ask him to give me his spirit of universal love and filial freedom. What role do the law and the prophets play in the new covenant instituted by Jesus? This issue was critical for Jewish converts in the early church, as Matthew realised. It is still relevant for us today. Jesus speaks of “fulfilling” rather than “abolishing” the law and the prophets. How do you understand the word “fulfil” in this context? This reading may spark off other questions also such as: How well do I know the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament)? Do I notice how frequently they are quoted or are echoed in the New Testament? Where do I stand in discussions about the “letter” and the “spirit” of Scripture, etc.? Jesus underlines the continuing relevance of the teaching of the law and the prophets. Whenever he is critical of one or other aspect of this teaching he claims to be “fulfilling” the law and not abolishing it. Christians continue to reverence the Old Testament as a source of revelation. We acknowledge our Jewish heritage. In particular we pray the psalms every day. Am I familiar with the psalms? Do I appreciate how such prayer brings me into harmony with my Jewish brothers and sisters today? It may sometimes be that life seems to be made up of random events, disconnected encounters and fragmented experiences. Looking at our lives, God sees them as whole and is able to recognise the continuity of our discipleship in a way that is often hidden from us. I let God survey my life so that I may see how I have kept the commandments and helped others to do the same. I don’t claim to be great in the kingdom of heaven, but I allow God to tell me who I am. This is a tribute to the teacher! All who teach the goodness and truth of God, by word or example, are sharing in the teaching ministry of Jesus. We learn of God in the mind by reflection, courses, reading, and in a community of faith; we learn of the God of the heart in prayer. The historical words of the prophets are endorsed by Jesus. The word of God endures forever and salvation is for all who heed the prophetic warnings. Jesus fulfils the law and the prophets by living as God would wish. He crowns the law by putting love above all. We may forget law, but we must never forget love, because God is love and wants love to dominate human living. The commandments of which Jesus speaks are those given to Moses on Mount Sinai. They were valid when Jesus spoke, 1,400 years after Moses. They are still valid today. If we all kept them, we would experience something of the kingdom of heaven on earth. Can I list the Ten Commandments? To which do I need to attend right now? The account of the Transfiguration shows that Jesus respects the Law and the great history of Israel. He sets out to bring the Law to its intended purpose, to fulfil it, showing it was a law of love. He built on the past, transforming it and bringing it to completion. The primary role of a prophet was to teach, reminding people of God’s message and calling them back when they strayed. Foretelling the future was not their main function. Jesus is the great Prophet, bringing meaning and direction to life. When I pray the Gospels, Jesus is present, helping me to see my best way forward. Jesus loves his Jewish religion. Also he understands the heart of it. He wants to fulfil it by loving his Father perfectly, and by loving all God’s people, even as far as dying for them. I pray to be a good disciple by living like that. Have I grasped the heart of my religion? Do I concentrate on loving God and my neighbour? Is there more love in the world because of my being around? In the evening of life I will be examined in love, not in the outer aspects of religion!

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, we have been made by you and for you. Give us openness to your words, honesty in facing our failures, hope in your understanding and forgiveness, asd the courage to live out your teachings.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “First Impressions” 2023, a service of the Southern Dominican Province.

Those of us gathered for worship in our churches are very diverse people, from different cultural backgrounds, countries of origins, races, etc. But what binds us together is our baptism in Jesus. Whatever our differences and in whatever language we speak, we all say together, “We believe in Jesus Christ and so his way is our way.” Our basic identity is that we are a community of Jesus’ followers and we love him. Therefore, our love for him urges us to live like him. But doesn’t hearing the Sermon on the Mount these Sundays leave you weak in the knees? How can we ever live these teachings? How will we even know how to live them? Because of his miracles and teachings Jesus had attracted great crowds. In order to teach those closest to him. he took them up a mountain. Two Sundays ago we heard the Beatitudes, the introduction to a collection of his teachings which we call the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes called for profound inner change necessary for anyone wanting to follow Jesus. That kind of change is spelled out in his subsequent teachings. When we hear Jesus’ sermon, what Paul says in 1 Corinthians today is true: we are called to live, not according to the wisdom of this age, but according to God’s wisdom. That wisdom, Paul reminds us, has been revealed to us in the life of Jesus made known to us, “Through the Spirit.” Through the gift of the Spirit we have come to accept Jesus Christ as God’s full revelation in the flesh. We need to remind ourselves today that the same Spirit makes it possible for us to live according to Jesus’ teaching. After all, Jesus isn’t just giving us a stricter, higher code of ethics. That’s not what makes his teachings special. Rather, through our baptism and the gift of his Spirit, we have the desire and divine power to live what we are being taught again today. That new Spirit in us is what enables us to live, as Jesus tells us, with a “holiness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. In this gospel passage, we can hear that Jesus is calling us, not to a superficial, exterior, performance of commandments, but to a far more profound response--a deeper, interior change that will enable us to do as he instructs. How discouraged his followers must have been when Jesus taught in this way! After all, the Pharisees were considered the righteous and holy ones. Jesus’ challenge though was not only to his followers, but to the Pharisees and scribes as well. Their religion was to go deeper than exterior works--the right motives had to support right behavior. His demands are high indeed! They seem impossible to achieve. The Pharisee spent a lot of time and energy fulfilling the Law. They were of the middle class and unlike the desperately poor, who comprised most of Jesus’ followers, the Pharisees had the education and leisure to pursue purity of observance. What chance did the illiterate, overworked and burdened poor followers of Jesus have? For that matter, what chance do we have in fulfilling these teachings? And yet, Jesus calls for a holiness that surpasses those scribes and Pharisees! From today’s gospel selection, we hear that Jesus wants to cut short, at its inception, a path that might lead to murder. So, he says to his disciples they are to control their anger. In cases of adultery, families would seek retaliation on the couple because of the shame brought down on those families, especially on the husband. To prevent adultery and the subsequent blood feud that would erupt, Jesus tells his disciples not even to think such a thing--no lusting after another. In addition, good community relations, especially among believers, would be possible if people behaved honestly with one another; if they could trust each other’s words. So, no lying. Jesus called his disciples to exemplary behavior. Such ways of being with one another, besides forming loving relationships in the community, would also draw attention to that community and to the teachings of the one they followed--Jesus. Today Jesus is giving concrete examples of what we heard him say to his disciples last week. They are to be “salt of the earth,” “light of the world” and a “city set on a mountain.” Note the structure for the sayings. Each begins: “You have heard of the commandment….” Then Jesus presents his unique teaching, “But I say to you….” He credits the former teaching and by giving specific examples, calls his disciples to a greater righteousness, a more exacting “law.” A “new law.” We Christians are called to a different way of living, in our relations to each other and then to the world. We seek reconciliation where there is anger and alienation. We tame our desires despite the license of the world around us. We are faithful to one another and so when we make promises, we keep them. What will help us live the challenges Jesus places before us? Certainly we can’t do it merely by gritting our teeth and putting our nose to the grindstone. Instead, we fix our eyes on Jesus and we turn to each other in mutual love and support. Sound idealistic? Yes it does, but Jesus wouldn’t ask us to fulfill something he wouldn’t help us accomplish. It is no wonder that our Sirach reading was chosen today. It’s part of the Wisdom tradition in the Hebrew Scriptures. According to that tradition human actions have specific consequences. We are free to conform our lives to God’s ordered ways, or not. In today’s reading, though short, the word “choose(s)” is mentioned three times. This Wisdom reading underlines our freedom and so encourages us to use it to make choices in accord with God’s wisdom. As difficult as these choices may be at times, the believer hears Sirach’s words of encouragement: “trust in God, you too will live.” We are assured that making these choices will be life-giving, for God’s eyes rest on the faithful “The eyes of God are on those who fear God....” Jesus’ life showed us what the Sermon looks like when enfleshed. He is now our wise teacher who shows us the way to life and gives us his Spirit to help us to choose those life-giving ways. He teaches us about the ways that will help us choose life not death. His disciples are to continue putting flesh on the Sermon in their lives. Whatever our circumstances, people who may never read the Sermon on the Mount, should be able to learn its content by examining our lives.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow.

Reflection questions:

This teaching of Jesus seems extreme to some. Do you agree?
How hard is it to live what Jesus is saying here?

Jesus seems to be rejecting some of the more petty regulations that governed the society and religion he was part of. Are there any “rules” in our Church or society that seem petty to you?
How would you rewrite them?

Some very important rules of the Jewish law, which Jesus said he did not come to abolish, were, in fact, deleted as early as Apostolic times on behalf of gentiles who wanted to become followers. How to we reconcile this?

Do I see echoes of the Jewish law in our Christian rules/laws?
Has this passage aver been used as a “put-down” of Jewish customs, rules, and observances?

Have there been rules you observed in childhood which no longer seem to be followed?
How do you feel about that?

Can someone “keep” the rules and still be unchristian in some way?

Jesus may be talking about interior vs exterior observance of the law, or He may be talking of the letter of the vs the spirit of the law.
Can you think of some examples of such differences in your own lifetime?

How do the directives mentioned in this section of the gospel strengthen society?

How much of our life is the result of circumstances outside ourselves?
How much of our life is the result of our behavior or choices?
How much of our life is the result of our attitude?

Which is harder, a law to love under all circumstances or a law made up of specific rules?

Can you list the 10 commandments?
What of the 10 commandments are easy?
Hard?
Irrelevant to you?
To which should you turn my attention right now?

Did Jesus ever break ”the law”?

The law is only good insofar as it leads to Christ. Religion is only good insofar as it leads us to God. Comment.

Define “letter of the law.”
Define “spirit of the law.”

Did I ever “break a law” or “bend a rule”, either civil or religious, that I felt was a more moral thing to do than obeying a law or rule? (Take for example telling the truth. Is there a time when someone or some entity is not entitled to the whole truth? How about telling the truth when it might hurt someone (do I look fat in this dress?)?

How do I define ‘Primacy of Conscience”?
When can this teaching be abused or used to rationalize really bad behavior?
What are some very positive things about this teaching?

What are some “laws” of my own culture, my own family, my workplace?
Are they different from Jesus’ “laws?

Did the Church ever have, or does it now have, some “laws” or customs that, strictly speaking, are not strict moral imperatives, but require Catholics to follow them?

How can we live our lives holistically and with integrity? What are the rules for that?

How and where do we teach goodness, honesty, kindness, fairness, compassion, forgiveness, generosity? How and where do we teach the opposite?

What would I say, in one phrase, is the heart /main law of my religion?
Do I live it?
Perfectly?
How does what I do or what I say as a religious person reflect the message of Jesus?

As a parent, or advisor, if you had to narrow down your choice of “rules” to follow or “sins” to talk about to three that you consider the most important, what would they be?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Dear Lord, help me to discern the rules by which you want me to live. I thank you for all those who have helped me understand your ways. Help me to realize that your scriptures come to life in me by what I do and what I say. I pray for all of us who are sometimes lost and discouraged. May I, personally, be an instrument of your mercy.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session….Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions: Is there are hierarchy of moral laws? Are some laws non-negotiable? Are all laws equally important? Is there a difference between laws made by God and those made by humans? What do you consider the three non-negotiable? Or is every rule of law equally important? If so, what are the consequences of breaking a rule others consider minor? If you were God, what commands would you give to your people? How would your commands differ from what you perceive God has already set in place? Would you have more or fewer? Which of God’s laws are hardest for you for you to obey? And finally, are all laws an either/or proposition, or are they ideals that we strive to attain and often fail? How does this rigidity lead to over scrupulosity or despair? Pick one precept of Jesus that you find particularly difficult to deal with and pray to God for the gift of courage and forgiveness.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Discernment: Instruct me, O Lord, in the way of your statutes, that I may exactly observe them. Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart. Discernment means that we form our conscience and use our heart and our brain to sort through the decisions we make each day. It is harder than simply following a set of “rules”. According to Joseph Tetlow S.J., in his commentary on the Ignatian Exercise, “we regularly have to fight out of fearful confusions and conflicts to form a right conscience. We have to wrestle out of self- centeredness and selfishness in order to give our love to each other. We try to feel our way through the prejudices and inequitable dealings we take from our own culture to think clearly and to do justly. We know that living water wells up within ourselves into eternal life; we also know that we are like the apostle Paul, who did what he meant not to do and did not do what he meant to do.” Now, how do we make sense of the tension within our humanness? This is hard. For example, we look at the “rules” and “laws” our culture and religion have imposed—some are in conflict with each other, and some are in conflict with our need to love God and one another? scrupulosity on one hand seems safer, but can lead to being too judgmental of ourselves and others. On the other hand, rationalization is the “get-out-of-jail-free technique we employ to excuse our bad behavior to ourselves or others. So our lifelong task is to find a balance, and a way of discerning how we should behave. So we pray for discernment:

• for the honesty to examine what our desires are and evaluate them in terms of God’s will for us.

• for the wisdom to understand the difference between actions that are culturally promoted or forbidden and those that come from a primal desire to please God.

• For the courage to face the resistance to change, to get out of our comfort zone when necessary for our own good and that of others.

Are there any issues in my life that I am conflicted about? Are there any ways of behavior that are not healthy for me or for my relationships with others? How does guilt play out in my decision -making? Do I really examine and understand my motivations? I pray for honesty, for wisdom, and for courage as I strive to align my life with what I understand to be God’s desires for me..

A Meditation in the Ignation Style/Prayer of Consideration (from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits): Jesus is no destroyer of people’s devotions and faith. He does not abolish the faith practice of a people or a person. All the goodness of our religion and our faith is precious to him. His grace is given to each personally; each of prays differently, or with a variety of times, places and moods. “Pray as you can, not as you can’t” is one of the oldest and wisest recommendations for prayer. Prayer is entering and relaxing into the mystery of God’s love, each in our own way.Jesus teaches by word and action, by saying and doing. His example of life is our guide and our encouragement. There is a link between what we say and what we do, and when this link is strong, we are strong in the kingdom of God. We are “to walk it as we talk it” Sincerity and integrity of life is what we are called to. I make an “examen” of my life and actions of the last two days, looking at what I said and did in some detail. I consider how it is that my way of living and my world’s influence on others. I pray in thanksgiving for those places in my life in which I can imagine that I have a good influence. I ask God’s help in the areas for my example and inspiration might be better. But Jesus lived in such a way that the words of the scriptures came to life. I think of how the scriptures come to life in me by what I do and what I say. I think of all those who have taught me, calling to mind the people who have helped me to understand God’s ways. I give thanks for them and ask for blessing. I pray that I may be such a person for those around me. Jesus pointed to the continuity in God’s work and action. I think of the traditions and teachings that have brought me to where I am and I ask God to continue to draw me to life. Jesus saw a continuity of God’s message as he spoke as had the prophets of old. I realize that I too have a history and tradition - some of which is known to me. I thank God for all of those whose insight builds me up. I ask God to continue to bless me and to lead me into the wisdom that Jesus had. I pray in respect for all who teach the faith that has come to us from the apostles.

Literary Reflection: Several novels by Graham Green explore the difficulties which arise for a person who feels he has forfeited redemption or happiness because he broke some big rules and therefore was unworthy of God’s love and understanding, and is tormented by sin, guilt and fear. Try reading the Power and the Glory, the story of a “Whiskey Priest” set in Mexico during the time when religion was outlawed, or The End of the Affair, which explores guilt over an illicit relationship.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

It is worth taking yet another loook at one of my favorite poems written by a Stegner fellow. Imagine that he is speaking of the Stanford Campus life, and The Dish is the “hill” he is referring to. It illustrates what Jesus was teaching.

In the Evening We Shall Be Examined on Love
And it won’t be multiple choice,
though some of us would prefer it that way.
Neither will it be essay, which tempts us to run on
when we should be sticking to the point, if not together.
In the evening there shall be implications
our fear will turn to complications. No cheating,
we’ll be told and we’ll try to figure the cost of being true
to ourselves. In the evening when the sky has turned
that certain blue, blue of exam books, blue of no more
daily evasions, we shall climb the hill as the light empties
and park our tired bodies on a bench above the city
and try to fill in the blanks. And we won’t be tested
like defendants on trial, cross-examined
till one of us breaks down, guilty as charged. No,
in the evening, after the day has refused to testify,
we shall be examined on love like students
who don’t even recall signing up for the course
and now must take their orals, forced to speak for once
from the heart and not off the top of their heads.
And when the evening is over and it’s late,
the student body asleep, even the great teachers
retired for the night, we shall stay up
and run back over the questions, each in our own way:
what’s true, what’s false, what unknown quantity
will balance the equation, what it would mean years from now
to look back and know
we did not fail.

—from Lights & Mysteries, by Thomas Centollela

Often humans often lose sight of the laws of the universe, and our obligation to treat the universe with love and care. We need to remember that the laws of the universe speak God’s will. The sun “rises” and “sets”, morning and evening, day after day, year after year. Think of the delicate balance of the ecosystem and reflect on all the ways human hands have disrupted God’s order, have broken god’s laws. We have not been very good stewards of the world we were given. While it is easy to blame the mega-polluters and the corporate giants for our precarious planet, but the truth is, most of us in the developed countries do not want to trade either convenience or money to save the rain forest or endangered species, our oceans and marine life… What sacrifices or changes are you willing to make to help deal with climate change? Denise Levertov, a late Professor of English at Stanford, and a renowned poet, has this to say:

Tragic Error
The earth is the Lord’s, we gabbled,
and the fullness thereof–
while we looted and pillaged, claiming indemnity:
the fullness thereof
given over to us, to our use–
while we preened ourselves, sure of our power, 
willful or ignorant, through the centuries.
Miswritten, misread, that charge:
subdue was the false, the misplaced word in the story.
Surely we were to have been 
earth’s mind, mirror, reflective source.
Surely our task
was to have been
to love the earth,
to dress and keep it like Eden’s garden.
That would have been our dominion:
to be those cells of earth’s body that could
perceive and imagine, could bring the planet
into the haven it is to be known,
(as the eye blesses the hand, perceiving
it form and the work it can do).

—from Evening Train