The daily Word of God
Sunday, February 15th, 2026
6ᵗʰ Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mt 5:17-37 "But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
First Reading: Sir 15:15-20
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands mans every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
R./ Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R./ Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R./ Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R./ Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
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.
R./ Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Second Reading: 1 Cor 2:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak Gods wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew;
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Gospel Reading: Mt 5:17-37 [long form] Mt 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37 [short form]
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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 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 brother
will be liable to judgment;
and whoever says to brother, 'Raga,'
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.
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.
"Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,'and your 'No' mean 'No.'
Anything more is from the evil one."
You’ve Heard It Said…
Dear brothers and sisters, peace and all good to you.
Throughout the day, we all hear so many voices. Some are kind; others, not so much. It’s hard—we struggle to find moments of silence. On top of that, we now face the challenge of Artificial Intelligence, which creates images and sounds that seem so real… you just don’t know who to believe anymore. Where can we find the truth?
As believers, we know where the Truth is found in the midst of all those voices. Today, Jesus tells us how we must live to be His true followers. Among so many words, we find the Word of Jesus—the definitive Word.
Sirach puts the choice right in front of us: “If you choose.” We always have the chance to pick between the path that leads us away from God and the one that brings us closer to Him. We don’t need to say which one is wider, flatter, or more “comfortable.” But we know—both through faith and experience—that the easy way eventually leads to sadness, failure, anxiety, and even death. On the other hand, at the end of the uphill road—the one that brings us close to God—peace, joy, and life are waiting for us.
Fire and water, death and life. Sirach tells us that whatever we choose will be given to us. God, who is just, wants to give us what we deserve. But knowing who we are, in His mercy, He promises to help us and come to us whenever we call out in faith and trust. His grace helps us achieve the success that our own efforts alone could never reach.
You see, God made us free, with a will designed to fight, to love, and to choose between good and evil. We have to want it; we have to try and use the tools at our disposal. And that will—that intention—is what determines whether what we do is good or bad. That’s why, if you try to do something good in good faith (and that “good faith” is very important) but it turns out badly, God will judge what you tried to do, not just the result.
And here is another important point: let’s not think that just “trying” is enough. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows when we truly want something and are giving it our all, and when we’re just wishing for something like a spoiled child who changes their mind every five minutes. He knows when we are acting with sincerity and when we are lying to ourselves. You can’t fool God like you can fool people. He knows our hearts, He understands us, and He always helps those who are sincere—but He doesn’t let dishonesty slide. What is inside a person, in their deepest privacy, is what counts in God’s eyes: our intentions and the desires we harbor. Jesus, who gives Himself completely to us and promises us everything, also wants all of us in return. He isn’t satisfied with appearances or a hollow, lifeless formalism.
This is a “mysterious wisdom,” as Saint Paul reminds us, but it is accessible because it has been revealed to us in the Son. It is open to everyone so we can choose it freely. What God is doing goes far beyond human hopes and dreams. Adapting a verse from Isaiah, Paul describes the surprise waiting for those lucky enough to glimpse this mystery: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has the human mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
With that freedom to choose, we come to the Gospel. At first, these words are striking—almost scary. Because while Jesus affirms what people back then already knew (that God’s Word cannot fail), He goes further. God doesn’t “rethink” His thoughts, take back what He said in the past, or offer “corrections.” The path God laid out in the Old Testament is forever valid. But Jesus brings it to fulfillment. It’s the “You’ve heard it said” versus His “But I say to you.” He completely flips the way we understand the Commandments.
Jesus sets a fundamental principle: give importance even to the smallest rules; value the “little things.” This reminds us of when He speaks about the servants who enter the Kingdom because they were faithful in small things; that’s exactly why they enter into the joy of their Lord. It’s like God’s “seal of approval” for a righteous person. From a practical standpoint, it’s obvious that someone who takes care of the details won’t neglect the big things. It’s also true that the final result is just the sum of small efforts made moment by moment. If you do the right thing well in every moment, the final work will be perfect. Besides, what is actually within our control are the small things, since our lives usually flow through simple, routine channels. That is where we have to fight, where we show our love for God, and where our desire to give ourselves must take root.
In the old Law, some were happy just being faithful to the “big” rules while forgetting the others. Likewise, regarding the Beatitudes, there are those who admire and support people brave enough to practice them, but settle for the bare minimum themselves. Then, there are those who are consistent to the core—those who make radical, life-changing decisions. They really do exist.
Now, is this actually possible? Aren’t these demands—which sound so beautiful—way beyond our poor strength? Jesus, who calls us to be merciful with the weaknesses of others, knows our weaknesses too, and He takes them into account. He isn’t a rabbi just commenting on laws, swapping them out, or making them harder or easier. He is a Teacher showing us a new way of life that He inaugurated. He Himself becomes the Law for His disciples. Keeping the whole law, down to the last “iota,” means following Jesus and adopting His lifestyle. He is the one who fulfills the law to the very end, radically, by giving His own life on the Cross.
Because of this, the New Law of the Gospel boils down all rules (how we treat friends and strangers, property, etc.) into the Commandment of Love. And this commandment can only be accepted through freedom—the same freedom the first reading spoke about so clearly. There, we see how much the old law was actually pointing toward the fullness of the Gospel. You can follow purely legal rules outwardly, through pressure or without conviction (with limited freedom), but you can only love through total freedom. You can’t love “by force” or just on the outside. You can only love from the heart. And that strength to love is a gift we find and receive in Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us to the very end. We aren’t being asked for anything we haven’t already received. This is the wisdom Paul speaks of—hidden from simple human logic, but fully revealed in Jesus. It is the wisdom of the Cross: the wisdom of a love that gives everything and, in doing so, “fulfills” (fills up and perfects) the entire law.
Your brother in faith,
Alejandro Carbajo, cmf6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
A. Beyond the Law
B. Jesus Himself Is Our Law
Greeting
The Son of God proclaimed to you
was never Yes and No;
with him it was always Yes.
That is why it is through Christ
that we say our Yes to God.
May the Spirit of Jesus be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Beyond the Law
Laws, orders, commandments, who likes them? Don't they take away our freedom? Yet the word of God tells us: make your free choice between life and death. We see Jesus make his free choice repeatedly, as at his baptism, his temptations, during his agony in the garden. He chose God, his mission, for that was his life. He lives in us; in us and with him he invites us to choose life and love and to go with him far beyond the commandments. Then we will be really free.
B. Jesus Himself Is Our Law
A lot of Christians look upon their faith as a set of commandments to be obeyed and practices to be faithfully kept. Jesus' message to us today is: our faith is much more than rules and observances imposed from outside. Our faith is within us, in our hearts, and that faith tells us what to do; the Spirit is prompting us. But remember we can do nothing without Jesus. He is our model and our strength and we are united with him. We ask him in this eucharist to help us see and do what is right.
Penitential Act
If you are bringing your offering to the altar
and there you remember
that your neighbor has something against you,
go and be reconciled first with your neighbor
and then come back and present your offering.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you want us to respond to God's love
not just according to the letter of the law
but with our whole heart:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you have made love
the foundation of all commandments:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, all your life
was a Yes to the Father and to people.
Make our Yes join yours:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, forgive us all our sins
and teach us to serve you and people
from the depths of our heart.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that we may share
in Jesus' goodness and faithfulness
(PAUSE)
Lord God, loving Father,
in your Son Jesus you have shown us
how we should seek and fulfill your loving will.
Dispose us to respond to your love
from the depth of our heart
and to be faithful to you in all we do.
Make us also respectful of one another
and attentive to the needs of people,
even when they remain indifferent and thankless,
that we may help to ban evil from this world
and bring to it your love and mercy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: Choose Between Life and Death!
The prophet tells us today: God will be near to you and you will shine with his light if you are near to the needy around you.
Second Reading Introduction: God's Wise Plan Leads Us to Happiness
If we love God, we rely on his wisdom. With the help of the Spirit, we carry out his plan; he will lead us to happiness.
Gospel Introduction: Jesus Invites Us to A Radical Choice
Jesus invites us to go beyond the commandments to seek God's will and the good of people.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to God our Father, whose law is a light for our life. Let us say: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For the Church, God's people on the march, that leaders and members may support one another in a spirit of service and sincere cooperation, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For the leaders of nations, that they may respect and promote human rights and work relentlessly for justice and the happiness of all, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For the poor, the sick and those living on the fringes of society,
that the Good News of God's love and mercy may be proclaimed to them first of all, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For all of us, that we may never put the law above people but practice first the great commandment of loving one another, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For our Christian communities, that we may seek God's will together,
accept one another, respect each other's freedom, and bear witness to God's goodness, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
Lord our God, hear our prayers for ourselves and for all of humanity. Give us the courage to be free and responsible for ourselves and for others as Jesus was, your Son, who lives with you for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer Over the Gifts
God our Father,
you have shown us in Jesus
what it means to say Yes to you.
As we join him in his sacrifice,
may we say Yes and do what we mean,
that our Yes to you may be
a faithful response of love to you
and to the people around us.
Make us free to serve you wholeheartedly
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With Jesus we thank the Father for writing his law of love in our heart. With Jesus we offer our Yes to God.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
With Jesus we pray to the Father
that we may do his will in everything. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from our self-will
that makes us fall into sin.
Teach us to love your law
and to live according to its spirit
of commitment to you and to people.
May we serve you without fear
as we prepare in joy and hope
for the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus the Lord,
whose words and deeds were
an unconditional Yes to the Father
and to us.
Happy are we to receive
his bread of life and strength. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer After Communion
God our Father,
your Son Jesus has set before us
the demands of the Good News
and the table of himself.
In the tensions and risks of life;
with him may we choose you and happiness
rather than sin and death.
Give us a firm trust in you
that we can always count on you
and that your Spirit will guide us
to go the faithful way to you
shown us by your beloved Son.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing
May the almighty Father keep you in his love,
that you may not merely observe his law
but keep it in your heart and love it. R/ Amen.
May you follow in the footsteps of his Son Jesus Christ
and be faithful, whatever the cost,
to be free and to say Yes. R/ Amen.
May the Holy Spirit make you wise
and give you the insight and strength
to give a free and responsible answer to God. R/ Amen.
May almighty God bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace and love one another.
R/ Thanks be to God.
