To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Reflection on the Gospel – Wednesday, June 11, 2025
This passage can be a bit hard to digest. Is Jesus telling us that to follow him we have to be perfect Jews, following every single law and rule? I don’t think so. What Jesus says is that he didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. That’s the key. Jesus invites us to take a step forward. It’s not about canceling the law, but about going beyond it. With Jesus, there’s a new law—one that includes and goes beyond the old one.
Maybe it helps to remember that scene where a man asks Jesus what he needs to do to gain eternal life (Matthew 10:17–25). Jesus calmly asks if he has followed the commandments. The man says yes. Then Jesus takes it a step further. That’s not enough, he says. The man needs to do one more thing: sell all his belongings, give the money to the poor, and then follow Jesus. In other words: he needs to let go of whatever holds him back, travel light, and become a disciple—ready to walk a new path, not ruled by commandments, but guided by the Kingdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is inviting us to take that same step. To move beyond rules and laws and step into a new way of living. It’s what Saint Augustine meant when he said, “Love and do what you will.” Here’s a simple example: we can go to Mass on Sunday because it’s a Church rule—or we can go to Mass because it’s a joyful chance to be with our brothers and sisters in faith, to listen to God’s Word together, and to share in the Eucharist. Same action—but a completely different attitude.
We can live our Christian life constantly asking, “Is this a sin or not?” Or we can live asking, “What can I do to build more just and loving relationships?”—in short, how can I help bring the Kingdom to life in my world and for the people around me? The first way keeps us stuck in the law. The second is the step forward—into the fullness of the Kingdom.