Sunday 15 February 2026
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ecclesiasticus 15:16-21. Happy are they who follow the law of the Lord! – Ps 118(119):1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10. Matthew 5:17-37.
Spirit of the law
Jesus makes it clear he did not come to undo what Moses and the Prophets have said but to further develop people’s understanding of the law, to move away from strict external observance of the letter of the law and towards living out the spirit of those laws in our minds and hearts as well. We might not technically murder someone, but as Pope Francis was fond of reminding us, when we gossip and speak ill of others, we ‘damage social bonds’ and ‘poison hearts’. When we fulfil our ‘Sunday observance’ but don’t make amends with those we have hurt, we are not following the spirit of the law. May we continue to open ourselves to God at work in us, so that we can grow in love and in obedience to the spirit of the law in all our encounters with others.
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