6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
15th February 2026
Lectionary Readings: Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 119:1-2. 4-5. 17-18. 33-34;1 Cor. 2:6-10; Matt. 5:17-37
Theme: Blessed are those who walk in God’s way
The Gospel for today picks up Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount after the proclamation of the Beatitudes, and the call to us to be salt and light of the world. “The Gospel of Matthew wants to stress the point that Jesus has no contempt for “the Law or the Prophets” (= the Old Testament); on the contrary, he takes them very seriously. But throughout his life he felt free to proclaim the true meaning of the Law by placing himself above even Moses. In his view, the Law is good, and there is nothing to discuss. In contrast to the commonly accepted rules, Jesus does not deal with secondary details; the essentials, on the other hand, cause no problem; therefore, he does not discuss the Law. Instead, he goes farther and deeper, down into the human heart.” (Note from NCB, cf. Bibliography)
NCB also gives the following note on 5:27: “At this period, the laws on divorce were tolerant for husbands, intransigent for wives. Jesus rejects this inequality and confronts husbands with their responsibilities by radically condemning divorce. Matthew’s text contains the clause, “except if the marriage was unlawful,” which is lacking in the parallel passages of Luke and Mark, but occurs again in Mt 19:9. The Greek word porneia, “unchastity,” is generic and so has given rise to much discussion. The widely accepted opinion among scholars today is that it was a technical term used by the Jewish Christian community to signify a degree of relationship that constituted an impediment to marriage according to the Law (Lev 18:6-18; Acts 15:29).”
my-Jill Levine in her book “The Misunderstood Jew” pp. 46-47 speaks about “building a fence about the law” which in Catholic terms we would speak about ‘occasions of sin’. Levine gives an example of a Nazarite needing to keep away from vineyards and public houses! Jesus in his Sermon uses this process – if you continue to be angry with your neighbor, you will eventually murder him/her.
Sirach presents us with our daily duty of choosing God’s way or the world or ‘ego’s’ way. Paul guides us on why to take God’s way: 7 Rather, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age comprehended it. Verses 1 and 2 of our Psalm give us total assurance:
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in accord with the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who observe his statutes
and seek him with their whole heart.”
For Reflection and Discussion:
1) What is your daily experience of seeking the LORD with all your heart?
2) What are the challenges you face?
Bibliography: Levine, Amy-Jill “The Misunderstood Jew” (New York:2006); NCB (New Catholic Bible) text and notes taken from www.biblegateway.com
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Bernadette Chellew, South Africa, Bat Kol Alumna: 2008
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