6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 Sir. 15:15-20; 1 Cor. 2:6-10; Mt. 5:17-37

A wise old story from the East tells of a king who placed two paths before his people. One was wide, smooth, and well-lit; the other narrow and steep. At the entrance of both paths stood a sign: “You are free to choose.” Many took the easy road. But those who chose the harder path discovered that it led to peace, wisdom, and life.

Today’s first reading from Sirach reminds us: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments.” God does not force holiness on us. He invites us to choose life. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that mere external obedience is not enough. What God desires is a righteousness of the heart, deeper than rules, deeper than appearances—“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees…”

Jesus begins with a command everyone agrees with: “You shall not murder.” Most of us can say with confidence, “I have never killed anyone.” But Jesus goes further: anger, insults, and contempt are also seeds of destruction.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 Is. 58:6-10; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Mt. 5:13-16

From the earliest days of human history, light has held a sacred place in our traditions, stories, and collective memory. Ancient peoples gathered around fire not only for warmth but for safety, for community, and for hope against the darkness of night. In many cultures, a lamp was lit at sunset as a sign that life continues, that the home is alive, and that strangers might find welcome. Even today, festivals across religions revolve around light: lamps lit during Diwali, candles during Hanukkah, the Paschal candle at Easter, and simple oil lamps glowing before household shrines. Light has always meant more than visibility; it has meant guidance, truth, protection, and life itself. It is from within this deep human experience that Jesus speaks in the Gospel: “You are the light of the world.”

Jesus does not say, “You are the light.” This is both a gift and a responsibility. He uses images familiar to His listeners: a city on a hill, visible from far away, and a lamp placed on a stand so that it gives light to everyone in the house. These images remind us

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zeph. 2:3; 3:12-13; 1 Cor. 1:26-31; Mt. 5:1-12

Every human heart long for happiness. From the earliest civilizations to the modern digital age, people have searched for happiness in wealth, power, success, relationships, pleasure, and security. Advertisements promise happiness if we buy the right product. Social media suggests happiness lies in popularity and recognition. Society tells us: “Blessed are the rich, the powerful, the famous, the strong.”

But when Jesus begins His greatest sermon—the Sermon on the Mount—He shocks His listeners. He does not speak of success, strength, or achievement. Instead, He speaks of poverty, mourning, meekness, hunger, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and persecution. He calls these people “blessed,” or truly happy.

The Beatitudes are not rules or commandments; they are portraits of the heart of Christ. They reveal what the Kingdom of God looks like from the inside. They turn the world’s values upside down and invite us to walk a path that seems foolish to the world