Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, February 15, 2026

The readings this weekend challenge us to decide whether we will observe the laws given by our loving God which He revealed through Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament and through Jesus in the New Testament.

For the Israelites, Mosaic Law was contained in a part of Hebrew scripture called the “Torah.” The Torah was both a set of laws as well as instruction intended to promote the holiness of believers. The Jews believed that the Torah was the revealed will of God for the people with whom He had made His covenant. In Jesus’ time, the Law included: 1) The Ten Commandments, 2) The Law and the Prophets, and 3) The oral and the written law of the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus says that, as the word of God, the Old Testament has Divine authority and it deserves total respect. Its moral precepts specifically reflect Divine natural law. Jesus did not come to abolish that Law, but to fulfill it. On the other hand, He considered the oral and written law of the Scribes and Pharisees to be a heavy (and unnecessary) burden on the people.

The Scribes and the Pharisees approached the Law with a “check the box” mentality which ignored the divine and human foundation of the law. They believed that the mere external fulfillment of the precepts of the Mosaic Law was a guarantee of a person’s salvation. To be certain, they also added over 600 rules to Mosaic Law which made compliance quite complicated. Jesus rejects this view and explained that all of God’s law is fundamentally based on two principles: reverence and respect. The first, second and third Commandments are focused on our relationship with God. They instruct us to reverence God, His holy name and His holy day. The remaining Commandments are focused on our relationships with others. They instruct us to respect our parents, life, marriage, another’s spouse, another’s property, and personal reputation.

As the ultimate Word of God, Jesus establishes new moral standards which fulfill God’s purpose for giving us His law. Jesus says that He did not come to destroy the Law but to bring it to perfection by bringing out its inner meaning. As Catholics, I pray that we choose to obey God’s law because we love God and desire to reflect that love to those around us.

Fr. Mike