Sixth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

 Sixth Sunday of the Year February 15, 2026

Sirach 15:15-20; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37

(image courtesy: Google)

Many years ago, when a social worker worked as a volunteer at a hospital, he got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. All saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he smiled, seeing the colour returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I die right away, or how soon?” The boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he would have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. WOW!.  Beautiful. He loved his sister and gave everything.

This moving act of love opens for us the heart of today’s liturgy. The readings of this day speak about choice, obedience, wisdom, and the depth of righteousness that God desires. At the center of all three readings is a call to generous love, a love that goes beyond calculation, beyond minimum requirement, and beyond external observance. It is a love that chooses God wholeheartedly.

In the first reading from the Book of Sirach, we hear a clear and direct message. “If you choose, you can keep the commandments.” God places before us fire and water, life and death. We are free to stretch out our hand and choose. Sirach reminds us that God does not force anyone into goodness. He has given us intelligence, freedom, and responsibility. The commandments are not burdens imposed to restrict us. They are pathways to life. They are the means by which we protect our dignity and the dignity of others. Obedience is not blind submission but a conscious decision to walk in God’s ways.

Sirach also makes it clear that God is just. He sees all things. Nothing escapes His sight. We cannot blame God for our sins. We cannot say that He caused us to do wrong. We choose. This truth can be uncomfortable, because it places responsibility on our shoulders. Yet it is also liberating. If we can choose wrongly, we can also choose rightly. Every day presents us with opportunities to choose life. Every decision, small or great, shapes our character and destiny. Fidelity to God’s law is not a matter of fear, but of love and trust.

The second reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians takes us deeper. St Paul speaks about wisdom. Not the wisdom of this world, which often measures success by power, wealth, or popularity, but the hidden wisdom of God. This divine wisdom was prepared before the ages for our glory. It is a wisdom that the rulers of this age did not understand. It is revealed to us through the Spirit.

The wisdom of God is revealed most perfectly in Christ. It is a wisdom that sees beyond appearances. It teaches us that true greatness is found in humility, that true victory is found in sacrifice, and that true life is found in self-giving love. Human reasoning alone may not grasp this mystery. But the Spirit enlightens our hearts. Through prayer, through the Word of God, and through the sacraments, we begin to see as God sees. We begin to value what He values.

This wisdom prepares us to understand the Gospel from Matthew. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them. He does not weaken the commandments. Instead, He deepens them. “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The scribes and Pharisees were careful in observing the external details of the law. Yet Jesus calls for something more. He moves from the external action to the inner attitude. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not kill.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” He moves from the act of adultery to the purity of the heart. He speaks about truthfulness, integrity, and faithfulness. In every example, Jesus shifts the focus from mere compliance to conversion of heart.

The Gospel challenges us to examine not only what we do, but why we do it. It asks us to look at our thoughts, our intentions, our hidden attitudes. We may avoid serious sins, yet still harbour resentment, jealousy, or pride. We may speak politely yet hold bitterness within. Jesus calls us to interior transformation. The law written on stone must be written in our hearts.

This is demanding. It requires sacrifice. It requires letting go of anger, forgiving those who hurt us, controlling our impulses, and speaking truthfully even when it costs us. It means choosing reconciliation over revenge. It means choosing fidelity over selfish desire. It means choosing honesty over convenience. In short, it means choosing love.

The readings today invite us to move from minimum requirement to generous response. God does not ask for half-hearted obedience. He desires our whole heart. Just as Sirach places before us life and death, Jesus places before us the narrow path and the broad path. The narrow path is not restrictive because God delights in limiting us. It is narrow because love demands focus, discipline, and commitment.

In our daily lives, we often face simple but significant choices. Will I forgive or will I hold a grudge? Will I speak truth or will I exaggerate? Will I serve or will I remain indifferent? These choices may seem small, yet they shape our soul. Each act of love strengthens us. Each compromise weakens us. The Christian life is built on countless daily decisions to choose God.

True love always involves sacrifice. It moves beyond calculation. It does not ask first, “How much must I give?” but rather, “What is needed?” The wisdom of God teaches us that giving ourselves does not lead to loss but to fulfillment. When we give generously, we reflect the very heart of Christ, who gave Himself completely for our salvation.

As we approach the altar today, we are reminded of the greatest gift ever given. Christ did not give us something external. He gave us His very life. In the Eucharist, we receive that self-giving love. We are strengthened to live the higher righteousness that the Gospel demands. We are empowered to choose life, to choose love, and to choose fidelity.

Let us ask the Lord for the grace to obey not only in action but in heart. May we seek the wisdom that comes from the Spirit. May we courageously choose the path that leads to life, even when it requires sacrifice. And may our love be generous, wholehearted, and self-giving, like that of the little boy who believed that to save his sister he had to give everything, and was ready to do so without hesitation.

Happy Sunday 

Fifth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

 Fifth Sunday of the Year 

February 08, 2026

Isaiah 58:7-10;   1 Corinthians 2:1-5;   Matthew 5:13-16

(image courtesy: Google)

Joe had always been a helpful neighbour and so the lady next door asked him if he could drive her little son to the hospital. Actually, Joe had other plans but he did not know how to say no. So, he sat the little boy into the car seat, fastened his seat belt, and started off on the 50-mile trip to the hospital. As they were driving along, the little boy slowly turned to Joe and asked, “Are you God?” Startled, Joe said, “No.” The boy continued, “I heard my mommy asking God for some way to get me to a doctor. If you are not God, do you work for him?” Joe replied, “I guess so sometimes. And now that you ask, I will be doing it a lot more.”

That moment changed Joe’s understanding of his own life. Without realising it, he had become the answer to a mother’s prayer.

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah makes it clear that authentic religion is expressed through compassion and responsibility towards others. God is not impressed by rituals that are disconnected from justice and mercy. Isaiah challenges the people to share their bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and care for their own. When such acts are done, God promises that light will break forth like the dawn. This light is not something we manufacture. It emerges naturally when we live with sensitivity and generosity. Joe did not perform a great religious act. He simply responded to a need. Yet that simple response became light in a moment of darkness for a worried family.

St Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, reminds us that faith does not depend on eloquence, power, or impressive arguments. He says that he came in weakness and fear, relying not on human wisdom but on the power of God. This reading reassures us that God works through ordinary people and ordinary situations. We often think we are unworthy or inadequate to represent God. We wait until we feel confident or prepared. But Paul reminds us that God’s grace works best through simplicity and humility. Joe did not preach or explain theology. He simply showed up. And that presence spoke more powerfully than words ever could.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most challenging and encouraging statements in Scripture. He tells his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” Jesus does not say we should try to become light or make an effort to be salt. He says that this is already our identity. Salt enhances flavour quietly. Light dispels darkness without noise. In the same way, Christian discipleship is not about drawing attention to ourselves but about making life better for others through our actions. Joe did not announce that he was doing God’s work. He simply helped, and through that help, God became visible to a child.

This Gospel pushes us to examine our daily choices. How often do we avoid involvement because it disrupts our plans? How often do we say we are too busy to respond to someone in need? We pray to God for help, solutions, and miracles, yet very often God chooses to answer prayers through human beings. That mother prayed for a way to get her child to the doctor. God answered her prayer through a neighbour who was willing to give his time. In many situations, we ourselves are the instruments God wants to use.

Jesus also warns us not to hide our light. But he clarifies that the light shines through good works done for the glory of God, not for personal recognition. Our kindness, forgiveness, patience, and generosity should lead others not to admire us but to discover God’s presence. When faith is lived authentically, it naturally points beyond the individual to the God who inspires such love.

The story of Joe ends with a quiet but powerful resolution. He realises that being available to God only occasionally is not enough. He decides to be more open to God’s call in everyday life. This is the invitation placed before us today. God does not ask us to be extraordinary. He asks us to be faithful in ordinary moments. When we respond with love, our light will shine, faith will grow, and God will be glorified. And perhaps, through our simple acts, someone may come to recognise that God is close, active, and loving in their own life.

Happy Sunday