February 15, 2026 The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 5:17 – 37 Jesus: The Fulfiller of God’s Commandments
We often handle our relationship with the world according to our own will. Whenever we interact with others in life, we frequently demand that they do things against their own wishes, that is, require them to conform to our thoughts and say what we want to hear. Once their actions do not meet our expectations, we will use every means at our disposal to stop them and cut off contact with them.
We often focus on external things while neglecting the internal ones. When we participate in the gatherings of God’s people, we often rush to seize the best seats, and even accuse and attack one another in God’s holy temple for the sake of seats. When we are in disputes with others, our mouths are often filled with filthy language. We even escalate these accusations to personal attacks and are willing to resort to physical violence for some immediate gains. (Mt 5:21 – 22) In fact, the root cause of all this is that we often follow the guidance of the flesh and desire worldly things rather than what the Holy Spirit of God requires us to desire.
We often teach others to follow God’s will, but we are unwilling to abide by it ourselves. We even find various excuses to cover up our evil deeds because our hearts are unwilling to leave our past sinful lives. We are unwilling to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and rely on it to put an end to the restless impulses of the flesh. Therefore, in today’s Mass gospel, Jesus requires us to boldly renounce everything about ourselves, just like a strong man cutting off his own wrist, and stay away from all opportunities to sin. (Mt 5:27 – 30) Boldly return to God.
On this last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Lent, let us reflect on our words and deeds so that our thoughts, words, and actions may increasingly resemble those of Christ, follow the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit of God, and move towards the new world that Jesus has introduced to us.
Saints Cyril and Methodius Gospel: Mark 8:1-10 The Miracle of Jesus Feeding the Multitude Again
Today, the Church celebrates the feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, two venerable figures. Originally named Constantine and Michael, respectively, Saints Cyril and Methodius were brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. Due to their missionary work among the Slavic peoples, they are also known as the Apostles of the Slavs.
They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic. After their deaths, their pupils continued their missionary work among other Slavs. Both brothers are venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as saints with the title of “equal-to-apostles”. In 1880, Pope Leo XIII introduced their feast into the calendar of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. In 1980, the first Slav pope, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia.
Today’s scripture from the Gospel of St. Mark details the miracle of Jesus multiplying the loaves of bread again. The disciples who journeyed with Jesus did not follow Jesus’ teaching to constantly attend to those who were hungry but instead pursued their own interests. Jesus took this opportunity to once again demonstrate the miracle of multiplying the loaves of bread.
Often, like those disciples, we focus solely on ourselves, neglecting those living in poverty. In our eyes, as long as our own lives are happy and fulfilling, that is sufficient. As for them, whether they live or die, it seems to have no relation to us. Consequently, like the disciples who follow Christ today, we only care about following Christ, while belittling our brothers and sisters who, like us, are also following Christ.
Today, Jesus once again multiplies the loaves for His disciples and the crowds who follow Him, so that we may live out the spirit of the Gospel in our daily lives, moment by moment. Today, those who follow Christ are following Jesus’ command to distribute the blessed bread and fish, just as those who follow Christ today do. May everyone join us in hearing the holy Word of God and, through the celebration of the Eucharist in its fullness, receiving the holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, to receive all the graces bestowed by God according to His holy will.
O God, who enlightened the Slavic peoples through the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius, grant that our hearts may grasp the words of your teaching, and perfect us as a people of one accord in true faith and right confession. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
February 13, 2026 Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mk 7:31-37 Listening with the Ears of Faith
Today’s Gospel continues from what we read yesterday. Jesus continues His journey in the regions where the Gentiles lived. Someone brought to Him a deaf man with a speech impediment and begged Him to lay His hands on him. We can see our own reflections in this man. For before we came to know God, we were like this deaf man with a speech impediment, as we did not know how to listen with the ears of faith, nor did we know how to offer our earnest petitions to God with the tongue of faith.
Today, Jesus takes this deaf man with a speech impediment aside. This is meant to tell us that as Christians; our lives should not be troubled by the clamour of the world. Instead, we should keep our hearts always connected to our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, Jesus puts His fingers into the man’s ears. This is meant to tell us that we should often close our fleshly ears and frequently return to our inner selves. For our Savior Jesus Christ is always waiting for us in the wilderness of our hearts, ready at any time to open the ears of our faith so that we can clearly hear the voice of God.
Next, Jesus spits and touches the man’s tongue, inviting us to offer appropriate prayers to the Father using His life-giving Word. Finally, Jesus sighs and says an Aramaic word, “Ephphatha.” This is meant to tell us that we should open our hearts to Him so that, because we believe in Him and establish a connection with Him, we may always be filled with the hundredfold grace He bestows upon us.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! Let us never be afraid to open our hearts to God, always being ready to receive the Holy Spirit He sends. Under the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit of God, let us listen to the Word of God with the ears of faith and offer appropriate prayers to God with the tongue of faith. Amen.
全属于祢 
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