June 10, 2026 Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 5:17–19
Today is Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time. The passage from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew continues to present to us the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. I wish to continue with some reflections.
We often treat our relationship with God according to our own understanding of His Holy Will. In our eyes, if all that God bestows upon us does not align with what we had hoped to receive from Him, we turn away from God. Whenever such thoughts take root in our hearts, our actions follow suit; like the Pharisees, we arbitrarily add to or subtract from all that God has revealed to us through His Church concerning His Holy Will.
As Jesus says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (cf. Matt 5:17). He did not come to teach us new commandments, but rather, by coming into the world, He reveals to us the true countenance of God the Father. Saint John tells us: No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.(cf. John 1:18).
The Pharisees rejected the merciful Father; they distorted the Law of God, teaching their own understanding of it and the traditions of the elders as if they were the Law of God itself. So too the Sadducees, who so loved the satisfaction brought by money and material goods that they tampered with the Law of God. The Herodians falsely claimed that Herod was the Messiah and even conspired with the Sadducees to destroy Jesus (cf. Mark 12:18-27). The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people, in order to secure their own positions and exploit the ignorance of the common folk, sought to do away with Jesus. For they followed not the logic of God’s Kingdom as taught by Jesus, but the logic of this passing world—a logic that emphasizes temporal gain, whereas the Kingdom of God emphasizes filial love for the Father and the inexhaustible treasures prepared in Heaven (cf. Luke 12:32-34). These treasures are the riches we store up for ourselves on earth by following the teachings and precepts of Jesus.
O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need, may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it. 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
June 9, 2026 Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time / Saint Ephrem (Deacon and Doctor of the Church) Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
Today is Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Saint Ephrem, Deacon. The Roman Martyrology tell us: Saint Ephrem (c. 306–373) was born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, and became a monk and deacon near Edessa (in present-day Turkey). He wrote Scriptural hymns and poems through which he combatted Arianism and encouraged devotion, especially to Our Lady. He has been called the “Harp of the Holy Ghost” and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1920.
Today, Our Lord Jesus Christ reveals to us, through the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the relationship between Christians and the world, using common items from our daily lives. I would like to offer some reflections on this.
First, salt. In daily life, salt is a very common substance. Materially speaking, it can be used for seasoning, as an antiseptic, or it exists within the human body to maintain metabolism.
Jesus compares His disciples to the salt of the earth. The meaning is this: Christians do not live in isolation from the world. On the contrary, although they have received the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ, been united with Christ, and received the anointing of the Holy Spirit to become children of God, they must still live in this world and coexist with those who do not yet know the Lord. When interacting with others, Christians must employ every viable means to live out the spirit of the Divine Word, integrating that spirit into their daily lives, so as to gradually lead those with whom they associate to accept the Word of God.
Second, light. Light can be used for illumination to dispel darkness; it can also be a form of energy—such as a laser, which can melt metal—or something intangible, such as a person’s gaze or the radiance of human goodness.
Jesus compares His disciples to the light of the world and a city set on a hill. The meaning is this: When Christians proclaim the Word of God to the world, they must first receive the illumination of the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance. Only then can they correctly reflect the spirit of the Word in their lives, so that those living alongside them may see all that God has accomplished within them through the continual transformation of their lives, and thus come to recognize the infinitely merciful and supremely good God.
May we imitate the virtuous example of Saint Ephrem, rightly discern the will of God, and worthily fulfill the mission entrusted to us by Christ.
O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need, may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it. 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
June 8, 2026 Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 5:1–12
Today is Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Gospel passage from Saint Matthew presents us with the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this week—with the exception of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary—we will hear Our Lord’s teachings to His disciples upon the mountain. Indeed, we have already proclaimed this text on the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time this year.
At the beginning of the Gospel, Saint Matthew tells us: “Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”(cf. Mt 5:1). He employs a profoundly vivid biblical image—the mountain. We know that the mountain is the dwelling place of God, the site of divine encounter. In the Old Testament, the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai (cf. Ex 19:16–25) and revealed Himself to Elijah in the cave (cf. 1 Kgs 19:9–14). Today, Jesus is on the mountain; He and His disciples are there. He proclaims His teaching to them and to all who sincerely follow Him, so that their thoughts, words, and deeds may conform to the Kingdom of God which He announces.
Subsequently, we see the qualities Jesus requires of His disciples. He calls them to be poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, and the pure in heart. These characteristics stand in stark contrast to those of this passing world. The people of this world are self-centered; they seek only their own interests, disregarding the feelings of others. They cling to their possessions as if by right, failing to recognize that all they have is a gift from God, and that they themselves are created in His very image.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Through Baptism, we are united to Christ, and through the anointing of the Holy Spirit—the oil of gladness—we are made children of God. If we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, it means we must constantly conform ourselves to the will of the Father. By His grace, we empty ourselves so as to be filled with His gifts. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we acknowledge our sins and seek reconciliation with God. The Lord, rich in mercy, forgives our offenses and allows us to behold the goodness of His creation.
Some of the faithful labor under a certain illusion. They believe that merely receiving Baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, coupled with confessing their sins and receiving Holy Communion once a year, suffices for salvation. This is not the case. Today, Jesus warns us: As Christians, we must be prepared to endure persecution and every form of slander, and even to rejoice in such trials. For the saints and apostles, who share communion in the love of God, endured these things before us. Whenever we experience these things, we partake in a foretaste of the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, let us pray together:
O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need, may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it. 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
全属于祢 
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