St. Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop  & doctor 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Deuteronomy 4: 1, 5-9

 And now, Israel, listen

to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you.

 See, as Yahweh, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peo­ples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, “There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.” 

For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?

But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen nor let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children’s children.

 

Ps 147: 12-13, 15-16, 19-20 

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 5: 17-19

Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled.

 So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Jesus’ coming stirs confusion among those who are known to be experts of the Jewish traditions. His actions are interpreted to be inconsistent with the law and the prophets. In fact, they accuse him of being a blasphemer’. For them, Jesus is a scandal as he does things differently from what they had been used to. But Jesus affirms that He is actually for the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. For him, the Law and the Prophets call for obedience not merely understanding. And this obedience must radiate in one’s witnessing of faith.

Faith calls for an integral not a double life. It involves a constant decision for God in every aspect of human life. We cannot profess our faith in God and at the same time do things contrary to it. Jesus challenges us to be consistent with what we profess, even if, at times, it means going against the accepted norms and practices. In our lives, the law is fulfilled when it upholds the truth and thereby becomes life giving.