The Law and the Prophets are the two central pillars of faith in the Hebrew Bible.

Jesus came not to displace either of them and thereby completing them.

Jesus does not abolish the Law but comes to give it a deeper meaning and insight.

At a time when the Teachers of the Law and the Scribes

and Pharisees are preoccupied with its letter, He points to the spirit of the Law.

O Lord, “Make me to know your ways; teach me your paths.

 

＊＊＊ 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.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 5:17-19

Do not think that I have come to annul the law and the prophets. I have not come to annul them, but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in 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.

 

Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Reflection:

"Enter into a covenant."

Today's Gospel tells that the one who obeys God's commandments and teaches others to do the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The heavenly kingdom is a place of relationships. Therefore, the one who will be considered great in God's kingdom is the one who knows how to relate well in the here and now. The first reading tells how the Lord exhorted the people of Israel to practice the norms and laws which he taught them.

 

This means that the people of Israel needed to enter into a kind of covenant. Why? Because if they do, they would go out of themselves and start being considerate of others. Moreover, the Lord knows that we cannot be at par with him in as far as faithfulness is concerned but he still invites us to enter into his covenant. How come? God always invites us to enter into a covenant with him in order that a true human, one that is humane, might be established on earth. Jesus came to bring salvation, fulfilling the law and the prophets. He keeps inviting us to participate in this salvific process.