SUMMARY OF HOMILY:

Jesus is asking for true communication between us. He is demanding a life of affectivity between people that is authentic. In this sense, we are called to a righteousness that exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees. To do otherwise is to fail to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Is this a real possibility for us?  Or to put it another way, can one live the Christian life without entering the Kingdom of Heaven? Without entering into something that is heavenly, eternal? Is it possible to live in an authentic way without eternity? Can I be a father, friend or priest without eternity? No! Without eternity, our lives become senseless. We must live according to things that have endurance, meaning, substance. This involves crossing a certain threshold. In Christ, we see someone who is willing to lose his life for us. This is the life of the Christian: to be willing to lose one’s life for another, and then to rediscover it, greater and more beautiful than before.

February 15th 2026. Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Mt 5:17-37

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Mt 5:17-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfil.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment;
and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin;
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’
will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

“It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife -  unless the marriage is unlawful -
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,' and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

 

1. Jesus makes the prescriptions of the Law much more radical and tells us that if our righteousness remains at the minimal level of the religious leaders, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven

The readings on Sunday open by telling us that the commandments of the Lord are the way to life. In the second reading, we hear that the wisdom of God is not the wisdom of the masters of this world. Then, in the Gospel, we read one of the most radical passages of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us that he hasn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it. Then he speaks of a righteousness that is greater than that of the Scribes and Pharisees. We might be inclined to think that these religious leaders were unpleasant characters, but in reality they were very serious and very faithful to the commandments of the Law. If our righteousness does not surpass theirs, however, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Jesus is radicalizing the meaning of the commandments. In fact, the fifth, sixth and seventh commandments are made more radical by Jesus in a wonderful manner. For example, it is not sufficient not to kill someone. Rather, we must take care of the lives of others and make peace with our enemies, being attentive not to approach the altar unless we are in communion with our brother. In the case of adultery, Jesus is not content just to proscribe it but to insist that we not look lustfully on other people. All true relationships – marriage, paternity, friendship – are indissoluble. The relationship between a husband and a wife cannot admit a rupture of any sort. In the case of the vows and oaths we swear, Jesus is again very clear. How many useless words we utter, things without substance or sense!

 

2. Entering the Kingdom is not something we do at the end of our lives. We must enter it now, and start living according to the eternal. Then our actions take on a completely different level of righteousness

Jesus is asking for true communication between us. He is demanding a life of affectivity between people that is authentic. In this sense, we are called to a righteousness that exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees. To do otherwise is to fail to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Is this a real possibility for us?  Or to put it another way, can one live the Christian life without entering the Kingdom of Heaven? Without entering into something that is heavenly, eternal? Is it possible to live in an authentic way without eternity? Can I be a father, friend or priest without eternity? No! Without eternity, our lives become senseless. We must live according to things that have endurance, meaning, substance. This involves crossing a certain threshold. In Christ, we see someone who is willing to lose his life for us. This is the life of the Christian: to be willing to lose one’s life for another, and then to rediscover it, greater and more beautiful than before. In our relationships, our communications with others, if we are willing to lose our life, to be faithful onto death, to endure onto that which limits us, this is to live according to eternity.

 

3. God goes beyond the letter of the law to love us and pardon us. We must do likewise. Our actions must have within them this dying to self, which always leads to greater life.

If our lives are not lived in this substantial way, without meaning, without investment of self, what kind of lives are we leading? What kind of father, friend or colleague does things only insofar as they suit him or interest him? Life demands that we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! We must cross that threshold and surpass that level of righteousness! The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was the righteousness of the regulations. We need to go beyond the minimal prescriptions of the law in order to love. How many times have we needed others to do just that in order to have patience with us after we mess up or make a mistake? How many times God has gone beyond the rules in order to love us! If Christ had merely obeyed the laws, then we all would have deserved death but he became the just one for the unjust, bore on his shoulders our disorders to love us and to save us. Can we do otherwise? Can we love others just by sticking to protocols, bureaucratic procedures, pharisaic attitudes? No, we must go beyond if we wish to love. Christ went beyond. The Lord has gone beyond countless times.

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY

Sometimes people think that Christianity involves the abandonment of the laws of the Old Testament and the taking up of a new life of following the “heart”, a life without rules and regulations. But Jesus tells us in this Gospel that he has come, not to abolish the law, but to bring it to fulfilment. The old rules about adultery, murder, etc., are not to be abolished, but to made even more rigorous! Adultery is prohibited, but so is even an impure glance at another person. Murder is banned, but so are angry thoughts towards others. Maybe Jesus is exaggerating here? Or maybe the translation is bad? But, when we think about it, isn’t this exactly the level of fidelity and nobility that we long to see in others? We want a spouse that is faithful to this degree. We want our friends to be ready to cut off their hands rather than betray us. If a father only did the minimum due to his children, then he would be a very cold and distant father! True love requires that we go beyond the external observance of the rules and that we are faithful to these rules from the heart. But this is not just difficult for us, it is impossible! That is why Jesus opens his discourse by saying, “I have come not to abolish the law, but to bring it to fulfilment”. It is Jesus who makes our fidelity in love possible! It is not that we have to be strong enough to live this fidelity, but that we have to be humble enough, to abandon ourselves into the arms of Jesus and allow ourselves to be led by him.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly

February 8th 2026. Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Matthew 5, 13-16

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Matthew 5, 13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. The disciples are not told that they have to become light and salt, but that they ARE light and salt.

Last week we listened to the proclamation of the Beatitudes, which are in the third person plural – “Blessed are those . . .”. In the continuation of Jesus’ discourse that we read this week, the tense switches to second person plural – “You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth.” Light is associated with joy and happiness, whilst darkness is associated with pain and suffering. To be light is not so much a question of human qualities or attributes. Rather it is a question of identity – to be light. Salt is associated with flavour and also with wisdom. Things without flavour are not worth doing because they lack substance or content. The Christian therefore is someone who carries joy and flavour to the world. The disciples are not told that they have to become salt, they are already salt. Joes does not use the imperative but the indicative – “You are the light of the world”. If they follow Christ, people will see the light emanating from them.

 

2. We all emit “light” but is our light true light or is it darkness? When we reflect Jesus’ light, it is the light of one hanging in his lampstand, which is the cross.

Every person emanates “light” in a sense. But what light do they emit? Is it something negative or is it something joyful that communicates wisdom? If the disciples of Christ are not light then the world is in darkness. Jesus is the source of light because he is the echo of the light of the Father. In John’s Gospel we are told that we see the Father when we look upon Jesus. In fact, when Jesus is placed in his lampstand, namely, when he is hung upon the cross, there is an eclipse of the sun. The world is cast into darkness because he is the true source of light. At that moment, the centurion, who is the one officially responsible for his execution, recognizes in Jesus the eternal light. Jesus lives to his last breath as Son, pointing continually to someone else, the One who created the world saying, “Let there be light!”

 

3. The light of a Christian is not simply the light of their own honesty or integrity. Rather, it is the light of someone who has entrusted himself to the Father with childlike abandonment.

We are light, but what kind of light are we? We irradiate around us that which is in the depths of our hearts. As the great Fr Oreste Benzi said, “Who we are shouts louder that what we say”. Is the light emanated by Christians a matter of their integrity, their honesty, their moral coherence? Not exactly. Such a light would be of little interest because it would be dependent on our poor human qualities. Jesus says, rather, that when people see the good works of Christians, they end up giving glory to the Father in heaven. It might seem a bit curious that someone sees my good works and ends of glorifying someone else! The problem is that we have tried to construct a Christianity that is composed of our works, and we have failed because we have concentrated on things that give glory to us, not to God. This is a vainglory, a self-referential glory, something that is focussed on building up ourselves. What is really needed are works done with an attitude of trust in the Lord, so that people who observe will realize that only the Lord could sustain such works. This is the character of Christian works, the character of one who behaves as a child of God, pointing not to one’s own ego but to the Father. This text is telling us to exploit the occasions we have for abandoning ourselves to God and then our mission will be accomplished.

 

4. When we start behaving like children of God, we emanate light.

We don’t have to try to be sons, we are sons! And when we start behaving like sons, we emanate light. There is no more honest person than one who entrusts himself to the Lord. At that moment, the best in him comes out and he becomes truly himself. By contrast, when one is self-referential, he is deceiving himself. None of us can truly stand without abandoning himself to the Father. None of us can affront the cross without placing himself in the hands of the Lord. When that moment comes when we have the opportunity to manifest our faith, when we are placed in the candelabra of Christ, hung upon the cross. Our candelabras are our tribulations, small and great, those daily things in which we make an act of self-abandonment, that act of children of God, that act of openness to the Lord that makes shine through the light of the Father and his glory.

 

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY

In the Gospel, Jesus asks us to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Without this light, the world be in darkness. Without this salt, life will have no flavour. But what are we to do so that we can become salt and light for others? We must look to Jesus! He became the light of the world during an eclipse of the sun on Good Friday. He is the light of the world because he allow his relationship with his Father to sine forth and reveal that God is love: he loves each one of us. People are very critical of the Church nowadays. Maybe it is because they expect us to be the light of the world but they see that we are not! If I live a life of egoism, then I am living in darkness. I might think that my life of fun, entertainment, security, good company and success is very illuminated, but it is a life of darkness if it is not lived with reference to Christ. A father who lives this sort of self-referential life leaves emptiness in the hearts of his children. A priest who lives an existence of this sort does not bring life to his parishioners. We can be salt and light for our families and the world only if we do the kind of works that Jesus asks us to do. He says, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”. It is very important that these words of Jesus be understood properly! What kinds of works do we need to do? Works that show my great talents and heroism? No, these works do not bring glory to the Father! The works that light up the world are works that shed light on God, that show my relationship to God, that cause people to praise God, not me! By trusting in God, by abandoning myself to God, I show the world the love and power of the Father. When people see works of this sort, they say: I see the power of the Father in you: what you are doing cannot originate in you but must originate in the goodness and glory of God

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly

February 1 2026. Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Matthew 5, 1-12

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

 

Gospel:Matthew     5:1-12      

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples.

Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1. The spiritual life is not about moral coherence but happiness

The first reading from Zephaniah tells how the powerful, the nobles and the religious leaders will be taken into exile because of the infidelity of Israel, but the poor people will be spared this purification. The kings often led the people into idolatry, resulting in the deportation of the rich and powerful to Babylon. In the fifth chapter of Matthew, we have the Beatitudes. This reminds us of something that we often forget. The repetition of the word “blessed” or “happy” emphasizes the joy to which we are called. Too often we turn the spiritual life into a striving after perfection or spiritual narcissism.  We think Christianity is a question of moral coherence, but it is actually a question of personal happiness. The saint or holy person is not someone sad but someone who has found the beautiful kernel of life.

 

2. It is the humble, the meek, the merciful, those who strive after right, who discover the happiness of the life of the Kingdom

Who finds this kernel? The poor in spirit! Their humble condition permits them to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who are meek will inherit the land because their focus is on a greater inheritance – the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven - than the worthless prosperity that we seek after here below. Happy are those who seek justice, not in the sense of revindication, but in the sense of the Kingdom, as we discover later. It is those who seek true righteousness and holiness who will be satisfied. The merciful are those who are aware of their own need of mercy. They find mercy because they pardon others, as the Our Father exhorts us. We need to forgive because we too are in need of forgiveness. This is true happiness, to experience the mercy of God.

 

3. Then our hearts are purified and we begin to see God. Then we begin to strive after peace.

It is in this way that our hearts are transformed, through this poverty, these tears, this meekness, this thirst for what is right. Then one begins to have a heart that is no longer deceived, that is pure, an authentic heart that is in touch with the centre of our existence. Finally, then, we begin to see God, and this is real beatitude – to see God in our lives, in the things that happen to us, even in tribulation. Then, we become operators for peace, and nothing counts more than peace. Sometimes we meet those full of aggression who seek to put things right at all costs. These are not makers of peace but of war. Sometimes they do it in the name of God, and religious violence becomes the most aggressive of the passions. Peacemakers are “sons of God” and we see this in the only Son, Christ, who brings peace between heaven and earth with his blood. Those who are persecuted, excluded, are the very ones who enter the Kingdom of heaven.

 

4. If we have lost joy in our lives, it is because we have lost humility, meekness, true mourning, true mercy. It is because we battle for the wrong things and seek success and applause.

These Beatitudes are the pathways of joy. Often, when we lose the joy in our lives, it is because we have lost these pathways. We are no longer in touch with our own poverty, we have forgotten our real motive for mourning, we fight the wrong battles, we have hunger and thirst for stupid things, we are slaves of mediocre and useless passions. We forget that we need mercy because our hearts are confused, we fight battles instead of striving for peace. We end up being people who live to be applauded, to have success.

 

5. It is not in possessions, success, laughter or entertainment that we find happiness, but in entrusting ourselves to the Father as Jesus did. Then we will experience the peace of the Spirit.

The Beatitudes finish with: ‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’ Again, the key to this line is the first word: “happy” (or “blessed”). This is the secret of the saints, of those who belong to Christ. Even in the midst of persecution, their hearts remain steadfast. It is the Holy Spirit who consoles them and brings peace, the same Spirit of Christ who entrusted himself to the Father on the cross. It is only in God that our soul finds repose, not in the world or possessions, not in reward, entertainment, laughter. All the successes and celebrations of this world have their days counted. Everything will one day be washed away in the face of that which really matters, the Kingdom of Heaven

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly