(Matthew 5:17–37)

Blurbs by Rev.Fr. Pete Literal

today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us plainly: “I have come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” The Law of God is not rejected; it is deepened. Yet Jesus teaches that simply obeying surface-level rules is not enough.

For Jesus, faith begins in the heart. Our actions must reflect who we truly are. When they do not, we live a divided life—doing the right things outwardly while remaining unchanged within. That is why Jesus goes beyond the written law and challenges the attitudes behind it. Avoiding wrongdoing is good, but Christ calls us to root out anger, resentment, dishonesty, and selfishness at their source.

Following the law means living the kind of life from which the law naturally flows.
Jesus does not call us to do the minimum, but to live with integrity, love, and sincerity.

This is our Filipino ministry. This is the ministry we are called to do: to pass on to our children and to live a faith shaped not only by actions but also by the motivations behind them. Christianity is demanding because it asks for our whole heart—but it is also life-giving.

That is why we gather each week: to pray for the grace to let Christ shape our hearts, so that our lives may truly reflect Him.