Today's Gospel with comment: February 16, 2020

VI Sunday of Ordinary Time
The Gospel of the day

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5,17-37.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: «Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to give fulfillment.
Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth have passed, not even an iota or a sign will pass by the law, without everything being accomplished.
Therefore whoever transgresses one of these precepts, even the least, and teaches men to do the same, will be considered minimum in the kingdom of heaven. Those who observe them and teach them to men will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. »
For I say to you, if your righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
You have heard that it was said to the ancients: Do not kill; whoever kills will be tried.
But I say to you: anyone who gets angry with his brother will be judged. Whoever then says to his brother: stupid, will be subjected to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says to him, madman, will be subjected to the fire of Gehenna.
So if you present your offering on the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar and go first to be reconciled with your brother and then go back to offering your gift.
Quickly agree with your opponent while you are on the way with him, so that the opponent does not hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard and you are thrown into prison.
Truly, I say to you, you will not go out of there until you have paid the last penny! »
You have understood that it was said: Do not commit adultery;
but I say to you: whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye is an occasion for scandal, take it out and throw it away from you: it is better that one of your members perish, rather than your whole body be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand is an occasion for scandal, cut it and throw it away from you: it is better for one of your members to perish, rather than for your whole body to end up in Gehenna.
It was also said: Whoever divorces his wife gives her the act of repudiation;
but I say to you: anyone who divorces his wife, except in the case of a concubinage, exposes her to adultery and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "
You also understood that it was said to the ancients: Do not perjury, but fulfill your oaths with the Lord;
but I say to you: do not swear at all: neither for heaven, because it is the throne of God;
nor for the earth, because it is the stool for his feet; nor for Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king.
Don't even swear by your head, because you don't have the power to make one hair white or black.
Instead, let your speak yes, yes; no, no; the most comes from the evil one ».

Vatican Council II
Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium", § 9
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill "
In every age and in every nation, anyone who fears him and does justice is accepted by God (cf. Acts 10,35). However, God wanted to sanctify and save men not individually and without any connection between them, but he wanted to make up a people of them, who recognized him according to the truth and served him in holiness. He then chose the Israelite people for himself, established an alliance with him and formed him slowly, manifesting himself and his designs in his history and sanctifying him for himself.

All this, however, took place in preparation and figure of that new and perfect covenant to be made in Christ, and of that fuller revelation which was to be carried out through the Word of God made man. «Here come days (word of the Lord) in which I will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah ... I will put my law in their hearts and in their minds I will imprint it; they will have me for God and I will have them for my people ... All of them, small and large, will recognize me, says the Lord "(Jer 31,31-34). Christ instituted this new covenant, that is, the new covenant in his blood (cf. 1 Cor 11,25:1), calling the crowd by the Jews and the nations, to merge in unity not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit, and to constitute the new people of God (...): "an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (2,9 Pt XNUMX). (...)

Just as Israel according to the wandering flesh in the desert is already called the Church of God (Deut 23,1 ff.), So the new Israel of the present era, who walks in search of the future and permanent city (cf. Heb 13,14). ), it is also called the Church of Christ (cf. Mt 16,18:20,28); it is in fact Christ who purchased it with his blood (cf. Acts XNUMX:XNUMX), filled with his Spirit and provided with suitable means for visible and social union.