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Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
February 15, 2026
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download, in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel, a spiritual text and commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
6th Sunday of the TO
Blessed are those who walk
following the law of the Lord!
Psalm 118:1
Readings from the Mass
Mass leaflet
Universal Prayer
Consult the Lectio Divina page, which invites you to read the Gospel in a prayerful atmosphere so that you may be touched in your heart. It is important not to rush to read commentaries or homilies before having this personal experience of encountering Christ in Scripture.
Next, if you wish, you can read the meditations below which will enrich your personal reading and meditation.
Meditation by Pope Francis
This Sunday's Gospel reading is part of what is known as the "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus' first major sermon. Today's theme is Jesus' attitude toward Jewish law. He states: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). Jesus does not want to remove the commandments that the Lord gave through Moses, but rather to bring them to their fullness. And he immediately adds that the "fulfillment" of the Law requires a higher righteousness, a more authentic observance. Indeed, he tells his disciples: "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).
But what does this “full fulfillment” of the Law mean? And what does this higher righteousness consist of? Jesus himself answers us with a few examples. Jesus was concrete; he always spoke with examples to make himself understood. He begins with the fifth commandment of the Decalogue: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder’… But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (vv. 21-22). With this, Jesus reminds us that words, too, can kill! When we say that someone has a viper's tongue, what do we mean? That their words kill! Therefore, not only must we not take the life of our neighbor, but we must also not pour out the poison of anger upon them or strike them with slander. Nor speak ill of them. We come now to slander: slander, too, can kill, because it destroys a person's reputation! It is so ugly to gossip! At first, it may seem pleasant, even enjoyable, like sucking on a candy. But in the end, it fills our hearts with bitterness and poisons us as well. I tell you the truth, I am convinced that if each of us resolved to avoid gossip, in the end we would become saints! It is a beautiful path! Do we want to become saints? Yes or no? [The faithful: Yes!] Do we want to live clinging to gossip as if it were a habit? Yes or no? [The faithful: No!] Then we agree: no gossip! Jesus offers those who follow him the perfection of love: a love whose only measure is to have no measure, to go beyond calculation. Love of neighbor is such a fundamental attitude that Jesus goes so far as to say that our relationship with God cannot be sincere if we do not want to make peace with our neighbor. He said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and first go and be reconciled to them” (vv. 23-24). This is why we are called to be reconciled with our brothers and sisters before expressing our devotion to the Lord in prayer.
From all this, we understand that Jesus does not place importance solely on disciplinary observance and outward conduct. He goes to the root of the Law, focusing primarily on intention, that is, the human heart, where our good and bad actions originate. To achieve good and honest behavior, legal rules alone are insufficient; profound motivations are necessary, expressions of a hidden wisdom, the Wisdom of God, which can be received through the Holy Spirit. And we, through faith in Christ, can open ourselves to the action of the Spirit, which enables us to experience divine love.
In light of this teaching, each precept reveals its full meaning as a requirement of love, and all come together in the greatest commandment: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
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POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Homily
Draw from the source
The biblical readings for this Sunday speak of a God who saw the misery of his people. This misery stems from sin, selfishness, and division. God's grand plan is to free us from it. The entire Bible tells us that he came to seek and save those who were lost.
To accomplish this work of salvation, he proposes several steps. First, he gives us rules, commandments that will help us live in harmony. When we live in society, it is important to respect one another. We cannot do whatever we want. The first reading tells us that we have a choice: on the one hand, life, which results from observing the commandments; on the other, death, which is the consequence of pride. The Lord wants to free us from everything that destroys our lives. He invites us to welcome his words, which are those of “eternal life.”
In the second reading, Saint Paul addresses Christians who have come from the pagan world. They have welcomed the message of the Gospel. But today, he invites them to truly “choose God.” To speak to us about this, he does not use the so-called “wisdom of those who rule the world,” those very same people who committed the infamous injustice of crucifying “the Lord of glory.” “What is foolishness in the eyes of men is wisdom in the eyes of God.” It is in this wisdom of God that we find true life. The Holy Spirit makes us mature in faith. He helps us to go against the current of the world's mentality and to truly enter into God's plan.
In the Gospel, Jesus revisits the law that God passed down to the ancients. It was an essential minimum for life in society: do not kill, do not steal, do not cheat… For Jesus, it is out of the question to abolish these principles; on the contrary, he invites his disciples, and each of us, to go even further. It's like in a family: the scrupulous practice of internal rules is not enough to make it happy; it needs solidarity, acceptance, sharing, and above all, love.
What gives value to a life is precisely our daily love for all those around us; on this Sunday dedicated to health, we think of all the professionals and volunteers who devote themselves to the most vulnerable in hospitals, care centers, nursing homes, and in their own homes. All these acts of service take on eternal value; one day, Jesus will tell us: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Today's Gospel shows us a path of conversion; it is no longer enough to simply obey laws. The most important thing is to love, to welcome those who suffer: "Be perfect, therefore, as your Father is perfect…" This is what Jesus lived to the very end: he welcomed the sick, the lepers, and the outcasts of all kinds; many parables tell us what true love is: we know the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the prodigal son. It is this love that must shine through in our lives.
Today the question is posed to us: Who can love with the love spoken of in today's Gospel? After reading it, a priest posed this question to the congregation; a child raised his hand and said, "Only Jesus can love us like that!" He was right. And in celebrating the Eucharist, this is precisely what we will ask of the Lord: that he help us each day to live by this love of which he is the Source. Each of us can ask ourselves how to live each day in the manner of Christ.
This path that Jesus shows us is difficult. But he does not leave us alone: he gives us the strength necessary to embark on this journey. He does not simply give us commandments: he offers us his grace; his Holy Spirit works in our weakness. He enables us to advance on the path of his Love. More than ever, we can make the words of this song our own:
"In the heart of this world, the breath of the Spirit makes the cry of the Good News resound! In the heart of this world, the breath of the Spirit sets new energies to work today."
Sources: Feu Nouveau magazines, Sunday bulletins, Prions en Église notebook, Word for Each Day – Emmaus Guide to Sundays and Feast Days (JP. Bagot) – Pope Francis – personal files of those who truly need it. On this day we implore Him: “You who are light, You who are love, place your spirit of love in our darkness.” Amen
Understanding the readings
with Marie-Noëlle THABUT
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