MATTHEW 5:17–19 THE HEART THAT FULFILLS
Year A, Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
As we continue preparing for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart and the consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, today's Gospel invites us to look more deeply at the purpose of God's law. Today Jesus says, "I have come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it."
Many people think of religion as a list of rules—things we must do and things we must avoid. And while rules have their place, Jesus shows us that God's desire goes much deeper. The goal of faith is not merely obedience but transformation of the heart. That is what we see in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His Heart was completely united with the Father's will. Jesus did not obey out of fear or obligation. He obeyed out of love.
Most of us know the difference. A person can do the right thing because they have to, or because they genuinely care. A child may help a parent because they are told to, or because they love them. Outwardly the action may look the same, but the heart is different.
Jesus invites us to move from duty alone to love. He wants our faith to be more than a habit, more than an obligation, more than simply checking a box. He wants a relationship. The Sacred Heart reminds us that Christianity is not first about rules; it is about a God who loves us and invites us to love in return. When love fills the heart, the commandments are no longer burdens. They become pathways that lead us closer to God and closer to one another.
As we prepare for the consecration to the Sacred Heart, perhaps we should ask ourselves not only whether we are following God's commandments, but whether we are allowing His love to shape the way we live them. Because in the end, Jesus fulfilled the law not by speaking about love, but by living it—every day, all the way to the Cross.
Question to ponder today: Do I follow God mainly out of duty, or am I growing in a loving relationship with Him that shapes the way I live?
With Love and Prayers
Your Co-Traveler
Father Leo