Daily Catholic Lectio. Wed, 12 June 2024. To fulfil

Daily Catholic Lectio

Wed, 12 June 2024

Tenth week in Ordinary Time – Wednesday

1 Kings 18:20-39. Matthew 5:17-19

To fulfil

The contemporaries of Jesus presumed that he would lead people away from the law and the Prophets. Some said that he would dethrone them. But Jesus makes it explicit that he would never do away with the Law and the Prophets, but would fulfil them (gospel reading). Matthew often mentions how Jesus’ life fulfilled the texts of the First Testament. Jesus is not only an extension of the old law but also its fulfilment.

Briefly explain the context: Jesus is starting his Sermon on the Mount, laying out the core teachings of his ministry.

Let’s imagine a seed. The Law is the seed, containing the potential for something greater. Jesus is the rain and sunshine, allowing the seed to grow into a beautiful plant. The Law is not discarded, but brought to its fullest expression in Jesus’ teachings and sacrifice.

Jesus emphasises that the Law (and the teachings of the prophets) remain important. We don’t disregard it, but understand it in light of Jesus’ fulfilment.

Let us not just follow rules but also live out the spirit of the Law as illuminated by Jesus. Reiterate that Jesus came to fulfil the Law, offering a deeper path of love and obedience.

In the first reading, the prophet Elijah encounters the prophets of Baal. He turns the hearts of the people to the true God.

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The hope is to see the seed bloom into a tree with fruits. (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 122).

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy