BEYOND THE BARE MINIMUM – Homily Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 15, 2026

·20 min·2 clips

Jesus declares your righteousness must surpass the scribes and Pharisees to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The episode opens with the Gospel reading from Matthew, where Jesus states he has come to fulfill the law, not abolish it, and demands righteousness surpassing that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus then reinterprets commandments, equating anger with murder and lustful looking with adultery. Fr. Chern begins his reflection by sharing a personal anecdote from his high school years, describing how he was an average student who struggled on exams. He recalls a specific English test on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales where he scored 34 out of 100 because he memorized answers but didn't read the instructions requiring full written responses. This memory leads him to the core insight: many approach faith like he approached that test, memorizing rules but missing the deeper meaning. He contextualizes this within the Sermon on the Mount, noting Jesus's revolutionary call to discipleship through the Beatitudes and the call to be salt and light. Fr. Chern argues that Jesus is not a laid-back spiritual figure but one who takes believers deeper beneath surface behavior to examine the heart. He references the first reading from Sirach about choosing commandments and the second reading from Corinthians about a wisdom not of this age. The homily then applies Jesus's teachings to contemporary life, discussing anger in the context of politics, church, and families, and lust in the era of dating apps and pornography. Fr. Chern emphasizes that Jesus is raising the bar to the heart level, not lowering it. He connects this to the imminent season of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, framing it as a time for prayer, fasting, and giving to make space for God. He suggests using the gospel as a template for examination of conscience before confession, asking probing questions about anger, gossip, lust, and integrity. The homily concludes by contrasting surface compliance with the transformation sought by saints, urging listeners to let Jesus transform their lives from anger to mercy and desire to reverence.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Fr Jim Chern's Homilies