Pope Leo XIV delivered reflections on the Sunday Gospel before reciting the Angelus. The Gospel passage explains that Jesus fulfills the Law of Moses by calling people into a relationship of love with God and others. True righteousness is achieved through love, which brings the profound meaning and ultimate purpose of the Law to completion. Jesus demonstrated that minimal observance of the Law is insufficient; great love, enabled by God's strength, is required. The Pope prayed for the Virgin Mary's intercession to better understand and live out the call to righteousness within the Kingdom of God.
20 days ago
Pope Leo XIV delivered his Sunday Angelus reflection on February 15, 2026, from St. Peter's Square, focusing on the Gospel from Matthew 5:17-37 in the Sermon on the Mount.1 2
He addressed hundreds of pilgrims, emphasizing entry into the "newness of the Kingdom of God" following the Beatitudes.2
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it through love, which reveals its profound meaning and purpose.1 2
The Law, given to Moses and the prophets, serves as a guide to know God and His plan, acting as a "pedagogue" leading to Christ.2
Through Jesus, God makes humanity children of the Father, enabling relationships of love with Him and others.1
Righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, moving beyond mere commandment observance to one that "opens us to love."1 2
Jesus uses antinomies—"You have heard that it was said... but I say to you"—to contrast formal religious righteousness with the Kingdom's deeper call.2
Every precept contains an invitation to love, powered by God's grace.1
Jesus illustrates with concrete cases: refraining from physical murder is insufficient if one kills with words or undermines dignity.2
Marital fidelity requires more than avoiding adultery; it demands tenderness, listening, respect, care, and shared goals.2
Minimal righteousness falls short; "great love is needed," made possible by divine strength.1
The Pope urged recognizing love within all precepts to live the Kingdom's righteousness.1
He invoked the Virgin Mary, who gave Christ to the world, to intercede, helping believers understand and embody this call.1 2
True righteousness is love, not mere observance of the Law
Imagine standing on a hillside, the Galilean sun warming your face, as Jesus gazes at the crowd and declares: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." These words cut through the air like a clarion call, challenging everyone listening—then and now—to rethink what true righteousness really means. Today, as we hear this Gospel from Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, the Lord invites us to see that true righteousness is love, not mere observance of the Law. It's not about ticking off external rules like the scribes and Pharisees, whose righteousness was polished on the outside but hollow within. No, Jesus calls us to a deeper, heart-level transformation, where love infuses every commandment, making us exceed in justice through the grace of the New Law. This is the heart of our faith: a righteousness born of charity, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Let's dive into this passage, my friends, because Jesus isn't just tweaking the old rules—He's revealing their divine purpose. He starts by affirming the Law's enduring value: "until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished." The Ten Commandments, the prophets' calls to justice and mercy—they're not discarded; they're fulfilled in Him, the Word made flesh.
But here's the revolution: Jesus raises the bar beyond external acts. "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’... But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment." Murder isn't just the knife in the dark; it's the simmering rage, the cutting insult, the label of "fool" hurled in contempt. He urges reconciliation before worship: "leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister." Adultery? It's not only the bed betrayed but the lustful glance that defiles the heart. "Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Divorce, oaths—all get reframed: no easy outs, no manipulative vows, just a resounding "Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one."
Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Those religious leaders mastered the letter of the Law—tithing mint and cumin—but missed its spirit. Jesus demands more: a righteousness of the interior life, where love governs every thought and action. This echoes the Catechism's teaching on the New Law: "a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit... a law of grace... a law of freedom." It's not slavish fear but spontaneous charity, freeing us from ritualism to become friends of Christ. As Saint Augustine preached on Psalm 119, we covet God's commandments, but we beg: "O quicken Thou me in Your righteousness," finding life only in Christ's love, our true neighbor.
To make this real, think of the righteous ones who captivate us not by outward splendor but by inner fire. Saint Augustine paints a vivid picture in his Expositions on the Psalms: an old, wrinkled martyr, limbs torn by beasts, yet loved fiercely because "in that hideous spectacle of mangled limbs, entire was the beauty of righteousness." We don't see gold or marble; we behold a soul aflame with love for God and neighbor. "Your holy Temple is marvellous in righteousness," Augustine says, and that temple is you—when you hunger and thirst for justice, as Jesus promises in the Beatitudes.
Picture a modern echo: a nurse in a war-torn hospital, bandaging wounds amid bombs, not for pay or praise, but because Christ's love compels her. Or recall Pope Francis's reflection in Fratelli Tutti, echoed by our Holy Father Leo XIV, on the Good Samaritan: he doesn't pass by but "stopped, approached the man and cared for him personally, even spending his own money." This is righteousness in flesh—love bearing another's pain. Even in sports, as Pope Leo XIV noted for the Olympics, competition builds peace when it fosters "fraternal solidarity and the common good," not enmity. These stories show righteousness isn't legalism; it's love incarnate, glorifying God through our transfiguration.
Augustine warns it's never fully perfected here: "pious and true righteousness will then be perfected when the love of God shall be perfect." We're on the way, running toward fullness in Christ, who is "our righteousness... wisdom... from God." Fallen as we are, grace heals us to love above all things.
So, how does this hit our lives today? In a world of cancel culture and quick tempers on social media, Jesus says: Check your anger before it festers into murder of the soul. That family feud? Reconcile before Mass. In marriages strained by distractions, guard your eyes and hearts—no lustful scrolls that betray your vows. At work, let your "yes" be yes, building trust without oaths.
This isn't impossible drudgery; it's freedom! The New Law inclines us "to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity." Think of parents teaching kids not just "don't lie," but "speak truth in love." Or coworkers resolving disputes with mercy, exceeding bare minimum fairness. Even in global crises—like those journalists risking lives for truth, as Pope Leo XIV honors—righteousness shines when love trumps indifference.
Brothers and sisters, here's your concrete plan: This week, identify one relationship wounded by anger or neglect. Reach out—text, call, visit—and reconcile. Examine your media habits: What glances or words need cutting off to protect your heart? Commit to simple integrity: No white lies, just yes or no rooted in love. Join a parish group fostering charity, or volunteer where suffering calls, becoming that Samaritan.
Love is the fulfilling of the Law, as Paul says, and Jesus makes it possible through grace. Let the Eucharist today quicken you in His righteousness.
Today, Jesus has shown us: True righteousness surpasses legalism—it's love poured into our hearts by the Spirit, fulfilling every commandment. From Augustine's martyrs to today's peacemakers, this beauty draws us heavenward. Go forth, exceed in love, and build God's kingdom. Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, fulfiller of the Law, infuse us with Your love. Make our righteousness surpass all others, that we may be temples marvelous in justice. Through the intercession of Saint Augustine and all saints, quicken us in Your righteousness. Amen.