Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Deacon Juan Carlos Palomar  |  02/15/2026  |  From the Clergy

The Gospel for this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mt. 5:17-37) is quite long and contains several teachings and messages from Jesus.

Let us reflect on some words Jesus says to his disciples: “…if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away… if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away…” (Mt. 5:29-30).

If we were to truly cut off our hands or pluck out our eyes every time we sinned, I think we would have long since ceased to have hands or eyes. And I believe that it doesn't matter if we did, or rather, if God had created us with many eyes and hands; they wouldn't be enough to erase the sins we commit in our lives, since sadly we are sinners and are always in need of God's love and mercy.

Sin and temptation attack us in different ways. As we know, these attacks occur through the senses, which is why we must be careful about what we see and hear. For example, ask yourself what you see on your cell phone, television, computer, etc. Are you watching videos that you know are inappropriate for your faith and spirituality, such as pornography, high levels of violence, indecent language and expressions, gossip, etc.? Jesus doesn't invite us to cut off our eyes, but you can cut off what your eyes see that leads you to sin. You have the power in your hands to stop watching the programs and videos that are causing you to sin. How and for what do you use your hands? To do good, or to do evil (stealing, hitting, cursing people with your hands, etc.)? Don't cut off your hands if you are doing bad things with them, but you can cut off the evil you are doing with your hands.

We must constantly ask for God's grace to recognize sin and the strength to fight against the things that lead us to sin and against temptations.

-Deacon Juan Carlos Palomar