Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 15, 2026
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment.
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”
This passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount challenges the reader to reflect on one’s actions not based on their outward appearance, but rather on the internal love and transformation that takes place in one’s life.
The Pharisees throughout the gospels exhibited outward obedience to the law, following every part of Scripture and law meticulously according to the Jewish custom. What Jesus seeks to share with us in this gospel is to take up a higher calling that goes beyond obedience to the law with our actions, but obedience to the law within our hearts.
This Spring semester, I have the privilege of studying abroad in Rome, where I have been able to attend Mass in a variety of beautiful places. I have chosen to enter many of the churches and basilicas with the perspective of a pilgrim seeking to pray and grow in my faith, and practice the sacraments daily. However, amidst floods of tourists and those exploring Rome outside of the faith, I have noticed myself getting distracted by visitors taking in murals, sculptures, and mosaics within these churches, not recognizing the maker who lies behind the beauty.
As I reflected and noticed this tendency, I have worked to take this moment of despondency and use it to enter deeper into my prayer with Christ. I now have an opportunity to pray for these same people who may not yet know Jesus, whom I likely never would have encountered or noticed. It is often convenient to carry the presuppositions of others through our daily lives, yet Christ invites us to entrust him with our deeper, interior lives. He calls each of us to take the next step with him, moving ever closer toward righteousness that is written not only in our actions, but in our hearts.
Prayer
Dear Lord, you remind us that it is not just our actions, but our attitudes and thoughts that can lead us astray. Be with us this day; send your peace into our hearts and minds so that throughout this day we are ever more aware of your gentle and loving presence in our lives. For we know our awareness of your presence within us keeps us from those thoughts, actions, and attitudes that can too easily lead us astray. We pray this to you, our God, forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
On the fifteenth of February, 2015, twenty-one Christians were beheaded in Libya on the shores of the Mediterranean by members of the extremist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Twenty of the men beheaded were Coptic Christians. Coptic Christianity is an ancient branch of Christianity in Egypt. It has a particular connection with Mark the Evangelist, who was believed to have founded the Christian Church in Alexandria shortly after 33AD. Egypt and, in particular, the city of Alexandria, produced some of the great theologians of the early Church: Athanasius, Clement and Cyril of Alexandria, and Origen.
These 21 men had been working in Libya as construction workers when they were kidnapped by ISIL in two separate raids in December 2014 and January 2015. They were purportedly executed on the beach opposite a hotel.
The icon featured today was createdby by a Coptic Christian, Tony Rezk. In the image, the martyrs' crowns descend upon the Copts and one man whose darker skin represents his difference. One of the men captured with them from the construction site was not an Egyptian Copt, but a man from Ghana (or Chad, say some reports). Most accounts say that he was not a Christian, but the faith of these twenty men inspired him to say, when asked, "their God is my God." The men are dressed in robes of orange to depict the orange jumpsuits in which they were martyred.
The Coptic Church remembers them as martyrs, and these brave men serve as a reminder of all persecuted Christians throughout the world who continue to sacrifice their lives to stay faithful to Christ. May their brave faith strengthen our own, and may their imitation of Christ's peaceful surrender inspire peace in the hearts of men and women throughout our war-torn world.
On this feast of the twenty-one Coptic Martyrs, let us pray for peace throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East!
Image Credit: Icon by Tony Rezk, used with permission. Visit Tony's website to view and purchase this and other icons.