6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – The Celebration of Lunar New Year – 15 February 2026
At the beginning of every year, it is good to ask ourselves, “What motivates us?” Why do we do what we do? As I shared last Sunday, perhaps another way of considering this is to ask, “What am I in love with?” As I shared, the late Jesuit Superior General, Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991) would say, “What we are in love with, what seizes our imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get us out of bed in the morning, what we do with our evenings, how we spend your weekends, what we read, whom we know, what breaks our heart, and what amazes us with joy and gratitude.” And so, as he concluded, “Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”[1] So, as we begin this year, the question comes to us, With who or what am I in love with? Where is my passion? It is this that animates my life, gives it colour and creativity. Our motivation is linked with our intentionality, that is, what we intend for our life. And it is our intentionality, what we intend for our life, that influences our choices.
This is what Jesus is leading us to consider today in his teaching from what we term is Sermon on the Mountain – his charter for a new ethic. It is not enough, he says, simply to avoid murder; we must attend to anger and reconciliation. It is not enough to avoid adultery; we must examine desire and fidelity of heart. It is not enough to speak truth occasionally; our whole life must become truthful. And so, Jesus is inviting a deeper integrity—a harmony between what we believe, what we say, and how we live.
It is the invitation that is given to us at the start of this lunar new year, welcoming in, as we are, the Year of the Horse. It is a time marked by gratitude for the past, hope for the future, and the renewal of relationships—within families, communities, and generations. Homes are cleaned, debts are settled, words are chosen carefully. There is a strong sense that how we begin the year matters, because beginnings shape what follows. The Horse symbolises energy, perseverance, honesty, and forward movement. It is associated with commitment and endurance—the willingness to keep going even when the path is long. In the image, there is something deeply human, and deeply spiritual. Jesus, in today’s Gospel, is also calling for perseverance: a faith that is not superficial or convenient, but lived steadily, truthfully, and with courage.
Thus, we see how our spiritual and cultural lives intersect. And further, we recognise the importance of culture to shed always fresh light on the gospel. This is why the diversity of culture is significant and such an important sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God in our midst. The richness of our Catholic community comes from the way different cultures, languages, and traditions bring their gifts to the one table of the Eucharist. Today is an opportunity to say clearly: multiculturalism is not an add-on to our parish identity; it is part of who we are. When Jesus speaks of fulfilling the Law, he is not erasing difference; he is drawing people into deeper unity—a unity that honours diversity while calling everyone to the same dignity and moral seriousness.
Jesus’ words also prepare us for what lies ahead this week. Ash Wednesday is only days away. Lent begins not with grand gestures, but with ashes on our foreheads and a question in our hearts: What needs to change? Not just externally, but within. The Gospel today makes clear that Lent is not about appearances or minimal compliance. It is about conversion of heart. About repairing relationships. About truthfulness in speech and intention. About allowing God’s grace to reach places we often keep hidden.
In that sense, Lunar New Year and Lent are not as far apart as they might seem. Both invite reflection. Both call for renewal. Both recognise that life moves forward whether we pay attention or not—but that wisdom lies in choosing how we move forward.
As we stand at this threshold—between Ordinary Time and Lent, between one year and another—we are invited to walk with intention. Like the Horse, with steadiness and resolve. Like disciples, with humility and trust. And like a truly Catholic, truly Australian community, committed to walking together, enriched by our differences, and shaped by the transforming love of Christ.
[1] From Finding God in All Things: A Marquette Prayer Book, Marquette University, 2009.
