Sunday, October 25, 2026
In Victor Hugo’s novel and its theatrical adaptation, Les Misérables, Jean Valjean is a poor man whose sister’s children are starving. Desperate, he breaks a baker’s window to steal a single loaf of bread. Under the law of the time, he is sentenced to five years of hard labor. The story explores an ideological conflict between the letter and the spirit of the law. Inspector Javert initially represents an unwavering commitment to strict enforcement: for much of the story, he sees no gray areas or extenuating circumstances, and allows no room for mercy, compassion, or redemption.
Today’s Gospel recounts how one of the Pharisees, “a scholar of the law,” tests Jesus by asking, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus answers: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40). The two commandments Jesus cites come from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18, but he did not stop there. He says that the whole Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments. With that, Jesus reveals God’s heart and the deeper purpose of His laws. The Pharisees upheld the written Mosaic Law and the traditions of the elders, but Jesus challenged certain human traditions when they obscured God’s command. He calls us to look beyond mere outward observance and understand the commandments in light of love for God and neighbor.
Jesus does not revise or overturn God’s commandments; He reveals their full purpose and calls people to live them from a heart shaped by love for God and neighbor. He does this throughout His earthly ministry. He taught, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). His parable of the Good Samaritan shows that our love of neighbor is not confined by social, ethnic, or geographical boundaries. In the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, and in the parable of the father and his two sons (often called the Prodigal Son), God is revealed as a Father who seeks the lost and rejoices when they return. Consider the older son: although he had remained dutiful, he resented his father’s mercy toward his returning brother. Can outward observance of God’s commandments, when separated from mercy, reflect God’s heart? The “letter of the law” certainly matters, but outward compliance alone can miss what the command is meant to protect and cultivate. Jesus teaches that God’s law is fulfilled when it shapes us into people who love as God loves: truthfully, faithfully, mercifully, and with practical care for our neighbor, regardless of origin, race, or status.
Let us call on the Holy Spirit to write God’s law of love on our hearts and guide us to live it each day through mercy, kindness, and practical care for every neighbor.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.