Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026

Dear brothers and sisters, this Sunday’s readings remind us of two important lessons: Jesus is the Savior of all people, and we are called to persevere in faith, especially when our prayers seem not to be answered.

Let me begin with a few questions:

Have you ever felt discriminated against? Have you ever been treated badly or unfairly? And when you pray for something important and do not receive it right away, do you continue to trust in God?

In the First Reading, the Prophet Isaiah tells us that God’s house will be “a house of prayer for all peoples.” God does not exclude anyone. His love is for everyone. As Christians, we are called to welcome others, especially those who are rejected or considered outsiders by society.

This message becomes very clear in today’s Gospel.

We meet a Canaanite woman whose daughter is suffering. She comes to Jesus and cries out, “Lord, help me!” But Jesus does not answer her immediately. The disciples want her to go away, and even Jesus gives her an answer that seems to be a rejection.

But she does not give up. She continues to believe. She continues to ask. She continues to trust in Jesus.

Finally, Jesus says to her: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed.

Brothers and sisters, this woman teaches us that faith requires perseverance.

Sometimes we pray, and God seems silent. Sometimes we ask for something and do not receive it when we want it. At those moments, we may become discouraged and wonder, “Where is God?”

The Canaanite woman teaches us: Do not give up. Keep praying. Keep trusting.

God does not always answer according to our timetable. Sometimes the delay itself becomes an opportunity to grow in faith and to come closer to Him.

This Gospel also challenges us to look at the way we treat others. The Canaanite woman was considered an outsider, yet Jesus praised her faith. The person whom others rejected became an example for everyone.

Perhaps there are people in our lives whom we consider outsiders—people who are different from us, people who have hurt us, or people whom society rejects.

Jesus asks us to respond differently: with compassion, forgiveness, and welcome.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn from this woman her faith, perseverance, humility, and trust.

When God seems silent, keep praying. When the answer is delayed, keep trusting. When others reject you, do not give up. And when others treat you badly, do not respond with the same attitude.

May Jesus give us the faith of the Canaanite woman—a faith that never gives up and a heart that welcomes everyone.

And may we always remember that God’s house is truly “a house of prayer for all peoples.” Amen

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Vigésimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2026

Queridos hermanos y hermanas: las lecturas de este domingo nos presentan dos ideas importantes: La primera es que: Jesús es el Salvador de todos. Y la segunda es que : Todos estamos llamados a perseverar en la fe, especialmente cuando parece que nuestras oraciones no son escuchadas.

Quisiera comenzar con unas preguntas:

¿Alguna vez se han sentido discriminados? ¿Alguna vez alguien los ha tratado mal o injustamente? Y cuando rezan por algo importante y no lo reciben inmediatamente, ¿siguen confiando en Dios?

En la Primera Lectura, el profeta Isaías nos dice que la casa de Dios será “casa de oración para todos los pueblos.” Dios no excluye a nadie. Su amor es para todos. Como cristianos, estamos llamados a acoger a los demás, especialmente a aquellos que son rechazados o considerados extranjeros por la sociedad.

Este mensaje aparece claramente en el Evangelio de hoy.

Nos encontramos con una mujer cananea cuya hija está sufriendo. Ella se acerca a Jesús y le suplica: “¡Señor, ayúdame!” Pero Jesús no le responde inmediatamente. Los discípulos quieren que se vaya y, aparentemente, Jesús también le da una respuesta que parece ser un rechazo. Pero ella no se da por vencida. Continúa creyendo. Continúa pidiendo. Continúa confiando en Jesús. Finalmente, Jesús le dice:

“Mujer, ¡qué grande es tu fe! Que se cumpla lo que deseas.”

Y desde aquel momento, su hija quedó curada.

Hermanos y hermanas, esta mujer nos enseña que la fe requiere perseverancia.

A veces rezamos y parece que Dios permanece en silencio. A veces pedimos algo y no lo recibimos cuando nosotros queremos. En esos momentos podemos desanimarnos y preguntarnos: “¿Dónde está Dios?”

La mujer cananea nos enseña: No se den por vencidos. Sigan rezando. Sigan confiando.

Dios no siempre responde de acuerdo con nuestro tiempo. A veces, esa espera se convierte en una oportunidad para crecer en la fe y acercarnos más a Él.

Este Evangelio también nos invita a reflexionar sobre la manera en que tratamos a los demás. La mujer cananea era considerada una extranjera, una persona de fuera, pero Jesús alabó su fe. Aquella persona que otros rechazaban se convirtió en un ejemplo para todos.

Quizás también hay personas en nuestra vida que consideramos “diferentes”: personas que nos han hecho daño, personas que no comprendemos o personas que la sociedad rechaza.

Jesús nos pide responder de una manera diferente: con compasión, perdón y acogida.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, aprendamos de esta mujer su fe, perseverancia, humildad y confianza.

Cuando Dios parece guardar silencio, sigamos rezando. Cuando la respuesta tarda, sigamos confiando. Cuando otros nos rechacen, no nos rindamos. Y cuando alguien nos trate mal, no respondamos de la misma manera.

Que Jesús nos conceda la fe de la mujer cananea: una fe que nunca se da por vencida y un corazón que sabe acoger a todos.

Y recordemos siempre que la casa de Dios es verdaderamente “casa de oración para todos los pueblos.” Amén.

18th Sunday – Cycle A – 2026

My friends, our gospel reading today is about giving.  Jesus, giving of Himself and his invitation to His disciples to give of themselves.

As we heard, Jesus went off by himself for several reasons:

• He had just finished preaching and healing for many days.  He was tired and in need of rest.

• He just heard that his cousin and friend, John the Baptist, was killed by Herod.

• He knew that that some day he would have a fate similar to John’s and he undoubtedly wanted to spend some time alone in prayer with His Father.

So, Jesus went off by Himself to a deserted place to get some rest for His body and soul – but He was not to get it.  When He got to the other side,  the massive crowds were waiting for Him.  When He  saw the vast crowd, His heart was moved with pity for them, and He cured their sick.

Jesus was always willing to gave more of himself.  Now, it was late in the day and Jesus must have been exhausted.

My friends, few of Jesus' miracles are as revealing as this one:

• It tells us of the compassion of Jesus.  Our Gospel tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, His heart was moved with pity.  A few weeks ago, the meaning of the phrase, “His heart was moved with pity” was explained.  It means that Jesus was moved to the deepest level of His soul.

• It would have been understandable if He would have insisted on privacy.   But Jesus was not like that.  Far from finding them a nuisance, He was moved with pity for them.  Jesus never found anyone a nuisance, even if His whole being was crying out for rest and quiet.

• This story tells us that neither should his disciples find anyone a nuisance.  It was the end of the day, Hs disciples were tired and they had a simple solution for the huge crowd, “Dismiss them, get rid of them.”  Jesus said, “No.  You feed them.  You give them some food yourselves.”

•  In this story we see Jesus witnessing that all gifts are from God. He took the food and he said the blessing.  The Jewish prayer before meals was very simple: "Blessed are you, Yahweh, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."   Jesus taught His disciples:  “It is not my bread that I eat, rather it is bread given to me by God.”

• This miracle tells us that clearly the work of the disciple is the  work of Christ.  Jesus gave to the disciples and the disciples gave to the crowd.  Jesus worked through the hands of his disciples on that day, and he still does today.

Pope Francis this about feeding the hungry:  “You pray for the hungry.  Then you feed them.  This is how prayer works.”

My friends, again and again we come face to face with the truth which is the heart of the Church.  The disciple is helpless without the Lord, and the Lord needs the help of the disciple.  That’s why He sent the Holy Spirit so that we could understand the ministry of Jesus and act on His behalf.

Our Gospel teaches us that great miracles are possible if Jesus and His disciples work together.  If we work with Jesus, great challenges with seemingly little or no resources can be accomplished.

Sometimes we can be discouraged by a task of great magnitude.  When Jesus told the disciples to feed the crowd, they told him that all they had was five loaves and two fishes.  Yet, with what they brought to Him, He brought about a miracle that fed 5,000 men, not counting women and children. Jesus does not demand from us what we do not possess.

Jesus teaches us that no matter how ill-equipped we might think we are, He will use it greatly in His service.  Little is always much in the hands of Christ.

At the end of the miracle the fragments were gathered up.  Even when the miracle fed thousands of people, there was no waste.  God gives to us in abundance but wasteful extravagance is never right.

God's generous giving and our wise sharing must go hand in hand.