Reflection for August 16, 2026

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7 | Psalm 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8 | Romans 11: 13-15, 29-32 | ​Matthew 15: 21-28

​I hope everyone has finally managed to dry their homes, clothes, and everything else after what felt like two weeks of nonstop rain! At this point, I was already wondering if we should start building an ark! Our readings for this Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time remind us that the gift of life and salvation is offered to everyone, especially to those who are willing to go beyond boundaries and dividing lines and demonstrate great faith in Jesus.

​One Sunday, a Filipino man rushed into a bakery and saw a long line. In front of him stood an African man, a Chinese woman, an Indian man, and a white American. He whispered to his friend, “I hope they know this is the line for bread!” The African man turned around and laughed. “Yes, my friend. And I’ve been here longer than you!” Suddenly, an elderly woman dropped her groceries. Without thinking about race, color, or nationality, the Chinese woman immediately stepped out of line to help her. The Indian man followed. Then the African man and the Filipino man joined them. Someone joked, “Look at us! We finally agree on something!” They all laughed. The elderly woman smiled and said, “It’s funny. We all have different faces and different backgrounds, but kindness seems to speak the same language.” The Filipino man replied, “Maybe goodness doesn’t come in a particular color after all!”

The first reading is an excerpt from the third part of the Book of Isaiah, often called Trito-Isaiah. In the Mosaic Law, foreigners, or non-Jews, were given limited rights and were expressly mentioned in certain laws. Even before the exile, foreigners were allowed to perform certain functions within the Temple boundaries. Trito-Isaiah, however, clearly sets out the conditions under which they may participate: they must observe the Sabbath and remain faithful to the covenant, insofar as these obligations apply to non-Israelites. In a symbolic way, this prophecy foreshadows the universalism of the Gospel. Scripture is clear: there is no room for racism in God’s plan for His people. Every person we encounter today, every person we pass on the road or in a store, every man and woman is a unique child of God, created in His image and likeness. We all belong to Him. God is Father to all people, and His love embraces the whole world.
Trito-Isaiah points to a time when the Temple of God will become a house of prayer not only for the Jews but for all peoples. Perhaps we experience so much unrest and division today because we have forgotten this simple truth: we are all children of God, and because we belong to Him, we also belong to one another.

Abdul, a Muslim, and Adriano, a Christian, had been best friends since college. One Sunday, Abdul asked, “Can I come with you to Mass? I’ve never been inside a Catholic church.” “Of course!” Adriano replied. As soon as they entered, Abdul began removing his shoes. “Why are you taking off your shoes?” Adriano asked. “Out of respect. This is holy ground, right?” Adriano laughed. “You can keep them on unless you want someone to steal them and send you home barefoot!” On Friday, Adriano returned the favor and joined Abdul at the mosque. Before entering, Abdul stopped him. “Wait! Please remove your shoes before entering the prayer hall.” Adriano nervously looked around. “Are you sure? What if someone steals them?” Abdul grinned and said, “Relax, my friend. There are no other Christians here.”

Judging books by their covers has become a national pastime of sorts for many of us! We often make quick judgments about people simply because they look, speak, worship, or live differently from us. But in his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul reminds us that God’s salvation is for all. Through the death of Jesus on the cross, everyone is offered the possibility of becoming a witness to Christ. Paul makes it clear that God’s call to Israel has not been revoked. The Jews remain God’s chosen people. At the same time, the Gentiles, who once disobeyed God, have now received His mercy. Likewise, the Jews who have disobeyed are also able to receive God’s mercy through the same mercy shown to the Gentiles. In the end, God’s mercy is greater than our boundaries, divisions, and failures. Sometimes, we behave as though we have the exclusive right to salvation and, as a result, act as if other people do not matter. But if we truly desire to reach heaven, we also have the responsibility to help lead others toward God. Salvation is not something we should selfishly keep for ourselves. Anyone who claims exclusive access to heaven simply because of membership in a particular religious group is misunderstanding the universal reach of God’s mercy. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and His peace calls us to look beyond the differences that divide us. There are certainly people who are different from us, and there may even be people we do not particularly like. Jesus never said that we have to like everyone. But He did command us to love them.

A devout Christian watched Mother Teresa of Calcutta as she cleaned a maggot-infested wound of a Hindu and fed starving moslems on the streets, only to say, “Why are you helping them? They are not Christians, are they?" Mother Teresa replied, "But I am a Christian".

As a Canaanite, the woman in today’s Gospel was considered an outsider, a stranger to the covenant of Israel. Jesus takes that boundary seriously. At first, He does not even answer her. Then He tells her that He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel. But the woman does not give up. She falls at His feet and simply says, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responds with a difficult saying: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Yet the woman’s response is quick and clever: “Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Her faith is so strong that she refuses to walk away. In a way, this pagan woman can teach us a lot about prayer. She knew she was an outsider, but she still approached Jesus with faith and brought Him the pain and suffering of her daughter. She trusted that Jesus could do something about her situation. Sometimes, we are afraid to let God take control of our lives because we are scared of what might happen. But we forget that God’s plans are always greater than what we can imagine. Like the Canaanite woman, we are called to keep growing in faith, to open our hearts to God’s gifts, and to trust Him even when we do not understand His ways. And sometimes, our prayer can be as simple and honest as hers: “Lord, help me. Give me faith. Show me the way.”

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