Hey y’all,

The liturgical calendar for this year of our Lord, 2026, has a total of 33 Sundays in Ordinary Time – out of a total of 34 potential Sundays.  We are celebrating the 20^th Sunday this week.  And if you’ve been following along for the last 19 Sundays, we’ve been reading through the the Gospel of Matthew. This Sunday we’ll hear from Matthew, chapter 15. There are 28 chapters total in the Gospel according to Matthew.  So we a little more than half way through Matthew’s Gospel with 13 Sundays to go until a new Church year starts with the First Sunday of Advent.  Now, I’m writing about this not because the numbers are that important, but because I want to impart to you that we’re in the middle of something.  And if our intention is to be Roman Catholic Christians we’re always in the middle of something.  Because the intention of Ordinary Time, year after year, is to allow us the chance to walk through Jesus’ public ministry with him, absorbing his teachings, being full of wonder at his miracles, growing in understanding of our fallen world of sin and His Divine Kingdom of grace.  Jesus reveals to us who he is through St. Matthew’s written witness.  And we learn to be Jesus’ disciples as we apply what we read and hear and apply to how we see the world and how we live our lives. 

For example, on this 20^th Sunday we hear about a woman, who is an ethnic outsider, but a desperate and persistent person of faith. Her encounter with Jesus brought healing and salvation and belonging. So think about it.  St. Matthew is writing about this for us to pay attention, think, and be moved to conversion.  So, maybe we can identify with this woman – after all, aren’t we needy? Don’t we feel like outsiders at times?  Wouldn’t we be desperate if we faced her family situation? Wouldn’t she be desperate if she understood our fears and anxiety? (Even though we’re separated by 2000 years in time) And would we have the faith of this woman in the face of desperation?  Couldn’t we be persistent in things of faith, through prayer and our application of this Gospel passage?  So while we’re progressing through time, both Ordinary and chronological, it’s good for us to realize that we’re always in the middle of learning to follow Jesus, embracing an ever-maturing sense that we are Jesus’ disciples. We are Christians.  So, let’s progress and grow through Ordinary Time, and always.  Knowing that Jesus is walking with us, teaching us and challenging us, through the Holy Spirit, the Gospel and the Church.  God bless and keep us, as we follow Your Son.

Fr. Reynold