Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time — Daily Word · In loving memory of Benjamin Vo

Opening Greeting

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, as we gather to encounter the living God through His Holy Word on this Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Penitential Act

Lord Jesus, you feed your people with the bread of eternal life: Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you draw near to all who call upon you in truth: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, nothing in all creation can separate us from your love: Lord, have mercy.

♪ “Penitential Act (Organ)” — A song for Ben

Liturgy of the Word

Reading 1 · Isaiah 55:1-3

Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.

Responsorial Psalm · Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18

♪ “18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A” — CJM Music (cjmmusic.com)

Reading 2 · Romans 8:35, 37-39

Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel · Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over— twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Alleluia

♪ International Liturgy Publications (ilpmusic.org)

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Homily

“All you who are thirsty, come to the water!”

These comforting words from the prophet Isaiah reach out to us today like a cool stream in a dry land. And in our Gospel, we see Jesus standing before a hungry crowd of thousands with only five loaves and two fish.

The disciples said, “Dismiss the crowds.”

But Jesus answered, “There is no need for them to go away… Bring them here to me.”

Notice what Jesus does. He takes what seems so small, looks up to heaven, blesses it, breaks it, and feeds everyone until they are completely satisfied. He shows us that in God’s kingdom, no soul is left empty. No love is ever lost.

Seven weeks have passed since Benjamin Vo entered eternal life. In these seven weeks, the heart can feel parched… aching for a voice, a smile, a warm embrace. When we look at our own hearts today, our strength can feel like those five small loaves—so tiny compared to the weight of our longing. Yet Jesus invites us to bring our whole hearts to Him, just as they are.

Ben was a boy who understood the quiet gift of love and presence. How he loved simply sitting beside his father, listening with rapt attention as his dad told stories! He didn't need grand spectacles; he found pure happiness in simple, quiet moments with his family. Even now, a well of clean water bearing his name brings life to the thirsty in a distant village—a quiet sign that Benjamin’s gentle heart continues to reflect the abundance of God’s care.

St. Paul asks us today: “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” And he answers with absolute confidence: *Nothing.* Neither death, nor life, nor present things, nor future things will ever be able to separate us from God’s love.

To Alan and Thao, and to dear Ryan: Jesus sees your grief. He does not send you away into the desert. He draws you close to His heart. To Ben’s aunts, uncles, everyone joining us from near and far, and every family walking through sorrow: God’s hand is open to feed you with strength and hope.

Benjamin is not lost. He rests safely at the eternal banquet of God, where no one ever thirsts again… holding you in his prayers, until we meet in Christ’s unfailing love.

Meditation

♪ “The Solid Ground (Choral)” — A song for Ben

Prayers of the Faithful

For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:

“Missing you more and more each day Ben. hope you’re meeting new friends in Heaven. Please help ease our pain and please help any parents out there in the world that are going through the same thing that we're going through. May they find some sort of comfort, love, and some kind of hope to move forward.”