In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Welcome, brothers and sisters, as we gather on this Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time to listen to God's holy Word and lift our hearts in prayer.
Lord Jesus, you came to gather all nations into the peace of God's kingdom: Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you hear the persistent cry of all who seek your help: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you bring us joy in your house of prayer: Lord, have mercy.
"Lord, help me."
In today’s Gospel, a woman steps forward with a faith so persistent, so bold, that it stops Jesus in His tracks. She calls out with a mother’s relentless love, refusing to be turned away, until Jesus looks upon her with tender admiration: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And in our first reading from Isaiah, the Lord opens His arms wider still, promising to gather every weary soul to His holy mountain and “make joyful in my house of prayer.” God’s love knows no borders, no boundaries, and no exclusions. It welcomes everyone into its infinite warmth.
That kind of expansive, joyful faith is not complicated. It is humble, hopeful, and soaring.
We saw that radiant light so clearly in Benjamin Vo.
Benjamin was a boy who looked at the world with boundless wonder and joy. He loved the skies, airplanes, and the pure freedom of flight. Whenever he talked about his big dream of starting his own airline—what he playfully called “Con Chim Airlines”—his face would light up, and he would burst into the sweetest giggles and smiles. Ben didn’t hold back his joy. His heart was big, imaginative, and completely open to the beauty around him.
It has been nine weeks since Benjamin went home to the Lord. Nine weeks where the quiet in the house feels heavy, and missing his warm presence aches deeply.
Yet today’s Scripture assures us that God’s house is a place of boundless joy, where the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Benjamin is held in that very love, safe in the Father’s house.
To Alan, Thao, and dear Ryan: Jesus hears every silent cry of your hearts, just as He heard the Canaanite woman. Lean into His gentle strength today. Hold tightly to one another, and keep living with courage and hope for Ryan.
To Ben’s aunts and uncles, to everyone joining us from near and far, to children who are suffering, and to every family carrying a heavy cross: Our Lady wraps her mantle around you. You are never forgotten, and you are deeply loved by God.
Benjamin rests in eternal peace… soaring forever in the light and joy of Christ.
For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:
At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.