Sunday Readings for August 15-16, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission
In my closet hang my cotton “scripture” or “good thought” t‑shirts. They’re simple, soft, and a little mischievous. As I looked them over, I thought that my “Jesus loves you… but I am his favorite” shirt was perfect to support this Sunday’s Scriptures. Beneath the humor in that quote is a truth we all wrestle with – the temptation to believe we are the ones closest to God, that our group, our tradition, and our way of worship is the one Jesus prefers.
The readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time challenge that idea in a beautiful way. The prophet Isaiah instructs that the “foreigners who join themselves to the Lord … will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Is 56:6-7).
In the Gospel, Jesus meets a Canaanite woman — an outsider, someone who did not belong to the “chosen” people. She approaches him seeking, trusting, and believing that mercy is bigger than boundaries. It is in our own moments like this that remind us that God is not limited by our labels, and grace is not fenced in. Love is not rationed. God’s heart is far wider than any human-created category.
It is easy as Catholics to fall into the quiet assumption that we are the insiders, the favorites, the ones who “get it right.” However, I’ve met people who have never stepped inside a Catholic church, yet they still live with a generosity that humbles me. I’ve seen kindness in strangers that mirrors what we read in the Gospel. I’ve watched people of different faiths pray with sincerity that could move mountains. Their lives whisper the same truth the Canaanite woman shouted: “Lord, help me.” And God hears them.
As Catholics, though, one truth, one treasure – known to Catholicism alone – marks us in a most holy way. We have been given the Eucharist, our own consecrated, intimate encounter with Jesus truly present — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This is the beating heart of our faith, the place where heaven touches earth. Growing in the Eucharist guides us to not claim God as if he were ours alone. It challenges us to reflect Jesus— to show his love, his mercy, and his welcome.
So, when I wear that t‑shirt — “Jesus loves you… but I am his favorite” — I think of it not as a claim of spiritual superiority, but as a reminder that every person is God’s favorite. Every person has been created by God. And every person is sought, cherished, and seen by God. If Jesus loves me, he certainly loves the person standing next to me, even if their path to him looks different from mine.
This Sunday invites us to hold two truths together: we treasure the Eucharist — our intimate, living encounter with Christ that shapes our very being, and, in that, we can respect the faith of all who seek God. Love is not a competition; in the Kingdom of God, favorites are everywhere.
The readings for Sunday, August 23, can be found at Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB.