Twentieth Sunday Homily in Ordinary Time Year A

1st Reading – Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

¹ Thus says the LORD: Preserve judgment, and accomplish justice. For my salvation is close to its arrival, and my justice is close to being revealed.

⁶ And the sons of the new arrival, who adhere to the Lord so as to worship him and to love his name, shall be his servants: all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it, and who hold to my covenant.

⁷ I will lead them to my holy mountain, and I will gladden them in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their victims will be pleasing to me upon my altar. For my house will be called the house of prayer for all peoples.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!

² May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
³ So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

⁵ May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

⁶ May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
⁸ May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

2nd Reading – Romans 11:13-15, 29-32

Brothers and sisters:
¹³ I say to you Gentiles: Certainly, as long as I am an Apostle to the Gentiles, I will honor my ministry,

¹⁴ in such a way that I might provoke to rivalry those who are my own flesh, and so that I may save some of them.

¹⁵ For if their loss is for the reconciliation of the world, what could their return be for, except life out of death?

²⁹ For the gifts and the call of God are without regret.

³⁰ And just as you also, in times past, did not believe in God, but now you have obtained mercy because of their unbelief,

³¹ so also have these now not believed, for your mercy, so that they might obtain mercy also.

³² For God has enclosed everyone in unbelief, so that he may have mercy on everyone.

Alleluia – CF. Matthew 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
²³ Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – Matthew 15:21-28

²¹ At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

²² And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

²³ But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

²⁴ He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁵ But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”

²⁶ He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.