SUNDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME | YEAR A | SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

SUNDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME | YEAR A | SEPTEMBER 20, 2026 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/sunday-of-the-twenty-fifth-week-in-ordinary-time-year-a-september-20-2026/

SAINTS OF THE DAY | SEPTEMBER 20, 2026 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-20th/

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS ANDREW KIM TAE-GÕN, PRIEST, AND PAUL CHÕNG HA-SANG, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS AND SAINT EUSTACE AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS

HISTORY OF THE SAINTS SERIES ON YOUTUBE CHANNEL | https://www.youtube.com/@dailyreflectionswithphilomena

👉🏾 Watch the YouTube Video of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, Companions, and Saint Eustace Here | https://youtu.be/3hv6od4MFrk?si=A-TkWzRyP6QcYfw_

History of the Saints | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | September 20, 2026 | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-daily-mass-september-20-2026/

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Greetings and blessings, beloved family!

Today, as we celebrate the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, our hearts are drawn first to the radical, unmerited generosity of God proclaimed in the Gospel, where the landowner’s wages challenge our human instincts of comparison and reveal that God’s grace is boundless for all who answer His call. The First Reading from Isaiah and Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians remind us that God’s ways are infinitely higher than our own and that for us, “life is Christ.” Amidst this celebration of divine mercy, the Church also honors the Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions, Martyrs, along with Saint Eustace and his Companions, whose heroic blood and steadfast endurance built up the Church in Korea and Rome. Inspired by their fearless witness and anchored in the Lord’s infinite generosity, let us open our hearts to walk worthily in His grace today.

BIBLE READINGS FOR TODAY’S HOLY MASS:

Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Today’s Bible Readings: Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Sunday, September 20, 2026
Reading 1: Isaiah 55:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
Reading 2: Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16a

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 20:1-16a

“Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

“Jesus told his disciples this parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard… When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner… He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?'”

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Today’s readings challenge our human instincts of fairness, comparison, and calculation, inviting us instead to marvel at the radical, unmerited generosity of God. In the Gospel, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard presents a landowner who pays the workers hired at the final hour the exact same daily wage as those who toiled through the scorching heat all day. To our earthly minds, this feels unjust. Yet, the landowner’s response strips away our competitive resentment: “Are you envious because I am generous?” God’s kingdom operates not on strict commercial contracts or human merit, but on boundless grace. He desires to give lavishly to all who answer His call, no matter how late or unworthy they may feel.

This staggering difference between human limits and divine mercy is beautifully echoed in the First Reading, where the Lord declares through Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways… As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” While we often measure worth by output or status, God measures life by love and availability to His grace. Saint Paul captures this completely in the Second Reading, writing that for him, “life is Christ, and death is gain.” Whether laboring long hours or entering the vineyard at the eleventh hour, our ultimate joy is found in God’s presence, echoing the Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord is near to all who call upon him.”

Today, let us examine our hearts for any traces of jealousy or self-righteous pride. Do we rejoice when others receive God’s mercy, or do we begrudge His generosity to the “latecomers”? Let us thank God that His grace is open to all. How often do you catch yourself comparing your spiritual journey or blessings to those of others, and how can you better embrace God’s unique, generous grace for every soul?

Heavenly Father, we thank You that Your ways are higher than our ways and Your mercy vastly exceeds our human understanding. Forgive us for the times we grumble, compare ourselves to others, or look down upon those who find You late in life. Grant us generous and humble hearts that rejoice in Your boundless grace and love. Help us to conduct ourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ, serving faithfully in Your vineyard each day with joy and gratitude. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINTS OF THE DAY | SEPTEMBER 20TH:

Direct link to the detailed history of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, Companions, and Saint Eustace | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-20th/

SAINT ANDREW KIM TAE-GŎN, PAUL CHŎNG HA-SANG, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (D. 19th Century): Christianity in Korea began through the zeal of lay faithful in the late 18th century, long before missionaries arrived. Despite brutal persecution, the faith grew rapidly, sustained by ordinary men and women. Between 1839 and 1867, over 10,000 Korean Catholics were martyred for Christ. Among them were Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, the first native Korean priest, and Saint Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, a courageous lay leader. Andrew Kim, ordained in Shanghai in 1845, was arrested while aiding missionaries and was martyred in 1846 at only 25 years old. Paul Chŏng defended the faith and helped organize the persecuted Church until his martyrdom in 1839. Together with bishops, priests, and countless lay faithful, they shed their blood for Christ. Pope John Paul II canonized 103 Korean martyrs in 1984, calling the Korean Church a unique witness of faith founded by laypeople and watered by the blood of martyrs. Today, they inspire us to live courageously and faithfully in the face of trials.

PRAYER: O God, You raised up Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and their Companions to be witnesses of Your love in the midst of fierce persecution. Grant that, through their intercession, we may remain steadfast in faith, courageous in trials, and joyful in proclaiming Your Gospel. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINT EUSTACE AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (D. 2nd Century): Saint Eustace, originally a Roman general named Placidus, was converted to Christianity after a miraculous vision of Christ crucified between a stag’s antlers while hunting. He and his wife, Theopista, along with their sons Agapitus and Theopistus, were baptized and devoted themselves to Christ. Their fidelity was tested by poverty, separation, and persecution, yet they remained steadfast. Eventually reunited, they refused to offer sacrifice to pagan gods under Emperor Hadrian and were condemned to death. Miraculously spared from wild beasts, they were martyred together by being enclosed in a heated bronze bull. Their story, though surrounded by legend, has long inspired devotion. They became widely venerated in the Middle Ages as protectors against fire, plague, and trials.

PRAYER: O God, who granted Saint Eustace and his family strength to endure suffering for the sake of Christ, grant us through their intercession the courage to remain faithful in trials, trust in Your providence, and hope in the joy of eternal life. Amen. 🙏🏾

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, Companions, and Saint Eustace ~ Pray for us 🙏🏾

HONORING THE SAINTS OF THE DAY:
Alongside Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, Companions, and Saint Eustace (Saint Eustachius), we also honor: SAINT AGATHA CHON KYONGHYOB, SAINT AGATHA KIM, SAINT AGATHA YI, SAINT AGATHA YI KANNAN, SAINT AGATHA YI KYONG-I, SAINT AGATHA YI SOSA, SAINT ALEX U SEYONG, SAINT ANNA KIM, SAINT CANDIDA, SAINT CECILIA YU, SAINT DIONYSIUS, SAINT EUSEBIA, SAINTS FAUSTA AND EVILIASIUS, SAINT JOHN CHARLES CORNAY, SAINT JOSE MARIA DE YERMO Y PARRES, SAINT LAWRENCE IMBERT, SAINT LUCIA PARK HUISUN, SAINT MAGALENA HO KYE-IM, SAINT MARTHA KIM, MARTYRS OF KOREA, SAINT AGAPITUS, SAINT SUSANNA U SURIM, SAINT TERESA YI MAE-IM, SAINTS THEODORE, PHILIPPA, AND COMPANIONS, BLESSED THOMAS JOHNSON, SAINT THOMAS SON CHASON, AND SAINT VINCENT MADELGARUS. May their faithful lives inspire our own journey today.

PRAYER INTENTION: FOR GRATITUDE FOR DIVINE GENEROSITY AND COURAGEOUS WITNESS IN THE FAITH

Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we thank You for Your boundless and radical generosity, which shatters our human calculations of fairness and pours out Your grace upon all who call upon You. Forgive us for the times we grumble or look with envy upon Your mercy to others, and grant us generous hearts that rejoice in Your unmerited love. Guided by the witness of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, Saint Eustace, and all their companion martyrs, strengthen us to remain utterly faithful to Your commandments and to conduct ourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ, even amidst trial and persecution. Help us to live each day knowing that for us, life is Christ. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, Companions, Saint Eustace, and all the Saints we celebrate today ~ Pray for us. 🙏🏾

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2026: FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER: For the care of water. Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER | MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS: September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, inviting us to unite our hearts with Mary in her profound sharing of Christ’s Passion. As Simeon foretold, “a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35), and throughout her life Mary endured deep sorrows that culminated at Calvary. In her silent strength and unwavering faith, she became the compassionate Mother of all Christians, offering her suffering with Christ for the salvation of the world.

This month, the Church calls us to meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Mary: Simeon’s prophecy, the Flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, standing at the foot of the Cross, receiving His lifeless Body, and placing Him in the tomb. By reflecting on these sorrows, we learn patience in trials, compassion for the suffering, and a deeper love for Jesus who suffered for us.

Prayers such as the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows, and the Litany of Our Lady of Sorrows help us to walk with Mary in her suffering and to discover hope and consolation in her maternal heart.

“Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, teach us to stand with you at the Cross, sharing in Christ’s love and redemptive sacrifice.”

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Amen 🙏🏾

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/month.cfm?y=2026&m=9

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you! Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen 🙏🏾

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES

A Guide to Catholic Prayer & Faith Resources: Prayers, Devotions, Teachings, and the Liturgical Year | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-prayer-faith-resources/

Catholic Mission & Witness: Foundations, Media Features, Global Outreach and Podcast Interview | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-mission-witness-foundations-media-features-and-global-outreach/

DAILY PRAYERS: St. Michael the Archangel Prayer; Angelus Prayer; and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Prayer | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/st-michael-the-archangel-prayer-angelus-prayer-and-the-chaplet-of-divine-mercy-prayer-2/

THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org/

Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/