October 17, 2026
Dear Friends in Christ,
If you ever feel like you’re standing in the middle of a hurricane of demands – work pressures, constant activity, and media messages abounding – then we can find serenity in the readings for the Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time. As we wind down a series of Sundays where the Gospel readings have featured Jesus pointing out how one enters the Kingdom of God, the readings for this Sunday convey a simple truth: We are the people He chose, and we are called to honor Him and live his Gospel on this earth.
In the First Reading from Isaiah, we are told that, “I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” The Responsorial Psalm invokes us simply to “Give the Lord glory and honor.” In the Second Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, the author reminds us that Jesus chose us, not only through his word, “but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.” But it’s in the Gospel Reading from Matthew 22:15-21 where God imparts important guidance.
Once again, the Gospel has Jesus and the Pharisees at loggerheads with one another. Allied with an unlikely group, the Herodians, the Pharisees’ disciples sought to entrap Jesus with his own words, asking him whether it’s legal to pay the census tax to Augustus Caesar, head of the Roman government. Jesus, recognizing the setup, asked his questioners to show him a coin and tell him whose image was on it. When they correctly answered, ‘Caesar,’ Jesus gave them his divine response.
With his answer, Jesus has sidestepped the legality of the Pharisees’ and Herodians’ question and focused only on its logic. For us today, Jesus is telling us to keep our lives in perspective – that, regardless of how our day-to-day lives may distract us with shiny material things, endless activities, and talking heads, we must strive to keep God at the center of our lives. To honor him, respect him, and live out the Gospel through our encounters within our families and in our communities. All the rest is just noise.
As we begin this new week, I wish you peace and serenity, guided by the Word of God. We are the people He chose – let us live out His Gospel in every way! I hope you’ll also join us at 7:30 pm tomorrow in the church, as we will receive uplift and joy at the “Song of Mark” concert, performed by members of the Contemporary Ensemble and parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Church in Columbia; at-will donations benefit our parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society conference. See the flyer below.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John
Saturday, October 17
Sunday, October 18:
Monday, October 19:
Tuesday, October 20:
Parish Resources:
Dear Friends in Christ,
If you ever feel like you’re standing in the middle of a hurricane of demands – work pressures, constant activity, and media messages abounding – then we can find serenity in the readings for the Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time. As we wind down a series of Sundays where the Gospel readings have featured Jesus pointing out how one enters the Kingdom of God, the readings for this Sunday convey a simple truth: We are the people He chose, and we are called to honor Him and live his Gospel on this earth.
In the First Reading from Isaiah, we are told that, “I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” The Responsorial Psalm invokes us simply to “Give the Lord glory and honor.” In the Second Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, the author reminds us that Jesus chose us, not only through his word, “but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.” But it’s in the Gospel Reading from Matthew 22:15-21 where God imparts important guidance.
Once again, the Gospel has Jesus and the Pharisees at loggerheads with one another. Allied with an unlikely group, the Herodians, the Pharisees’ disciples sought to entrap Jesus with his own words, asking him whether it’s legal to pay the census tax to Augustus Caesar, head of the Roman government. Jesus, recognizing the setup, asked his questioners to show him a coin and tell him whose image was on it. When they correctly answered, ‘Caesar,’ Jesus gave them his divine response.
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
With his answer, Jesus has sidestepped the legality of the Pharisees’ and Herodians’ question and focused only on its logic. For us today, Jesus is telling us to keep our lives in perspective – that, regardless of how our day-to-day lives may distract us with shiny material things, endless activities, and talking heads, we must strive to keep God at the center of our lives. To honor him, respect him, and live out the Gospel through our encounters within our families and in our communities. All the rest is just noise.
As we begin this new week, I wish you peace and serenity, guided by the Word of God. We are the people He chose – let us live out His Gospel in every way! I hope you’ll also join us at 7:30 pm tomorrow in the church, as we will receive uplift and joy at the “Song of Mark” concert, performed by members of the Contemporary Ensemble and parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Church in Columbia; at-will donations benefit our parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society conference. See the flyer below.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John
Saturday, October 17
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Diana Massino.
Sunday, October 18:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Ruth Hutchins.
- Mass at 8 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. Andrew Corriente, OFM Cap. Mass readings
- Mass at 9:30 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. Roberto Amoruso. Mass readings
- Mass at 11:15 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon. Mass readings
- Mass in Spanish at 1 pm in the church. Celebrated by Fr. David Narváez. Mass readings
- Mass at 5 pm in the church. Celebrated by Fr. David Narváez. Mass readings
- “Song of Mark” concert at 7:30 pm in the church. Performed by members of the Contemporary Ensemble and musical members of St. John the Evangelist Parish (Columbia)
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Diana Massino.
Monday, October 19:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Ruth Hutchins.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon.
- Virtual Parish Rosary at 4 pm. Led by a member of the Parish Rosary Group.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Diana Massino.
Tuesday, October 20:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Ruth Hutchins.
- Mass at 9 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Diana Massino.
Parish Resources:
St. Martin Food Pantry Needs
The St. Martin Food Pantry has an urgent need for the following items:
- Meals in a can (canned pasta with meat)
- One-pound boxes of dried pasta
- Canned meats
- Canned fruit
- Baby diapers in sizes 4, 5, and 6
Save the Date of November 7 for a Speaker Addressing African-American Bishops in the United States
As we approach November’s commemoration of Black Catholic History Month, please save the date Saturday, November 7, to hear a special speaker address the topic of African-American Catholic bishops in the United States. Ali Mumbach, a research assistant and communications and marketing assistant with Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, will speak from 6:30-7:30 pm at our church about African-American members of the episcopacy; her hour-long address will include time for questions and answers. A reception will follow the event, which is sponsored by the parish’s Ad-hoc Committee on Anti-Racism.
For more information, please contact committee members Ann Pierre at pierrea35@hotmail.com or Gerry Mpyanga at gmypanga@yahoo.com.
Reserve la fecha del 7 de noviembre: charla sobre los obispos afroamericanos en Estados Unidos
Al acercarse la conmemoración del Mes de la Historia Católica Afroamericana en noviembre, reserve la fecha del sábado ,7 de noviembre para escuchar a una ponente especial hablar sobre los obispos católicos afroamericanos en Estados Unidos. Ali Mumbach, asistente de investigación y de comunicaciones del Centro de Investigación Aplicada en el Apostolado (CARA) de la Universidad de Georgetown, ofrecerá una charla de 6:30 a 7:30 p. m. en nuestra iglesia sobre los miembros afroamericanos del episcopado; su presentación incluirá un espacio para preguntas y respuestas. Tras el evento, patrocinado por el Comité Ad Hoc Contra el Racismo de la parroquia, se ofrecerá una recepción.
Para más información, por favor comuníquese con los miembros del comité Ann Pierre (pierrea35@hotmail.com) o Gerry Mpyanga (gmypanga@yahoo.com).
