August 16, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters, There are a lot of people out there who feel like they’re beyond the reach of God’s love. Sometimes because of decisions they’ve made, and sometimes because of difficult situations they’ve found themselves in. When we feel that way, life becomes a burden. And that’s why it’s so important for us to always remind ourselves and others that God loves everyone, no matter what we’ve done or what situation we’re in. That’s why Jesus died and rose again. He goes out of his way to make sure that we can all find our way to him and experience his loving care. We see it in today’s Gospel, when Jesus reaches out across every boundary of race and culture and society to show his love for a Canaanite woman and her family. Since we’re called to have the same attitude as Christ (in other words, to share his love), it’s worth thinking about whether there is anyone in our life that needs to hear that message of God’s love. Maybe they’re Catholic and have been away from church for a while. Or maybe they’ve never really known God. My encouragement to the parish this weekend is to pray for anyone you know who might be distant from God, so that they will feel drawn to his love. Inviting people to come closer to God is on my mind this week, since we’re in the process of starting our OCIA program for the year: the main way that we respond to the needs of people seeking unity with Christ and his Church. The formal program will begin the evening of Tuesday, 25 August, at 6:30pm, so we’re in active outreach mode right now. Again, as a first step, please think and pray about anyone you know that might be interested—I’m sure we all know someone that has questions and would like to learn more about God. As a second step, if you feel God leading you, please give them a personal invitation to come to St. Thomas and check out our OCIA. Through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of Apostles, and our patron St. Thomas, may we all find the wisdom and courage to bring someone in our lives to the Lord Jesus. God bless,

Father Jantz