Saturday August 22, 2026

---

The marvelous deeds of the Lord are revealed to others through you!

---

Good News Reflection for:

Saturday of the 20th Week of Ordinary Time
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 22, 2026

Today’s Prayer:

I thank You, Lord, because every minute of my day is under Your loving gaze and because You protect and guard me with Your saint angels. Amen.

IMPROVE YOUR DAY!
Powerful Catholic prayers are available on our YouTube channel.

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 43:1-7ab
Psalm 85:9-14
Matthew 23:1-12
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082226.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-august-22-2026

You are blessing to others

When you’re having a bad day, what restores a smile to your face? Nothing is as uplifting as someone taking time to show you that they care.

How does God reveal that he cares about you? Through the people who show that they care. Their compassion comes from God. Their outreach to you is God coming to you through them — even when they’re not aware of it! (This is a big reason why we should place ourselves in the company of other Christians when we’re feeling down or troubled or sick.)

Now look in the mirror. The Lord Jesus is being revealed to others through you!

What do people praise you for? What are you doing that gets affirmed? This is your special area of ministry, your apostleship.*

If people commend you for being a good listener, it’s because God has gifted you with a ministry of letting people unburden themselves on your love. If a friend goes into the hospital and is blessed by your visit, you’re a good candidate for taking Communion to the hospitalized and homebound. If people frequently ask you to pray for them, you have an important ministry of intercessory prayer.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus warns about wrong priorities. The Pharisees considered oaths to be binding when sworn by the gold of the temple, but not by the sacredness of the temple. In today’s world, that would be like swearing on the price sticker of a Bible to prove that your word is good. If the Word of God inside the Bible is less important than the cost of the Bible, our oath is meaningless.

By the same principle, woe are we and how blind we are if we serve God for our own gain. If we minister primarily because of the affirmation it gives us, or because of the automatic respect it guarantees, or because we can wield authority over others, or to push our own agendas, then we are abusing our vocations and we are no better than the Pharisees. Yes, God affirms us through the people we serve in order to encourage us, but this must never be our reason for serving.

Because today is the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let’s put her in charge of directing us on the paths where Jesus is calling us to serve. Pray with me in a Marian meditation about the challenging times in the life of the Blessed Mother Mary. This video-prayer focuses on the times when she trusted God: gnm-media.org/sit-with-mary-a-marian-meditation

*I wrote a workbook to help you figure out your special area of ministry, your apostleship. Get “Knowing God’s Will and Doing It Well” today.

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

---

 To distribute the Good News Reflections in your church bulletin or in RCIA or faith sharing groups, please contact us.

 You can also receive this & more faith-builders by text message on your phone.

 Keep it going! This reflection reached you thanks to benefactors. Please support this ministry today.

 Post your prayer request.

 How else can we serve you today? Visit our homepage.

Search more reflections in our continually growing database.

Homebound, Prison & Hospital Ministers are invited to print and distribute them without further permission.

Continue your prayer time with these:
Pray with Saints | Pray the Rosary | Other Prayers | Random Quotes.

 

Order and share Terry Modica's books

Socialize with us at:
        

Please share this with others by inviting them to visit this page. You may also print this for your personal use and you may share the print-out with others. [bws_pdfprint display='print']