20th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A (2023)

The readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year A highlight that God wills all of the world to be saved. In the first reading (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7) the Israelites learn that foreigners who follow the decrees of the Lord also worship God. The psalm (Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8) cries “O God, let all the nations praise you! ” In the second reading (Romans 11:13-15, 29-32) Paul speaks of his ministry to the Gentiles. And in the gospel (Matthew 15:21-28) Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman.

So here we can talk about being inclusive and wanting all people to be joined in the Kingdom of God. Here are some ideas:

Prayer for an End to Racism

The sin of racism has been on my mind lately. Our communities are so divided. We don't understand or listen to each other. We seem unable to make the sacrifices necessary to even the playing field for all of God's children.

Fox and Chickens Tag (Game for Youth Ministry or VBS)

This is a variation on tag which the person who is it tries to tag the last person in line. The people at the front of the line try to protect the last person. This game could be used with a theme of how God protects us and loves us even better than a mother hen protects her chicks. Or it could be used for a social justice theme about protecting the marginalized.

People Sort Activity

This is an activity which can be used as an icebreaker or opening activity for a youth group meeting focused on human dignity, immigration, or institutional racism. Use the debrief time to have an honest discussion about why we group people by race rather than other characteristics. 

Not in My Basket! (Game for VBS or Youth Ministry)

This is an active game where youth try to get their own balls in their own basket while keeping the other team's balls out. This can be a good game to play for the topics of racism and immigration. If you use the option to change the rules mid-game, this makes a good tie in with a lesson on authority or Magisterium.

O God, Let All the Nations Praise You!

O God, let all the nations praise you! May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. -Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

A Prayer for Our Nation

It is easy to look at the divisions in our country and the injustices and loose hope. But our merciful God is first and foremost our reason for hope. Let us place our country in his hands.

Us vs Them Reflection and Discussion Questions

We often tend to associate with people who share similar traits and common interests: people on our sports team, friends who like the same video games, the theater troupe, our fellow choir members, chess enthusiasts, etc. There is nothing wrong with this unless it leads to an "Us vs Them" mentality. We have to remember not to exclude people outside of our usual circle or even worse, treat them unfairly.

Privilege Walk for Teens

A Privilege Walk is an exercise where participants consider how circumstances in their lives can be benefits or detriments. These are circumstances which are beyond their control, largely related to the families they were born into and the resources they have.