Sunday, October 18, 2026
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary 145
First Reading — Isaiah 45:1, 4–6
Isaiah 45:1 — God speaks to Cyrus, the Persian king whom He has chosen to accomplish His purpose. God strengthens him and opens doors before him.
Isaiah 45:4 — For the sake of Israel, God’s chosen people, the Lord calls Cyrus by name, even though Cyrus does not know Him.
Isaiah 45:5 — The Lord declares that He alone is God. There is no other God besides Him.
Isaiah 45:6 — God acts so that people throughout the earth, from east to west, may recognize that He alone is the Lord.
God demonstrates His authority over earthly rulers and nations. Even those who do not know Him can serve His purposes.
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 96:1, 3, 4–5, 7–8, 9–10
Response: Give the Lord glory and honor.
Psalm 96:1, 3 — Sing a new song to the Lord! Proclaim His glory among the nations and tell all people of His wonderful works.
Psalm 96:4–5 — The Lord is great and worthy of praise. The gods of the nations are powerless idols, but the Lord created the heavens.
Psalm 96:7–8 — All families and nations are called to recognize God’s glory and strength. Give Him the honor His name deserves.
Psalm 96:9–10 — Worship the Lord in holiness. Proclaim among the nations that the Lord reigns and judges His people with righteousness.
Second Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5b
1 Thessalonians 1:1 — Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy greet the believers in Thessalonica with grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 — Paul continually thanks God for their faith, their loving service, and their endurance through hope in Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:4 — Paul reminds these believers that God loves them and has called them to Himself.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 — The Gospel came to them not merely through spoken words but through the power of the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.
Paul encourages the first-century believers whose faith, love, and endurance demonstrated the transforming power of the Gospel.
Alleluia — Philippians 2:15d, 16a
Believers are called to shine as lights in the world while holding firmly to God’s Word of life.
Gospel — Matthew 22:15–21
Matthew 22:15–16 — The Pharisees plot to trap Jesus with His own words. They send their followers and supporters of Herod to question Him.
Matthew 22:17 — They ask Jesus whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar.
Matthew 22:18 — Jesus recognizes their dishonesty and challenges their attempt to test Him.
Matthew 22:19–20 — Jesus asks them to show Him the coin used to pay the tax. He asks whose image and inscription appear upon it.
Matthew 22:21 — When they answer that the image belongs to Caesar, Jesus teaches them to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give God what belongs to God.
Jesus distinguishes earthly governmental responsibilities from humanity’s greater responsibility to God.
Kingdom Connection
Today’s readings reveal that God’s authority extends over every nation and earthly kingdom.
Isaiah shows God directing even a Gentile king to accomplish His purposes for Israel.
Paul reveals how the Gospel had already reached Gentile believers in Thessalonica, demonstrating God’s expanding work through Jesus Christ.
Jesus reminds His first-century audience that although earthly rulers possess authority, our highest allegiance belongs to God.
Earthly governments rise and fall, but God’s Kingdom, established through Jesus Christ, remains everlasting.
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