08.23.26 // 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Catholic Mass | CFC Choir | Mary Star Oxnard

🙏🏻✝️ Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time — August 23, 2026 | Year A ✝️🙏🏻 Welcome to this celebration of the Holy Mass at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Oxnard, California, with the Couples for Christ Choir – Cluster A1, Oxnard, California, serving through sacred music, prayer, and reverent worship. 🎶⛪🕊️ 📍 Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church Oxnard, California 93033 Archdiocese of Los Angeles — Santa Barbara Pastoral Region 🎼 Music Ministry: Couples for Christ Choir – Cluster A1 🙏🏻 Celebration: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 📅 Date: August 23, 2026 📖 Liturgical Year: Year A 📚 Lectionary: 121 📖 SUNDAY SCRIPTURE First Reading: Isaiah 22:19–23 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1–2, 2–3, 6, 8 Response: Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands. Second Reading: Romans 11:33–36 Gospel: Matthew 16:13–20 Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Peter professes his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Christ establishes His Church and entrusts Peter with a special responsibility of faith and service. May this celebration strengthen us to recognize Jesus as the Christ, trust in God’s wisdom, give thanks for His eternal love, and serve His Church with humility, courage, charity, and peace. ✝️🕊️❤️ 🎶 SACRED MUSIC AND THE CHURCH In his August 19, 2026 catechesis on sacred music, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and reminded the Church that sacred music is not simply decoration added to the liturgy. It belongs intimately to the Church’s worship, gives expression to prayer, fosters communion, and helps unite God’s people in praise. This beautiful understanding is also reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1156–1158, which teaches that sacred music and song should serve the glory of God, the sanctification of the faithful, the prayer of the Church, and the participation of the assembled People of God. Our prayer is that every voice, instrument, response, hymn, and moment of silence may direct hearts toward Jesus Christ and help the congregation participate more deeply in the Sacred Liturgy. 🎶🙏🏻 As Pope Leo XIV has emphasized, the harmony of a choir can become a beautiful sign of the communion of the Church—many voices offering one song of praise to God. 🕊️🌎 🌎 ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH We join our prayers with Pope Leo XIV, our bishops, priests, religious, deacons, and faithful throughout the universal Catholic Church. We pray for the Church throughout every diocese and archdiocese around the world, for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and for Catholics, chaplains, service members, veterans, and families served by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. 🇺🇸🙏🏻 May Christ unite people of every nation and culture in faith, charity, reconciliation, human dignity, and peace. Lord, make us instruments of Your peace. 🕊️ 📚 CATHOLIC FOUNDATION This presentation is prepared in harmony with: • Sacred Scripture and the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) • Sacred Tradition • The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) • The living Magisterium of the Catholic Church • The teachings of the Second Vatican Council, particularly Sacrosanctum Concilium • The liturgical discipline and pastoral guidance of the Catholic Church • The Holy See and the pastoral teaching of Pope Leo XIV May everything we create and offer through sacred music ultimately lead people not to ourselves, but to Jesus Christ. 🙏🏻 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. 🕊️ Peace be with you. ⸻ Parish: Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church — Oxnard, California Music Ministry: Couples for Christ Choir – Cluster A1 Catholic Mass: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time — August 23, 2026 This video prayerfully documents Catholic worship and the service of the choir. References to the Holy See, Pope Leo XIV, the USCCB, Catholic dioceses or archdioceses, and other Catholic institutions are made for religious, educational, liturgical, or contextual purposes and do not imply sponsorship or official endorsement unless expressly stated. Sacred music, hymns, compositions, Scripture translations, artwork, and other third-party materials remain the property of their respective copyright holders. Attribution or inclusion in this description does not replace any permissions or licenses that may be required. #CatholicMass #21stSundayInOrdinaryTime #MaryStarOfTheSea #CouplesForChrist #CFCChoir #CatholicChoir #SacredMusic #PopeLeoXIV #CatholicChurch #Oxnard