Carmel teaches
the Church how to pray.

-Pope Francis & Pope Benedict XV

The Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
September 21st:
The Feast of St. Matthew,
Apostle & Evangelist

Click here for our newest hymns,
“Morning and Evening Prayer” and the instrumental and vocal versions
of “Para Amar Como Tú”

We offer Night Prayer
every night of the year.

Twenty-fifth Sunday
in Ordinary Time
September 20, 2026

Saturday September 19th

Sunday September 20th

The Gospel Reading

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard. 
Going out about nine o'clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off. 
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise. 
Going out about five o'clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage. 
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage. 
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you. 
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 
Take what is yours and go. 
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? 
Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Matthew 20:1-16a

The Feast of
St. Matthew,
Apostle & Evangelist
September 21, 2026

Night Prayer
for the
Twenty-fifth Week
in Ordinary Time


Monday September 21st
Tuesday September 22nd
Wednesday September 23rd
Thursday September 24th
Friday September 25th


“Meet your
Beloved
every day:
same time,
same place.”

Sister Albertina’s
Golden Rule
for Prayer:

Choose a time
and place
each day to pray:

Elige un momento y un lugar para rezar cada día:

New Hymns!

Morning Song
Evening Song

Vocals: Alondra Catache and
Matthew Gummess, O.Carm.
Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
Viola: Briana Bandy.

Para Amar Como Tú - (instrumental)
Para Amar Como Tú

Vocals: Hector Tavárez, O.Carm., Marco Pardo, TOC, Raúl Chafloque, O.Carm.,
Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm., Alondra Catache.
Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
Guitar & Bass: Julian Pardo.
Soprano Sax: Jeff Delisanti.
Viola: Briana Bandy

Prayer Intention
of Pope Leo
for September 2026

For the care of water.

Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

Pray with
the Pope

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord of Life,
You have given us the gift of water, source of fruitfulness, freshness, and hope. It quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds.
We thank You, because it is also a symbol of your grace and love that renews us through Baptism.
Today we ask You to teach us to safeguard it with gratitude, justice, and responsibility.
Forgive us for turning it into a commodity, forgetting that it is a universal gift, a right without borders, meant for all your children. We see with pain so many brothers and sisters who lack clean water, who walk for miles to find it, who become ill due to its scarcity.
May your Spirit make us pilgrims of the essential, able to live with simplicity, denouncing waste and pollution, defending the right of every brother and sister to drink without fear and without inequality.
May our care for water be a sign of love for the Creator and a commitment to the lives of the poor, educating new generations to value
and protect the Earth’s resources.

Amen.

The Rosary

Multiple hands holding a rosary with a crucifix against a dark background.

Pray the Rosary
in English and Spanish
with the Carmelites here
or on SoundCloud.

Rece el Rosario
en inglés y español
con los Carmelitas aquí
o en SoundCloud.

Iconography:
“Windows into Heaven”

Praying with Spiritual Icons is an ancient practice still used by Eastern Rite Catholics and the Orthodox Church today. Icons present holy images and symbols that invite us to a still, contemplative space, deepening our connection with God. The Icons in our videos are intended to enhance the experience of praying the specific liturgy.

Icons are intentionally painted without realistic perspective or natural shadows. This stylistic choice is meant to pull the viewer out of ordinary, earthly time and invite them into the eternal presence of God.

Many of the Icons we use are written by Carmelite friars. The icons we share will change throughout the Church's liturgical seasons. We will do our best to briefly explain the symbols found in these icons and list resources for users who wish to learn more about the tradition of this sacred art form.

If praying with Icons interests you, here is a link to a guide that might be helpful. We also offer a simple format for Visio Divina on our Meditation Tools page.

Additional Reading
Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons
by Henri JM Nouwen

Praying with Icons
by Jim Forrest

The Open Door
by Frederica Mathewes-Green

Religious icon depicting the Nativity scene with Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus in a manger, angels, shepherds, wise men, animals, and other biblical figures.

“The Nativity”
Written by
Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.

Christ the Pantocrator written by Bro. Daryl Moresco, O.Carm.

“Christ the Pantocrator”
Written by
Daryl Moresco, O. Carm.

Religious icon of "Christ of the Gospels." Written by Carmelite Filiberto Oregel, O.Carm.

“Christ of the Gospels”
Written by
Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.

“Certainly, I find that the starting point for prayer
has to be a brief moment
of self-awareness:
an acknowledgment of how
I find myself right then —
peaceful…
troubled…
restless…
joyous…
preoccupied…
angry…
questioning…
Whatever the mood,
this is what I bring to prayer…[.]”

Upon This Mountain: Prayer in the Carmelite Tradition
by Mary McCormack, OCD.
Copyright 2009, Teresian Press