Jesus speaking with the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is widely considered one of the most uncomfortable and confusing interactions that Jesus has with anyone in all of the Gospels. So many interactions with Jesus point to Our Lord’s compassion and mercy. Jesus is often seen as the one who reaches out to those who are sick and in need. But today, we hear a very different tone from Our Lord.

It is hard to believe, but we are already in August, and our students are back to school. Seems like our eighth graders were just graduating yesterday. Time flies when you are having fun. During our brief hiatus, there has been some amazing work going on behind the scenes around our campus to prepare for the return of more than 600 students and staff members and the hundreds of “snowbirds” returning to our valley for the winter.

We are so blessed to have St. John XXIII Catholic grade school as part of our history. For over 27 years, our dedicated teachers and staff have educated thousands of young people in the Catholic faith. As we begin our 2026/2027 school year, we give thanks to God for all His blessings as we welcome our students and their families.