21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - 08/17/2026

This week on Be Not Afraid, Fr. Fabian and Fr. Bruce Riebe reflect on the upcoming Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22), tracing its origins to Pope Pius XII's 1954 encyclical and its beautiful connection to Mary's Assumption. Fr. Bruce offers a Byzantine Catholic perspective, noting how the Eastern Church honors Mary as Queen of Heaven within the Octave of the Dormition of the Theotokos, even without a distinct feast day. The hosts also share a touching reflection on Marian crowning traditions across Hispanic and Holy Family school customs. Turning to Sunday's readings, the hosts dive into Romans 11:33-36 and St. Paul's meditation on the depth of God's wisdom, drawing a beautiful connection to Mary's total surrender to God's will. In the Gospel from Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks the apostles "Who do you say that I am?" — prompting Peter's declaration of faith and the founding of the Church upon him as the Rock. Fr. Bruce also shares a striking pastoral observation from 41 years of priesthood: a growing number of young men in their 20s and 30s are being drawn to Eastern Christian spirituality, and how the Eastern Catholic Church offers them that same ancient liturgical richness while remaining in full communion with Rome. This episode is brought to you by Ball Team, your builder of all faith-based construction needs. Learn more at BuildWithBall.com. Learn more at IowaCatholicRadio.com. Hashtags #BeNotAfraid #CatholicPodcast #QueenshipOfMary #BlessedVirginMary #EasternCatholic #ByzantineCatholic #IowaCatholicRadio #OrdinaryTime #CatholicFaith #GospelReflection #CatholicRadio #Theotokos #CatholicChurch #FrFabian #FrBruceRiebe Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our StationsLINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.