28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: October 11, 2026
Readings: Isaiah 25:6–10; Psalm 23:1–6; Philippians 4:12–14, 19–20; Matthew 22:1–14
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| Paolo Veronese, The Wedding at Cana |
Our experience shows us that our God is a God of abundance. Perhaps there might be some not-so-happy experiences in our lives where we must have lacked something, the thing that we desired; even through prayer, we did not receive it. It might be some things, some wishes. It might be good health, or a right partner or a right job, or a right place to stay or right people as our good friends. We might have lost hope in believing in fact, in the person whom we believed and prayed for so long. However, ultimately, we have realized in our lives that God does take care of us through various people or some incidents where we felt that God is near and has cared for us. The liturgical readings on this 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time give us wonderful readings which emphasize that God is good and caring. Therefore, we must cultivate a desire to have such a God in our lives.
1. God's Generous and Universal Invitation
The Gospel of Matthew 22:1–14, the Parable of the Wedding Feast, speaks powerfully about God’s invitation, human freedom, and the kind of life that should follow from accepting God’s grace. The king prepares a magnificent wedding feast for his son. The feast represents the abundance of God’s Kingdom. God does not invite us because we have earned it; He invites us because He loves us.
The tragedy in the parable is that those who are invited refuse to come. They are too occupied with their own affairs. Some are concerned about their fields and businesses; others simply ignore the invitation. How often do we do the same? God continually invites us into friendship, prayer, service, forgiveness and love. Yet we can become so occupied with work, money, ambitions, entertainment and personal concerns that we fail to notice His invitation.
2. God’s invitation demands a response
An invitation is not complete until it is accepted. God respects our freedom. He invites, but He does not force. Every day God invites us to make choices that bring us closer to Him. We encounter these invitations in Scripture, in the Eucharist, in people who need us, in moments of suffering, and even in ordinary situations where we are called to choose patience over anger, forgiveness over resentment and generosity over selfishness.
Christian faith is not merely about knowing that God has invited us. It is about responding to that invitation with our lives.
3. God's Grace is for everyone, and it transforms us
This is a beautiful image of God's inclusive love. The Reign of God is not reserved for the perfect, the successful or the socially important. God welcomes sinners, the poor, the broken, the forgotten and those who feel unworthy. The Church too is called to be a community where people encounter God's welcome.
Having received God's invitation, we are called to allow that grace to change our attitudes, values and actions. We cannot remain indifferent when we see the sufferings of others. Grace is always a free gift of our benevolent God. His invitation is generous. In spite of our schedules, responsibilities, ambitions and worries, we must cultivate within us a deep faith, compassion, forgiveness, humility, justice and love.
Questions for self-reflections
- Does my life reflect the values of the Gospel—faith, humility, compassion, justice and love?
- How much time do I give to God?
- Do people experience God’s love and acceptance through my words, attitudes and actions?
Concluding Prayer
Lord our God, thank You for inviting us to the feast of Your Kingdom. Help us never to be so occupied with the things of this world that we forget Your loving invitation. Give us hearts that are open to Your grace and lives that reflect Your love, compassion and forgiveness. Clothe us with the garment of faith, humility and love, so that we may be worthy witnesses of Your presence in the world. May our lives become a welcome invitation to others to experience Your goodness. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Lord. Amen.
- Fr. Olvin Veigas, SJ
E-mail: olvinveigas@jesuits.net
Blog: Celebrate Faith
Video: YouTube
09 October 2026
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