Weekly Newsletter 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time October 11th, 2026

Feasting on God’s Abundance:

Have you ever planned a party, poured your heart into the menu, and then watched as the invited guests politely

—or not-so-politely—made excuses to stay home? It’s a painful feeling.

Yet, in this Sunday’s Gospel, that is precisely the image Jesus uses to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. A king prepares a lavish wedding banquet for his son, slaughtering the finest cattle, setting the tables, and sending out the servants. But the invited guests are too busy. One has a field to tend; another has business to run. The invitation is spurned.

What happens next is shocking. The king doesn’t cancel the party. Instead, he opens the doors to everyone—the good and the bad, the marginalised and the ordinary—filling the banquet hall to capacity.

This parable strikes at the heart of our human tendency to miss the point. How often do we get bogged down in the “business” of our daily lives—our worries, our to-do lists, our self-reliance—and accidentally RSVP “no” to God’s invitation of joy?

Isaiah offers us a breathtaking preview of this very feast: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines.” God is not offering a meagre ration; He is offering total abundance, the ultimate wiping away of tears, and the end of sorrow.

Saint Paul reminds us in our second reading from Philippians where true strength lies when life gets heavy: “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” Paul knew what it was to live in abundance and to live in humble penury, yet his gaze remained fixed on the ultimate Provider.

This week, let us check our calendars and our hearts. Are we too busy building our own kingdoms to accept the King’s invitation?

The banquet table is set right here, in our parish, in the Eucharist, and in our daily encounters with grace.

The King is waiting. Will you walk in and take your seat?