28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMES 11TH OCTOBER 2026

The readings invite us to reflect on God’s everlasting love, the joy of His kingdom, and our responsibility to respond faithfully to His call.

The image of the heavenly banquet reminds us of God’s desire to bring His people into eternal joy, where sorrow, suffering, and death will be no more. He promises to wipe away every tear and destroy death forever. This assures us that nothing, not even death, can separate us from God’s love. As Jesus teaches, God is the God of the living, and St Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

In his letter to the Philippians, St Paul expresses his gratitude for their generosity while acknowledging that his strength comes from God. He assures them that God will provide for all their needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. This teaches us to trust in God’s providence, practise generosity, and remember that our greatest strength and security come from Him.

In the Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding banquet. The king invites guests, but many refuse to attend, while others mistreat his messengers. This warns us against rejecting God’s invitation through indifference, selfishness, or disobedience. The man without a wedding garment reminds us that accepting God’s invitation requires more than words; it demands a life of faith, love, kindness, and good works.

As we reflect this Sunday, let us ask ourselves: Are we responding wholeheartedly to God’s invitation? Are our lives worthy of the heavenly banquet He has prepared for us? May we remain faithful to His Word, trust in His unfailing love, and demonstrate our faith through acts of charity and compassion. May God prepare our hearts to share eternally in the joy of His heavenly kingdom.

Fr Jerome Otitoyomi Dukiya