Fr. CIZA MAKUZA Donatien, sx
My brothers and sisters, today Sunday October 11, 2026, we celebrate the Twenty Eighth Sunday of the Year A. The first reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah 25: 6-10a; the Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 23: 1-3a; the second reading is from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 4: 12-14. 19-20. The Gospel is according to Matthew 22:1-14. Our readings speak about banquet. The Kingdom of God is a banquet where we are all invited both bad and good. Just to have our wedding garment and not to be speechless to the question of the “King”.
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all people a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. That we can read at the beginning of our first reading! Do notice that it is ALL people who are invited! To have feast together, to eat together is the image of peace. No war, no injustice! Even if we can be suffering let us walk together to the definitive peace keeping confidence in God.
On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nation, he will destroy Deaf for ever (…) for the Lord has said so.
The second reading gives us the example of the community at Philippi where there is authentic love and where a completely new life has really begun; the help and gifts sent to Paul are proof of this. Yes, Paul has received gifts from the Philippians. He is happy, but he keeps his freedom to materials goods: I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength, says our great Paul, even if he is not ashamed to manifest his needs!
Rich or not, we are not owners of what we have, but tenants! That why during the Mass, we present the bread and the wine symbols of what we possess and the priest present them to God saying: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread (the wine) we offer you…
The first reading tells us of a promise of the banquet; the gospel tells us of its actualisation. If the banquet has already begun (with the coming of the Messiah), why do we still have so much hatred, so many wars, deaths all over the world?
So, these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. We are all invited, but we have to keep our wedding garment. And if some how we don’t put it, to the question of the king: how did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment? Let us answer! Never keep silence to the question of the King. God likes dialogue. For many are called, but few are chosen. The day of our baptism, we received a white cloth. May all of us keep it white until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Fr CIZA MAKUZA Donatien, sx
My brothers and sisters, today Sunday October 11, 2026, we celebrate the Twenty Eighth Sunday of the Year A. The first reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah 25: 6-10a; the Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 23: 1-3a; the second reading is from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 4: 12-14. 19-20. The Gospel is according to Matthew 22:1-14. Our readings speak about banquet. The Kingdom of God is a banquet where we are all invited both bad and good. Just to have our wedding garment and not to be speechless to the question of the “King”.
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all people a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. That we can read at the beginning of our first reading! Do notice that it is ALL people who are invited! To have feast together, to eat together is the image of peace. No war, no injustice! Even if we can be suffering let us walk together to the definitive peace keeping confidence in God.
On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nation, he will destroy Deaf for ever (…) for the Lord has said so.
The second reading gives us the example of the community at Philippi where there is authentic love and where a completely new life has really begun; the help and gifts sent to Paul are proof of this. Yes, Paul has received gifts from the Philippians. He is happy, but he keeps his freedom to materials goods: I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength, says our great Paul, even if he is not ashamed to manifest his needs!
Rich or not, we are not owners of what we have, but tenants! That why during the Mass, we present the bread and the wine symbols of what we possess and the priest present them to God saying: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread (the wine) we offer you…
The first reading tells us of a promise of the banquet; the gospel tells us of its actualisation. If the banquet has already begun (with the coming of the Messiah), why do we still have so much hatred, so many wars, deaths all over the world?
So, these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. We are all invited, but we have to keep our wedding garment. And if some how we don’t put it, to the question of the king: how did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment? Let us answer! Never keep silence to the question of the King. God likes dialogue. For many are called, but few are chosen. The day of our baptism, we received a white cloth. May all of us keep it white until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Fr CIZA MAKUZA Donatien, sx