28th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 11.10.2026

Isaiah 25:6-10 / Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 / Matthew 22:1-14                  

Whenever we go for holidays or tours, we would certainly like to visit scenic places.

In those scenic places, we would like to see, among other things, high mountains.

Mountains express the majesty of nature, and we are often awed by their beauty and majesty.

Mountains also have a spiritual significance.

In the Bible, it was on mountains that God revealed His majesty and glory.

It was on a mountain that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

It was on a mountain that God came to help of the prophet Elijah.

It was on a mountain that Jesus was transfigured in glory.

It was also on mountains that places of worship are built for God to meet His people.

It is in those high sacred places that God manifests His presence and people come to worship God.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah also speaks about a mountain.

On that mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich foods and fine wines.

On that mountain, He will remove the morning veil covering all peoples.

He will wipe away the tears from every cheek and take away the people's shame.

From that mountain, the Lord God calls out to all peoples to come up to the mountain of the Lord for that grand banquet.

Certainly, upon hearing that call, we would want to go up to that mountain.

The only thing that we have to do is to climb it.

In the Gospel, Jesus told a parable about a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding.

The surprising thing is that the invited guests were not interested in going for the wedding feast.

Some made excuses, while others seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and even killed them.

It is difficult to understand the attitude of the invited guests, other than they were not interested.

But the gospel parable may have some connection to the first reading in that there was mention of a feast and a banquet.

In the first reading, the Lord God prepared a grand banquet on His mountain.

It was a joyful feast, a celebration, a time of healing and rejoicing.

The response of the people is to climb up to that mountain in order to partake of the banquet.

But some may not want to go. They are just not interested.

They would rather remain at the foothills and to live a mundane and monotonous life, and maybe even a life without much meaning.

No change is needed, nor is it wanted.

It may also seem that God is not needed, nor is He wanted.

But for us, we know that we need God and we want Him.

We hear His call to the banquet and we want to be there.

But we need to do some climbing to get to the banquet on the mountain of the Lord.

The act of climbing is like a part of our human nature.

Little children love to climb.

They climb up chairs and sofas, and they are always amused by steps.

Whenever there are steps, they would go and start climbing up and down.

That may also tell us something about our spiritual life.

There is this innate desire to reach out and climb towards God.

We need God and we want to be at His grand banquet to celebrate and rejoice in His love.

And Jesus has made it easier for us.

The Mass is where Jesus sacrificed and offered Himself for us and to be united with us.

So, we don't need to climb high mountains.

We just have to come for Mass, especially when we are burdened and troubled in life.

Here at Mass, Jesus will wipe away the tears from our cheeks, console us in our sorrow, and heal us with His love and forgiveness.

We just have to be present, and God will bless us.

Let us also bring others to this grand feast, so that they too will experience the love and the blessings from God.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 10-10-2026

Galatians 3:22-29 / Luke 11:27-28   

In the Mass as well as in devotions, there are always hymns of praise.

These hymns are sung to praise and thank the Lord and they are usually sung with feeling and emotion.

Also dynamic and emotive hymns are preferred in order to appeal to the emotions of the people and also to elicit a more fervent response from them.

But where the emotions and the feeling fade off, that is where the fruits of faith begin.

Our hymns of praise  must be translated into acts of love for God and neighbour.

That was why in response to the acclamation of praise, Jesus sobered down the emotions to focus on doing the will of God.

As we offer this Mass in honour of our Lady, let us remember that she heard the Word of God, pondered on it and did the will of God in her life.

May we who honour her also learn from her and do God's will in our lives.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 09-10-2026

Galatians 3:7-14 / Luke 11:15-26   

When it comes to making a choice between two options, the question to ask is what are the two options.

If one option is blessings and the other is suffering, then the choice would be obvious.

It would be crazy to choose suffering over blessings.

The first reading says that Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being cursed for our sake.

To be crucified on the Cross is seen as a curse, but Jesus willingly took on the curse of our sins and saved us.

So in the choice of Jesus between blessings and suffering, He took on suffering.

And yet in that suffering, in that curse of being crucified on the Cross, He turned it into a blessing of salvation for us.

In life, we are often faced with choices, and we have to decide on only one choice.

Let that choice be always for Jesus, because He says this, “He who is not with Me is against Me; he who does not gather with me scatters.”

When our choice is for Jesus, it also means we choose the Cross.

It is the Cross of suffering, but with Jesus, it will be the Cross of salvation and blessing for us.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 08-10-2026

Galatians 3:1-5 / Luke 11:5-13  

In life, we are always inclined to take the path of least resistance and find the easy way out.

We will want to avoid difficulty, we see it as a problem and we get frustrated by it.

After all, we like life to be easy and comfortable, and nothing much can be gained from facing and enduring difficulty.

In the first reading, St. Paul called the Christians of Galatia mad, and he wondered if someone had cast a spell on them.

They had been taught about the crucifixion of Christ, and how they were saved by the Cross of Christ.

But they had deviated from that teaching because the way of the Cross was too difficult and demanding.

They would rather just follow rules and regulations that they were used to and familiar with.

The Cross was too difficult to understand and too difficult to carry.

In the gospel, Jesus teaches us about persistence in the face of challenges and difficulties.

And when we feel that life is getting too rough and tough, then we must remember what Jesus taught us.

He taught us to turn to God and to ask, to search and to knock.

And if we give good things to our children, then how much more will God our Father give us the Holy Spirit.

Yes, the Holy Spirit is our Helper and our Guide.

With the Holy Spirit, we will be able to carry our cross and overcome adversity.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Wednesday, 07-10-2026

Acts 1:12-14 / Luke 1:26-38 

The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, October 7, 1571. The victory was attributed to the intercession of the holy Mother of God whose aid was invoked through praying the Rosary.

The celebration of this day invites all to mediate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so deeply associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.

It is believed that God has on many occasions rewarded the faith of those who had recourse to this devotion in times of grave danger.

So besides the naval victory at Lepanto in 1571, there were many other occasions like plagues, disasters, disunity and schisms, where the Church has recourse to the prayer of the Rosary.

The original title was "Our Lady of Victory" but it was changed to the present title to give the devotion and the prayers a wider scope and appeal.

Still we are assured that when we stand by God we need have no fear because God will always be victorious.

And if God is for us, then who and what can be against us. For nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.

Excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI – Angelus Message 10/2/05 …“The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, the unique contemplative prayer through which, guided by the Lord’s Heavenly Mother, we fix our gaze on the face of the Redeemer in order to be conformed to his joyful, light-filled, sorrowful and glorious mysteries."

So despite its repetitive form, the Rosary invites us to join our Blessed Mother to look at Jesus and to pour out our love for Him.

We can also be assured that like Mary, we too will be filled with grace and that God will work marvels for us and through us.

Let us always remember that with God, nothing is impossible.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 06-10-2026

Galatians 1:13-24 / Luke 10:38-42

It is said that practice makes perfect.

But that sentence may need some clarification.

As much as practice makes perfect, it also depends on what is being practised.

If what is practised is the wrong thing, then what is wrong only get done over and over again.

In the first reading, St. Paul recalls his days as a practising Jew, how mercilessly he was persecuting the Church of God, how much damage he did, how enthusiastic he was doing it, that he stood like a perfect example of his generation.

And then God came into his life and revealed Jesus Christ to him, and then his life turned around such that he began to preach the Good News to the pagans.

St. Paul began practising the right thing, which is also the good thing, and in doing so he gave glory to God.

In the gospel, Martha welcomed Jesus into her home.

She began to get busy with the serving, and then she got distracted with her sister who sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to Him.

So, Jesus had to correct her by telling her that she worry and fret about so many things and yet few are needed.

Let us reflect on what we are doing and bring them before the Lord Jesus.

May Jesus enlighten us so that we will do what is right and good and for the glory of God.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 05-10-2026

Galatians 1:6-12 / Luke 10:25-37   

To differentiate between the truth and falsehood may seem to be simple and easy.

But in reality it is not that simple and easy.

Because the truth can be rather difficult to accept.

And falsehood can be attractive and convenient when looking at quick gains and shortcuts.

In the first reading, St. Paul was astonished at how quickly the Galatians had turned away from the original Good News that was preached to them.

Some troublemakers had changed the teaching of the Good News to suit their own motives and interests.

They seek to get others to follow them by offering an attractive but hollow message.

But the truth is the truth even if no one wants to believe it.

And a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it.

In the gospel, Jesus told a parable that made the lawyer rethink about his understanding of who his neighbour is.

But the truth is that compassion is a basic expression of humanness.

Whoever has love, compassion and kindness is a true neighbour.

May we live out that fundamental truth in our lives.