God’s Universal Invitation
Readings and Virtual Homily for Mass October 11, 2026, Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Ask Me Anything (About My Wake-Up Fall)
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Isaiah 25:6-10
Psalm 23:1-6
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14
Dear Friends and Family,
There is no rest-of-October schedule included here because at the moment I am not on it. My dear brother Padre Jesus, our pastor, wants to make sure I recover completely, and toward that end he invited two good priest friends of his to join us here in the rectory for most of the month. As to the incident that facilitated this change in affairs, go past the homily for a brief update.
Among the possible themes to be found in today's readings is that of the conversion of the nations, is the Christian understanding that in Jesus Christ God has revealed himself to the Gentiles, that is, to all people.
The reading from Isaiah is often read at funeral Masses. In part because of its promise that God will "destroy death forever" (vs. 8). It also speaks of God removing the veil of mourning which "covers all peoples" (v. 7). The reference to all peoples is repetitive. This passage from Isaiah describes the Kingdom Come, where God has spread a banquet, with rich fare and choice wines, for "all peoples" (v. 6). The passage also references "the Nations" which have come to the mountain of the Lord (vs. 7). The passage foreshadows a time of unity of belief and understanding, to universal and joyful acceptance on the part of the nations that the God of Israel IS God.
Psalm 23 is also frequently read or sung at funerals. Easy enough to see why. Its six poetic verses strongly recommend an abiding trust in the God who will, in fact, "spread a banquet" before us (vs. 5).
In the passage from Philippians Paul exuberantly declares that he has "strength for everything through him who empowers me" (vs. 13). Paul says that he has seen life from both sides, from abundance and poverty. Regardless of his circumstances, Paul is empowered through his faith in Jesus Christ. He can do the Lord's work from a place of want or from a place of comfort; his material circumstances matter only to the extent that he has what he absolutely needs (vss. 10-11, not included in today's passage).
As is frequently the case with the second reading, it is not easy to connect it to the theme we are discussing here. While an effort was made by that committee in Rome to make sure the first reading, psalm and Gospel to some real degree reflect and illuminate each other, no such provision was made for the second reading -- it is chosen according to the Principal of Continuous Reading and on any given Sunday, you get what you get.
The Gospel passage is Matthew's account of the King's banquet and the unresponsive invitees. We may note the pointedly metaphorical nature of the story in that Jesus tells us the King has arranged the banquet to celebrate his son's wedding (vs. 2).
"Behold, " the King tells his servants, as they are to go out with the invitation, "I have prepared my banquet. I have slaughtered my oxen and fatted calves and all is prepared. Come to the feast" (vs. 4). Clearly the King has gone to a great deal of attentive care to bring this lavish celebration off. The wedding banquet of the parable resonates with the imagery of the first reading, a banquet, a feast, carefully and lovingly prepared.
And as the servants deliver the message, they receive rejection after rejection.
Deeply affronted, the King is all the same determined to fill his banquet hall. "Go out into the byways and the hedgerows and bring in everyone you find" (vs. 9). And so the banquet hall is overflowing with guests, none of whom had to "do" anything or "be" anyone to have been invited. All are invited.
The Kingdom of God is for everyone. This is, of course, our motto at San Gabriel Media, God is for everyone. And the vast array and diversity of guests who do wind up at the banquet resonates with the passage from Isaiah, "On this mountain, God will prepare a feast for all people.
The best way to understand those who refuse the invitation is to recognize that just as it is issued to each one of us, each of us is free to accept or reject it.
In any event, today's readings point to the time of the conversion of the Gentiles and beyond. They point to the joyous heavenly reality available to and waiting for "all peoples."
So, before anything else, my deep thanks to my colleague (both at the high school and at San Gabriel Media) Ryan Dilag, for stepping up to the plate for me last week, when I was incapable of stepping up to anything. Thanks also to Lisa Fisher, whom most of you know, for sending the explanatory follow-up e-mail the next day.
Ryan did not mean to leave folks in the lurch; he was only doing what I told him. "Don't give a lot of detail," I said, meaning about what had happened to me. "I want people focused on your reflection" (which by the way, I thought excellent). Ryan is a future deacon for the diocese, and in his capacity as Director of Campus Ministry at O'Dowd, he reflects on Scripture professionally. He is also responsible for some of our most accessible and innovative programming at San Gabriel.
But of course, leaving it at "while Father Jim recovers in the hospital" probably had exactly the opposite effect of what I had hoped. Though I know from comments we've received that people were able to focus on Ryan's reflection, inevitably there was a huge -- "Like, WHAT? Fr. Jim's in the hospital?"
Hey. This was my first time in life calling the EMTs, riding in an ambulance, spending even one night in a hospital, experiencing physical therapy -- all for what is also my first ever real injury. Next time (God forbid, but if there is a next time) I will play it a little differently, in terms of how I let people know. Close friends and my LA cousins found out via the e-mails. I was not texting everyone from my hospital bed. But a friend or sibling -- someone not in a hospital bed -- might have been doing so. I just did not think of authorizing it. I knew the stay was going to be short, for one thing.
In any event, as you know from Lisa's e-mail I got home last Friday. I can stand -- with a walker. I can walk -- with a walker. There are about ten physical therapy exercises I can perform 50 reps on without breaking a sweat and there are two where I struggle to get to 5.
People naturally want to know what they can do and my answer to that is one word: Pray. I have been given so much food that I am afraid half of it will never get eaten. Balloons and flowers are bright and cheery and appreciated, but with the rearrangement of my rooms to accommodate a guy on a walker...space is tight. Between the parish staff and my family, I am getting a lot of attention, and so far I have not needed anything that someone has not thought to provide.
I am in no pain most of the time, and that has been the case since the accident happened a week ago Monday. In bed, I am comfortable. Moving on the walker, I am comfortable. It is in getting into the standing position that I experience -- at this point, not so much pain, but just the incredible tightness, the stiffness of my knees, owing to the swelling. If you want to laser-direct your prayer for me, ask the Lord to reduce the swelling. It will be a different ballgame, once I can see my kneecaps, again.
Hope to have a good progress report, next e-mail. Take care and God Bless.
Love,
Fr. Brawn