October 15, 2023: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God is inviting us to a great banquet with the very best food, which is the realization of how He imparts His very Life to us.  We get a foretaste of Eternal Life when we partake of the Eucharist.

Indeed, like St. Paul writes, He provides for us abundantly, and we can lean on Him, knowing, in those powerful words of Philippians 4:13, that Christ strengthens us for everything.

It's an opportunity for us to respond, and partake of these riches of abundance.  The sadness of the parable in the Gospel reading is that so many turn away from the invitation, or even act harshly toward the servants bearing the invitation.  Even today, so many aren't coming to Mass on Sundays, to worship communally at Church.

When we're at this banquet, we're called to embrace a new way of life, to put on Christ and be transformed.

On this day 18 years ago, I responded to the call to live a new way of life in the sacrament of Confirmation, and it has brought me into an abundant banquet as I strive to follow the way of the Holy Spirit to grow deeper in relationship with God that is lived out toward others.

It's also the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila, who sought to draw closer to God, and offered a way for others to mystically draw closer to Him.  The St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Student Center at Valparaiso University has helped so many students like me encounter God in a vibrant community, and it gives me lots to celebrate this day.