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Illustration: Parable of the Great Banquet by:Brunswick Monogrammist (circa 1525),
Pope Leo’s Angelus Reflection
28th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSt. Peter’s Square, Sunday, October 11, 2026
Matthew 22:1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.
Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’
But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’
And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Pope Leo’s Angelus Reflection,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells the story of a king who prepares a wedding feast for his son. Every family considers the wedding of their son a special event, and this happy father wants to share his joy with everyone.
He throws a feast and invites many people.
In this context, St. Thomas Aquinas says that goodness naturally spreads: “The good is said to be diffusive of itself”.
The image in our story, too, tells us about this reality in the concrete context of everyday life. When something good happens, it prompts us to share our happiness with others.
However, faced with such a beautiful proposal, the invited guests withdraw and prefer to continue with their lives.
Instead of joining in the celebration, the invited guests withdraw when faced with such a beautiful proposal and prefer to continue going about their business.
Some even become irritated and insult or kill the king’s messengers.
Unfortunately, this happens anyway.
The good we offer is not always understood, noticed, or appreciated.
On the contrary, it is sometimes misinterpreted and rejected.
However, this should not discourage us.
When faced with refusal, the king does not cancel the wedding or give up the celebration.
On the contrary, he extends his invitation to more people and instructs his servants to summon passersby so that the joy of the newlyweds becomes a gift for all.
At this point, we should ask ourselves who the protagonists of this story represent.
St. Jerome identifies the king as the Heavenly Father, the groom as Jesus, and the bride as the Church.
We are also among the protagonists of this story, chosen by the Lord to share our lives with him, the bearer of life.
The wedding reception is our feast, and the banquet hall is our churches, our homes—the places where we live and where the Son of the King, Jesus Christ, returns daily to express his love for us.
He awaits our “yes.”
There, we meet him dressed in a white baptismal robe, like the bride, adorned with jewels of good works that bring us closer to God and each other.
The joy we proclaim is not artificial but profound and concrete.
It is as beautiful as the faces of the people we meet and as real as the work, smiles, tears, handshakes, and gestures of kindness that fill our days.
It is God’s gift for the salvation of the world.
Therefore, let us ask Mary, Mother of the Lord, to help us grow in this joy and proclaim it always and everywhere—even where it is not understood—with generosity, courage, and faith.
