Education in Faith

Sacramental Dates for 2026

Parents please be aware of the following dates and note them in your calendar:

• Grade 2 will receive First Reconciliation in Term 4 on Thursday, 19th November 2026.

Reconciliation: baptised Catholics in Year 2.

If you have any further questions regarding your child receiving these Sacraments, please feel free to contact me at the school.

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Year A

Theme: God invites us to the feast – will we accept His invitation?

The readings for this Sunday invite us to reflect on God’s generosity, the invitation to share in His love, gratitude, and the way we respond to God’s call. The First Reading from Isaiah speaks of God preparing a magnificent feast for all people. The Responsorial Psalm reminds us that God is our shepherd who cares for and guides us. St Paul reminds us that, whether we experience plenty or difficulty, we can place our trust in God. In the Gospel, Jesus uses the image of a wedding feast to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. 

A Feast Prepared for Everyone

In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah gives us a beautiful image of God preparing a great feast:

“The Lord of hosts will prepare a banquet for all peoples.”

Imagine being invited to a celebration where there is more than enough food, joy and fellowship for everyone. Isaiah uses this image to help us understand the generosity of God. God's invitation is not limited to a select 

few. God desires to gather His people together and share His abundant love with them.

The feast can also remind us of the Eucharist. Every time we gather around the altar, we are welcomed to the table of the Lord. We come with our joys, worries, successes and struggles, and God meets us with His love.

“The Lord Is My Shepherd”

The Responsorial Psalm gives us one of Scripture's most comforting images:

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

A shepherd watches over the sheep, leads them towards safe places, provides what they need and stays with them when the path becomes difficult.

There are times when we may feel worried, tired, lonely or uncertain about what lies ahead. The Psalm reminds us that we do not walk alone. God walks with us.

Sometimes God's presence may be experienced through another person, a parent, grandparent, teacher, friend, priest or someone who quietly helps us when we need support.

Learning to Trust God

In the Second Reading, St Paul tells the Philippians that he has learned to live through both times of abundance and times of difficulty. His confidence does not come from having everything he wants. Instead, his strength comes from God.

This is an important message for families.

We can sometimes think:

“I will be happy when I get what I want.”

“I will be okay when this problem is fixed.”

“I will feel better when things go my way.”

Paul reminds us that our relationship with God can sustain us even when life does not go exactly as planned.

God does not promise that every day will be easy. He promises to remain with us.

The Invitation to the Wedding Feast

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a king who prepares a wedding feast for his son. The invitation is sent out, but some of the invited guests refuse to come. The king then sends his servants into the streets and invites others to the feast.

All three readings give us different images of God's relationship with us:

Isaiah: God prepares a feast and invites us to share in His abundance.

Psalm: God is our Shepherd who guides, protects and accompanies us.

Philippians: God gives us strength to remain faithful in times of plenty and difficulty.

Matthew: God invites us to the banquet, and we are called to respond to that invitation with our lives.

Together, they remind us that God's love is generous and His invitation is continually offered to us.

The question is not simply: “Have I been invited?”

The deeper question is: “How will I respond to God's invitation?”

“Come to the feast. God has prepared a place for you.”

Discussion Starters

• What makes a meal or celebration special for your family?
• How does sharing food help bring people together?
• What does it mean to you that God prepares a feast for all people?
• How can our family make others feel welcome at our table?
• When have you experienced someone looking after you like a shepherd?
• What helps you remember that God is with you when you are worried?
• Who might need you to be a “shepherd” for them this week?
• What could you do to guide, encourage or care for someone?
• What are some things we are grateful for today?
• Is it easy to trust God when things are difficult?
• What can we learn from times when things don't go according to our plans?
• How can we show gratitude instead of always wanting more?
• What do you think God's “feast” represents?
• Why do you think some people in the Gospel 

• refused the invitation?
• What are some things that can distract us from responding to God?
• What does the image of God as a shepherd mean to you?
• How can we show gratitude for what we have?
• What might our “wedding garment” look like in everyday life?
• Who might God be inviting us to welcome this week?
• What is one loving action our family can take this week?

The story asks us an important question:

What do we do when God invites us?

God's invitation comes to us in many ways.

We hear it when we listen to Scripture.

We experience it when we gather for Mass.

We encounter it when someone shows us kindness.

We recognise it when we are asked to forgive.

We respond to it when we notice someone who is lonely or excluded.

We accept God's invitation when we choose love, compassion, generosity and service.

The wedding garment in the Gospel can remind us that simply receiving an invitation is not enough. Our response matters. We are called to allow God's love to change the way we live and treat others.

The final words of the Gospel “Many are called, but few are chosen”~invite us to consider seriously how we respond to God's call rather than simply assuming that being invited is enough.

What Is Our “Wedding Garment”?

The wedding garment can be understood as a symbol of the way we prepare our hearts for God.

We “put on” our wedding garment when we choose:

• ❤️ Love instead of resentment
• 🤝 Kindness instead of exclusion
• 🙏 Gratitude instead of taking things for granted
• 🕊️ Forgiveness instead of holding onto anger
• 🌱 Generosity instead of selfishness
• 👂 Listening instead of ignoring others
• 🫶 Compassion instead of judgement
• ✝️ Faith that leads to action

The Gospel therefore becomes more than a story about a banquet. It becomes an invitation to ask:  “How am I living as a guest at God's table?”

Family Reflection: “At Our Family Table”

Gather around the dinner table and place an empty chair at the table.

Explain that the empty chair represents someone who may feel lonely, forgotten, excluded or in need of friendship.

Take turns completing:

This week I can invite someone to God's table by…

Examples:

• including someone who is alone;
• helping someone who is struggling;
• forgiving someone;
• sharing what I have;
• listening to someone who needs to talk;
• welcoming someone new;
• praying for someone who is experiencing difficulty.

Prayer

Loving God, thank You for inviting us to Your table of love.

Thank You for guiding us like a shepherdand giving us strength each day.

Help us to recognise Your invitationsin the people and situations around us.

Give us generous hearts that welcome others, hands that serve,words that encourage and hearts ready to forgive.

May our family become a place where everyone feels welcomed and loved.

Help us to live each day as joyful guests at Your table.

Amen.

A Simple Family Challenge

• This week, look for one person who may feel left out.  
• Invite them in. 
• Listen to them. 
• Include them.
• Let your kindness become your “wedding garment.”

God Bless  

Rozeta Ambrose ~ Religious Education Leader

rambrose@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au