Dear Parishioners & Visitors,

Today’s gospel passage calls us to a discipleship that gives. As I myself am preparing for my own wedding this December, this one is really humbling me. As I read it, I thought, “I actually did only invite my friends and relatives. And I didn’t invite any crippled or blind people. What am I supposed to talk about? Have I already failed at this gospel?” But what Jesus is really referring to as He continues on, is not my guest list. It’s about loving generously & humbly, without seeking repayment, even and especially when it demands something of us.

This Gospel makes me ask: in my daily life, do I only give to people who give back to me? Do I choose convenient friendships, or am I willing to sit at the “lowest place,” with those who might not pay me back? Preparing for marriage has shown me that true love is supposed to be humbling—it asks us to set aside pride, to serve first, and to choose another person’s good even when it costs us something.

In our world today, everything seems to be about “what’s in it for me?” … especially in the wedding planning world! If you’ve never done it, let me tell you – planning a wedding will reveal all of your shortcomings, and how easy it is to let your ego do the decision making. We let ourselves get wrapped up in wanting ourselves at the center, saying things like “but it’s my day, it’s all about me”, but this is exactly what Jesus warns against. It’s not about the expensive gifts, who sits where, or the ‘perfect’ dress, it’s about dedicating yourself to another, fully and without limit, and walking with them towards the Heavenly wedding feast.

As I look ahead to marriage, I realize that this is what it means to be a wife now, and a guest at the Heavenly wedding banquet later: to give without keeping score, to welcome without expecting anything in return. A healthy marriage—and really, any relationship—is built not on transaction but on sacrifice. Jesus shows us this at every Mass, giving Himself fully to us, the undeserving, again and again in that tiny host that brings us to the foot of the cross, fully and without limit. This is His wedding invitation to us – He knows we can never pay Him back, but He doesn’t ask us to, and He did it anyway.

Jesus tells us the kind of person that will be welcomed into His wedding banquet – the kind who walks in humility, generosity, and trust. That’s the kind of guest I want to be, and, by God’s grace, the kind of wife I hope to become. So, please pray for me as I journey towards marriage, but more importantly as I ultimately journey alongside my future spouse to the Heavenly banquet. May God bless you!

Reanna Liebl

Director of Confirmation, Youth & Young Adult Ministry