Seeking God’s Ways Is The Only Way

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

October 12, 2026

in Spritual Growth

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October 11, 2026
Readings: Isaiah 25:1-9
Philippians 4:4-13
Matthew 22:1-14

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 Homily – Abp. Hines

We plead to God and the Holy Spirit to help us open our eyes, our ears, our hearts so that we may understand what He wants us to do. But do we totally understand that from the very beginning of time, God already had a plan? A plan that was to continue throughout the ages. One event added to another proper sequences until everything is brought to completion. Scriptures were given to prepare us, that we were meant for perfection. God is bringing all this back, but do we even see this? We keep struggling and battling in life and it need not be this way if only we would pay very close attention to God, and not do our own thing. His love and His compassion are being ignored by us, and yet He died for us. He was willing to go through all the persecution and suffering by paying the price for us so that we may be delivered. The consequences of a lack of faith are not pleasant at all.

The Gospel today reveals what God wants us to do in life. God is preparing us to see the fullness of His plan for us. He tells us in this Parable of the Wedding Feast. The King is God, the Bridegroom is Jesus, and we the people are the invited guests. In the olden times, the king would send out messages through His slaves to those who would be invited to the banquet. In God’s covenant, He’s given us blessings, peace, promises, favor and hope. We are supposed to be preparing along with Him. In the parable, we see that a king prepares a grand wedding feast for his son and sends his servants to call the invited guests. The invited guests refuse to come, go off to their farms or businesses, and some even seize, mistreat, and kill the king’s servants. Enraged, the king sends his army to destroy those murderers and burn their city. The king tells his servants that the original guests were not worthy. He sends them out to the crossroads and main streets to invite everyone they find, both bad and good, until the wedding hall is filled. When the king enters to inspect the guests, he sees a man not wearing a wedding robe. When asked how he got in without one, the man is speechless. The king orders his attendants to bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus summarizes the story with the phrase: “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

God has blessed us with so much that if only we would be helping others and doing His will, there will not be people in need. John 5:40-47 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

We still seek our own glory because we want others to see how great we are. We have been seeking our own ways when we should be seeking God’s ways.