In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Lord Jesus, you cleanse our hearts and renew our spirits: Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you invite us to the banquet of your Kingdom: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you clothe us in your everlasting love: Lord, have mercy.
“I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you… taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.”
In our first reading, the Lord makes a tender promise through the prophet Ezekiel. God does not ask us to construct our own holiness. Instead, He promises to wash us clean, to soften what is hard, and to give us a heart of flesh—tender, responsive, and filled with His own Spirit.
And in the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven as a joyful wedding banquet prepared by the King. The feast is ready. The invitation goes out to the highways and byways, calling everyone into the warmth of the Father’s hall.
What is the wedding garment that clothes a soul for God’s banquet? It is the garment of love… a heart made gentle, generous, and pure by grace.
We saw that beautiful, natural heart so clearly in Benjamin Vo.
Ben did not have to be taught how to care for others; empathy was woven into the very fabric of who he was. When his uncle faced sudden health trials, fifteen-year-old Ben did not hesitate for a second—he immediately offered his entire piggy bank, wanting only to help and bring comfort. That was Ben. Beneath his brilliant intellect was a deeply unselfish boy… always smiling, always kind, and full of natural goodness.
It has been nine weeks since Ben was called home to God. Nine weeks where the quiet in your home can feel heavy, and missing his bright presence brings a deep ache.
Yet today’s Gospel assures us that Benjamin is seated at the King’s eternal banquet. Clothed in the radiant light of Christ, his gentle soul is forever home in the Father’s joy.
To Alan, Thao, and dear Ryan: may the Lord comfort your hearts and renew your strength day by day. Lean into each other’s embrace, and keep walking forward with courage and love for Ryan.
To Ben’s aunts and uncles, to all joining our prayer from near and far, to children carrying heavy burdens, and to every family enduring grief: Our Lady wraps you in her maternal mantle. You are seen, loved, and held by God.
Benjamin rests in the everlasting peace of the banquet of Heaven… where love never ends.
For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:
At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.