El Shaddai Windsor Outreach

TODAY'S WORD OF GOD - October 19, 2026
. . rich in what matters to God. (Luke 12:21)

We don’t usually need much training in being “rich” in what matters to the world. Our natural tendencies push us to work hard so that we can afford to buy not just sufficient things but nice things as well. But to become rich “in what matters to God” (Luke 12:21)—that takes something more than training and discipline. It requires a transformation of the heart.

Think about what prompted Jesus to tell the parable of the rich fool in today’s Gospel. A man tried to enlist him as a mediator in an inheritance dispute with his brother. He wanted Jesus to help him get what he thought was his fair share of his father’s estate. But Jesus had a far different goal in mind. You can almost hear him saying,

Don’t try so hard to become rich in what matters to this world—not unless you are working just as hard to become rich in what matters to my Father.
Or, to use the imagery from his parable,

You don't need a bigger "barn" to store your excess wealth. Give it to those who have nothing!
You never hear about a saint who wished they had a bigger bank account. You never hear about a missionary who wore only the finest silk shirts or dresses. That’s because they discovered a different kind of wealth—the riches of discipleship. These are riches that “neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).

In prayer today, put yourself in place of the man who asked Jesus to help him become wealthier. What kind of wealth are you looking for? To what degree is it riches that matter to the world, and to what degree is it riches that matter to God? Tell Jesus about the balance between the two, and ask him to tell you what he thinks about it.

If you let Jesus see your true desires, including whatever “bigger barns” you are hoping for, he will give you a glimpse into his desires for you. He will show you what it could be like if you were more rich in what matters to him—the joys, the spiritual insights, the sense of purpose, and, yes, the challenges. And he will fill you with a deeper desire to pursue that wealth—the wealth that really matters.

“Lord, help me to desire your treasures above all else.”

TODAY'S WORD OF GOD - October 12, 2026

Christ set us free. (Galatians 5:1)

In today’s first reading, Paul uses the story of Hagar, a slave of Abraham and Sarah, to illustrate his insistence that by his cross, Jesus has set us free from every kind of slavery. For the Galatian Gentiles he was writing to, this included freedom from having to follow the Law of Moses. There was no need for anyone to convert to Judaism in order to become a full Christian. Everyone—Gentile and Jew alike—is saved by the grace of God. No one needs to do anything other than repent, believe, and be baptized.

The debate about Gentile and Jewish believers has been long settled in the Church, and the message of freedom in Christ continues to resonate. But there remain so many voices telling us that we need to do more in order to be “saved.” These voices try to convince us that we need to pray in a certain way or for a certain amount of time each day if we want to be truly pleasing to the Lord. Or that we have to lead a perfectly virtuous life. Or that we have to keep up with every current Catholic trend or influencer.

But none of this is necessary. As Paul wrote, Jesus has set us free “for freedom,” not so that we would fall under a different kind of bo***ge (Galatians 5:1). He is the only One who can release us from the curse of sin. He is the only One who can destroy the power death once had over us. And he is the only One, through the power of his Spirit, who can convince us that God’s love for us is merciful, eternal, and unconditional.

Now, set free from sin and death, we can learn to renounce the destructive habits that have kept us from growing in holiness. We have been set free from sin and are now free to love the Lord and other people!

So celebrate your freedom in your prayer today! Proclaim that Jesus has redeemed you from darkness and sin and death. Tell him how grateful you are that he has set you free—and that you want to live in the freedom he has won for you.

“All praise to you, Lord Jesus, for your gift of freedom!”

TODAY'S WORD OF GOD - October 11, 2026

The Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast. (Isaiah 25:6)

We often hear today’s first reading at funerals because it points our attention toward the heavenly banquet, when God will “destroy death forever” and “wipe away the tears from every face” (Isaiah 25:8). We also pray for our deceased loved one who was “nourished at the table of the Savior,” as he or she feasted on the Eucharist.

So if Holy Communion is a feast, that means that we don’t have to wait until we die to join in the banquet! We can experience a foretaste at every Mass. Every time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, our Lord gives himself fully to us. Jesus has destroyed the “veil” that once separated us from him. There is no “web” of sin to hold us bound (Isaiah 25:7). He holds nothing back; he offers us his very life! He pours out forgiveness for the sin that weighs us down, comfort in sadness, strength for our journey, and joy in place of the “reproach” of despair (25:8).

God has prepared an extravagant banquet for us. Now it’s up to us to join in the feast. Will we accept his invitation eagerly, or will we give in to indifference, like the guests in today’s Gospel? Invited to a wedding banquet by a king, they were distracted by their own affairs and refused to go. They missed out on so much and settled for so little!

Jesus is inviting you to a banquet today—to the greatest banquet in the world. Like the king in today’s Gospel, he is prepared to nourish you on the finest of foods—his own Bread of life! What do you need to receive from him? Don’t be afraid to ask as you come forward to receive him with humble gratitude, confidence, and expectation. He will give himself to you completely. He may even surprise you by giving you more than you ask. God longs to provide for all peoples—and that includes you!

“Thank you, Lord, for preparing a feast for me today. Jesus, I receive you!”