Month: October 2026

Mary’s Donkey

(Isa.5:1-7; Phil.4:6-9; Mt.21:33-43)

Blessed Fulton Sheen is deservedly getting plenty of press coverage these days. But it’s worthwhile remembering that there was another person who also became a huge international media sensation in the 20th Century. He was an Irish-born man named Patrick Peyton.

In 1938, while he was a seminarian in Washington DC, Patrick caught incurable tuberculosis. His only hope, his doctor said, was prayer. In response, he poured his heart into praying the Rosary, and promised Mary that he would dedicate his life to her if he survived. Months later, he was miraculously healed.

He was ordained in 1941, and then spent the next 50 years telling the world about the power of prayer. 

Starting with no money or connections, and poor health, he managed to conquer Hollywood and the global media for Jesus Christ. He recruited thousands of people, even stars like Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, into organising mass prayer gatherings in stadiums all over the world. In Manila, for example, in 1985, two million people came to pray the Rosary.

The actress Jane Wyman once said, ‘Somehow, when Fr Peyton asked you for something, there was no way to say no.’

He became one of the most famous religious figures of the last century, but he never lost his humility, despite his connection with celebrities. One of his friends said, ‘He didn’t change. They did.’

When asked how a humble priest could attract so many people to his Family Rosary Crusades, he replied, ‘I’m just Mary’s donkey. A simple pack animal. My only job is to carry Jesus and his mother to the world, and then get out of the way.’[i]

Patrick Peyton had many blessings, but he didn’t just sit back and enjoy them. He actively used them to help spread the love of God.

Now, contrast that story with Jesus’ Parable of the Wicked Tenants in today’s Gospel. A landowner sets up a fine vineyard and leases it to tenants before going away. At harvest time, he sends his servants to collect the rent, which is a share of the produce.

These tenants have been given a fine home and a good livelihood, but they forget their obligations. Instead of welcoming the servants and sharing their crop, they beat one, kill another, and stone a third. Finally, the landowner sends his own son, thinking they will surely respect him. But they kill him, too.

What is their sin? It’s not just violence; it’s also twisted pride. They want all the benefits of the vineyard without any accountability. They mistake stewardship for possession, and forget that all they have belongs to the Master.

Today, this is a temptation many people have fallen into. They see their lives, talents, and successes as their own achievements, rather than gifts from God.

They even become defensive and resentful at the thought of sharing some of their fruits with God. Like the wicked tenants, their pride makes them treat God like an intruder rather than the Lord of their lives.

There is no pride, however, in Patrick Peyton’s image of ‘Mary’s donkey.’

Pack animals like donkeys don’t claim to own the cargo they haul. They don’t boast about the vineyard’s beauty or the harvest’s value. They simply plod onward, faithfully doing whatever the Master asks them to do. This is stewardship.

God is not looking for proud tenants who want to build their own kingdoms. He’s looking for humble servants who are willing to carry Jesus into the world. He’s looking for people who understand that everything they have is a gift to be shared, and not just a prize to be hoarded.

At the end of his parable, Jesus warns that the kingdom of God will be taken away from wicked tenants and given to those who will produce its fruit.

So, how might we become fruitful today? How might we become faithful pack animals for Christ rather than wicked tenants?

It all begins with prayer. Patrick Peyton’s life was all about prayer. His healing came from prayer, his life mission came from prayer, and he spent his whole life promoting the power of prayer. It was he who famously said, ‘The family that prays together stays together.’ [ii]

When a family gathers to pray, especially the Rosary, they are in effect saying, ‘We don’t own this home. We don’t own this family. God is the Master of our lives; we are simply his servants.’

Daily prayer resets our perspective. It strips away our pride and reminds us of our dependence on God. It allows us to give God the fruit he is owed by dedicating our time, our relationships, and our hearts back to him.

So, this week, let’s stop thinking like those uncooperative tenants. Let’s stop trying to control our own destiny. Let’s no longer pretend we can do it all alone.

Instead, let’s pray for the grace to be like Patrick Peyton – and Blessed Fulton Sheen – simple and joyful ‘donkeys’ for Jesus, carrying his love, his mercy, and his joy into our world.

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[i] https://fatherpeyton.org/

[ii] Fr Peyton died in 1992 in the US, aged eighty-three. His work continues today through the Family Rosary Foundation. In 2017, Pope Francis declared him Venerable.

Clothed in Christ

(Isa.25:6-10a; Phil.4:12-14; Mt.22:1-14)

In medieval Poland, Prince Casimir had it all. He lived in a castle, ate at royal banquets, and was promised a life of prestige and power.

He also wore the finest clothes, made of velvet, silk, and fur.

Then he caught tuberculosis and died, aged only 26. When his body was prepared for burial, they were surprised to find him wearing a hairshirt under his royal robes. What is a hairshirt? It’s a rough, scratchy garment made of animal hair that’s worn against the skin. It causes constant itching and discomfort.

Prince Casimir understood something that many people never learn. He knew that the beautiful clothes expected in an earthly court mean nothing in the court of the King of Kings. He simply treated his royal robes as costumes for a temporary world. His true garment was the hidden, interior fabric of humility and penance that he wore for God.

Casimir knew that God had invited him to his eternal banquet, and he wanted to make sure he was always prepared for it.

In our first reading today, the prophet Isaiah has a vision of this heavenly banquet. He describes a fabulous feast prepared by God on his holy mountain, Mount Zion. It’s a banquet of rich food, succulent meats, and choice wines, and the guest list includes everyone, including you and me. And making this event even more special, God also promises to remove the veil of suffering, death, and disgrace that covers the earth.

This heavenly banquet represents the ultimate fulfillment of all human desire, and it’s what Casimir deeply yearned for. Although he often ate at royal banquets, he knew his earthly life was only temporary. He also knew that we cannot rely on worldly comforts to satisfy our deepest hunger. Only God can do that.

This is essentially what St Paul is saying in our second reading today. Writing from prison in Rome, Paul says he has found the secret to spiritual endurance. Despite his chains and a possible death sentence, he can now face any situation with a deep sense of peace. Why? Because he has learnt that his security does not come from his wardrobe, possessions or physical comfort.

Paul’s secret is simple: ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me,’ he says. In other words, he has ‘clothed himself in Christ’ (Rom.13:14), and Jesus now gives him the strength he needs to endure any hardship or trial.

Casimir knew this, too. He knew his strength and identity came from Jesus, not from a life of privilege. That’s why he chose to wear those hidden clothes.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the story of a king who throws a huge wedding feast for his son, but the original guests refuse to come. So, he extends the invitation to everyone else, and the hall is filled. But then, the king spots a guest who is not wearing a wedding garment, and he banishes him.

This seems harsh, but in the ancient world the host always provided clean, festive clothing at the door, especially for the poor. To enter without it was insulting, because it meant that the person had consciously refused to wear it.

The wedding garment in Jesus’ parable symbolises the life we’re all meant to live. It is made from the fabric of repentance, faith, and love, and it marks the start of a new life. It’s just like the white robe we all wear at baptism, when we ‘put on Christ’ (Gal.3:27). It shows that we have been cleansed of sin and made ready to join God’s family.

But it’s not something to ignore or quickly discard. We must keep wearing this symbolic robe if we want God’s grace to keep transforming us, and preparing us for his heavenly banquet. To refuse to wear it is to want free food without respecting the host; it’s wanting the kingdom without the king.

St Francis of Assisi also did something radical with his clothing. When he decided to follow Jesus, his father was furious. He dragged Francis before the local bishop and demanded that he return every cent spent on his upbringing. Francis not only paid the money; he also stripped off his expensive clothes and gave them to his father. Standing there naked, he declared that he no longer had a father on earth, but only his Father in heaven.

Francis had cast off the garments of worldly pride, security, and ambition to be clothed purely in the grace of God.

Today, what are you wearing?

Have you cast off the rags of your old ways, like St Casimir of Poland and St Francis of Assisi?

And are you now clothed in Christ, making sure you’re ready for his eternal feast?