Pastor's Note from Fr. Szparagowski 📝 - [June 28th Bulletin]

Dear St. Philip Neri Family and Friends,

We give praise and thanks to God for His graces and blessings.

A beautiful theme running through today’s readings is the goodness of God and the goodness that God calls forth from His people. Our responsorial psalm proclaims:

“Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”

Those words are not simply a hymn of praise; they are a reminder that God has been faithful to His people throughout every generation. He is gracious, loving, merciful, and always attentive to the needs of His children.

In our first reading, we hear about the wealthy woman of Shunem who showed great kindness and hospitality to the prophet Elisha. She recognized him as a holy man of God and went out of her way to provide a room and a place for him to stay whenever he passed through the area. She did not do this seeking a reward. She simply wanted to help someone in need and honor God’s servant. Yet God saw her heart. God saw her generosity, kindness and charity.

Through the prophet Elisha, God blessed her with the gift she had long desired, a son. This reading reminds us that no act of goodness goes unnoticed by God. Every act of kindness, every sacrifice made for another person, every moment of generosity is seen by our loving Father. God never forgets the good we do. While He may not always reward us in the way we expect, He always blesses those who seek to love and serve others.

In the Gospel, Jesus continues this same message. He tells His disciples that whoever receives them receives Him, and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of His little ones will not lose his reward.

Jesus is teaching us something profound: how we treat other people matters. Every person we encounter is an opportunity to encounter Christ Himself. When we welcome others, we welcome Christ. When we help those in need, we help Christ. When we show compassion, mercy, patience, and understanding, we are allowing the goodness of God to shine through us.

Our world today often encourages us to think primarily about ourselves—our wants, our needs, our schedules, our comfort. Yet Jesus calls us beyond ourselves. He calls us to be charitable, generous, merciful and giving. He calls us to look for opportunities to serve rather than opportunities to be served.

Perhaps that means helping a neighbor who is struggling. Perhaps it means visiting someone who is lonely. Perhaps it means forgiving someone who has hurt us. Perhaps it simply means offering a listening ear to someone who needs encouragement.

Small acts of kindness often have a greater impact than we realize. A kind word, a smile, a phone call, a prayer, a helping hand—these simple actions can become powerful instruments of God’s grace.

The goodness we show to others is ultimately a reflection of the goodness God has shown to us. After all, everything we have comes from Him. Our lives, our faith, our families, our blessings are all gifts from God. When we recognize how generously God has treated us, our hearts naturally become more generous toward others.

As we gather around the altar today, let us thank God for His countless blessings. Let us thank Him for His goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. Let us ask Him to help us become instruments of that goodness in the lives of others.

May we be people who can truly say with the psalmist:

“Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”

Not only with our words, but with our actions, our generosity, our charity, and our love. For when we reflect God’s goodness to others, we become living witnesses of Christ in our world.

I pray for you every day, especially at Mass.

Please pray for me. Please invite someone to Mass today.

St. Philip Neri, pray for us.

Have a blessed week,

-Fr. Szparagowski