Pastor's Note from Fr. Szparagowski 📝 - [October 18th Bulletin]

Dear St. Philip Neri Family and Friends,

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

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. The people were trying to trap Jesus with a difficult question, but He reminds them of an important truth: while we have responsibilities in this world; we must never forget that our first responsibility is to God.

There are many things in our lives that comete for our attention. We can become caught up in our work, our responsibilities, our worries, and the things we want to accomplish. Sometimes, we can even allow these things to become more important than our relationship with God. Today, Jesus asks us to remember who we are and to whom we belong. There is only one God, and He is good, loving, and gracious to us.

Think about how much God gives us each day. He gives us the gift of life, the people who love us, the blessings we sometimes take for granted, and the grace to get through difficult moments. He gives us His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us and continues to nourish us in the Holy Eucharist. Even when we struggle, when we fall short, or when we turn away from Him, God never stops offering us His love and mercy.

God does not ask us to repay Him for every blessing we receive. Rather, He asks us to respond to His goodness with a heart filled with love. He wants us to place our trust in Him, to make room for Him in our daily lives, and to share His love with the people around us.

The greatest gift we can offer God is not simply our time, our possessions, or our words. It is our heart.

We might ask ourselves today: What place does God have in my life? Do I turn to Him only when I need something, or do I remember to thank Him for His goodness every day? Do my words and actions show that I belong to Him? God has given us so much, and He patiently waits for us to respond with love.

As we gather for the celebration of the Eucharist, let us remember that everything we have is ultimately a gift from God. We come before Him with our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, and all that we carry in our hearts. We offer Him our prayers, our struggles, and our gratitude, trusting that He will continue to provide what we truly need. Who will never abandon us.

Let us give to God what belongs to God. Let us give Him our hearts, our love, our faith, and our lives. May we never take His goodness for granted, but instead seek to love Him more deeply each day. And may our lives become a beautiful response to the One who has loved us first and who will never abandon us.

I pray for you every day, especially at Mass. Please pray for me.

Please invite someone to Mass today.