Pastor's Note from Fr. Szparagowski 📝 - [September 20th Bulletin]

Dear St. Philip Neri Family and Friends,

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

What a beautiful invitation from the prophet Isaiah. God is always calling us to come closer to Him, to trust Him, and to place our lives in His hands. Sometimes we may wonder where God is leading us or why certain things happen in our lives. The Lord reminds us today that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. We are called to seek the Lord, not only when things are difficult, but at all times. When life is going well, seek the Lord. When we are struggling, seek the Lord. When we are uncertain about the future, seek the Lord. We can always call upon Him because He is near.

The Gospel gives us a wonderful example of God’s generosity. Jesus tells us about the workers who were hired at different times of the day. Some began early in the morning. Others were hired later, and some were not hired until almost the end of the day. Yet the landowner gave them all the same generous wage. It is easy for us to identify with those who were hired early. We might think, “I’ve been here all day. I’ve worked hard. I have earned more than the person who just arrived.” Sometimes we can feel that way in our own lives. We look at someone else and wonder, “Why did they receive that blessing? Why did they get that opportunity? I’ve been faithful for so many years.”

Perhaps we need to look at the Gospel from another perspective. Think about those who were hired later in the day. Why were they still standing there waiting? They wanted to work. They were willing to work. But no one had chosen them. They had been overlooked. People did not see their abilities or their worth. The landowner saw them. God sees what other people sometimes fail to see. God sees the dignity, the goodness, and the potential within every person. He does not look at us as the world looks at us. He sees each of us as His beloved child.

If we are honest, there have been times when we have been those workers who were hired late in the day. There have been moments when we felt overlooked, forgotten, or not good enough. Yet God never overlooked us. He was always there, waiting to call us into His vineyard. So, we should be grateful for the generosity of God. We do not earn His love. We do not deserve His mercy. His grace is a gift. Whether we have served Him for many years or are just beginning to turn our hearts toward Him, God welcomes us. The important thing is not how early we arrived, but that we answer His call.

So today, let us seek the Lord while He may be found. Let us call upon Him while He is near. Let us trust Him even when we do not understand His ways. Let us rejoice when God is generous to others, remembering that His generosity does not diminish what He gives to us.

Maybe there is someone in our family, someone we know, or someone who comes into our parish who feels overlooked or unworthy. Maybe they think they have been away from the Church too long or that they have made too many mistakes. The Lord reminds us today: there is always a place in His vineyard. May we never overlook another person whom God has called. May we see in every person the dignity that God sees. May we always remember that there is room for everyone in the vineyard of the Lord.

For God’s kingdom is not built on comparison, competition, or who arrived first. It is built on His love, His mercy, and His generosity. Let us trust the Lord, seek Him with all our hearts, and be thankful that our God is a generous and loving God who never forgets us and never stops calling us home.

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