Pastor's Note from Fr. Szparagowski 📝

Dear St. Philip Neri Friends and Family,

We give praise and thanks to God for the graces and blessings He has given us! Today the Church invites us to rejoice in something that, at first glance, might seem strange; the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was an instrument of shame, torture, and death. Yet today we celebrate it with exaltation, because through the Cross, God has transformed the greatest sign of suffering into the greatest sign of love and victory.

In our first reading, we heard about the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert. The people of Israel, who had turned away from God, were bitten by serpents, and in their suffering, they cried out for help. God instructed Moses to lift up the bronze serpent, so that whoever looked upon it would live. The story foreshadows the Cross of Christ. Just as the serpent was lifted up for the healing of the people, so the Son of Man was lifted up on the Cross so that all who look upon Him in faith may be saved.

St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians that Jesus humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death on a Cross. Because of this, God highly exalted Him. The Cross shows us what true love looks like; self-emptying, self-giving, love that holds nothing back. It is precisely because Jesus lowered Himself so completely that He was raised up in glory.

In the Gospel of John, we hear the heart of the Christian faith; "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life." The Cross is the fullest expression of that love. It is not simply a symbol or a piece of jewelry. It is the place where Christ poured out His life for us.

So, what does it mean for us to exalt the Cross today? It means that we recognize in the Cross not defeat, but victory. The world saw weakness, but God revealed strength. The world saw humiliation, but God revealed glory. The world saw death, but God revealed the gateway to eternal life.

It also means that we learn to see our own crosses differently. Every one of us carries burdens; illness, grief, family struggles, loneliness, disappointment. Left on their own, these crosses can feel crushing. But when united to Christ's Cross, they become a path to redemption. Our suffering, joined to His, is no longer meaningless. It has value. It can become a source of grace for ourselves and for others.

This feast also challenges us to live the wisdom of the Cross. The world tells us that strength comes from power, success, and comfort. The Cross tells us that true strength comes from sacrifice, humility, and love. The world says suffering is to be avoided at all costs. The Cross tells us that suffering can be embraced and transformed when lived with Christ.

When we make the Sign of the Cross, when we look upon the crucifix, we are reminded not only of what Christ endured, but of the incredible love that motivated Him to endure it. The Cross is not simply about death; it is about the promise of eternal life.

On this feast, let us resolve to keep the Cross at the center of our lives. Let us not be ashamed of it, but rather exalt it. Let us carry our crosses faithfully, knowing that Christ carries them with us. And let us always remember that in the Cross, we find not despair, but hope, not darkness, but light, not death, but life everlasting.

May we echo the words of St. Paul; "May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." And may the Cross, once a sign of suffering, remain for us forever the sign of love, mercy, and victory.

Please invite someone to Mass today. St. Philip Neri, pray for us! Have a blessed day,

Fr. Szparagowski