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. As we continue to celebrate the Christmas season, the Church places before us two beautiful feasts that shine light on the heart of our faith: the Feast of the Holy Family and the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. These feasts are closely linked because they reveal who Christ is and how God chose to enter our human world. They invite us to look at the Incarnation through the eyes of family and through the gentle strength of Mary.

The Feast of the Holy Family reminds us that the Son of God chose to dwell not simply in a world, but in a home. Jesus grew up in a family. He learned from Mary and Joseph. He experienced daily life, work, love, struggles, and joys. The Holy Family of Nazareth was simple and humble, yet within that home lived the very presence of God.

The Gospel for the Holy Family often shows Jesus as a child, growing in wisdom and grace. It reminds us that holiness is shaped in the ordinary rhythms of family life: forgiveness, patience, sacrifice, and daily love. The Holy Family is not meant to make us feel inadequate. Instead, it gives us a model of trust, faithfulness, and perseverance even when life is uncertain or painful. Mary and Joseph knew hardship: poverty, displacement, misunderstanding, and danger. Yet they faced every challenge with trust in God and with love for one another. Their family life was not easy, but it was holy because God was at the center.

This brings us to the second feast, celebrated just days later: Mary, Mother of God. On January 1st, the Church begins the new year by honoring Mary with her highest title. She is not only the Mother of Jesus. She is the Mother of God. This title, "Theotokos," means bearer of God. It affirms that the child she carried and raised is truly divine and truly human.

Mary shows us what faithful discipleship looks like. In the Gospel for this feast, we hear that Mary "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." She did not always understand fully, but she trusted deeply. Her life was marked by listening, pondering, and quietly embracing the will of God. When we honor Mary as Mother of God, we also recognize her as our mother in faith. She accompanies us, intercedes for us, and helps us to grow closer to her Son. She teaches us how to say yes to God, how to welcome Christ into our daily lives, and how to treasure His presence even in confusing or difficult times.

The Holy Family and Mary, Mother of God, together offer us three important lessons as we stand at the close of one year and the beginning of another.

First, God works through the ordinary. Nazareth was unknown. Mary and Joseph were poor. Everyday routines filled their life. Yet God's glory lived in that simple home. In the same way, God works in our daily lives: in our conversations, in our small acts of kindness, in our care for one another. Holiness grows in ordinary moments.

Second, family life is a place of grace. Families are not perfect; we try our best. They face strain, pain, and misunderstanding. But when we turn to God, when we forgive, when we show patience, when we love even when it is difficult, God is present. The Holy Family reminds us that the home is one of the most sacred places where faith is lived.

Third, Mary teaches us how to begin anew. Her quiet trust, her courage, and her willingness to say yes to God offer us a beautiful way to enter a new year. Like her, we can welcome Christ into our hearts and ask for the grace to walk with Him each day. When the future feels uncertain, Mary reminds us to hold onto God and to let Him guide us.

Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Jesus, our Emmanuel, be with us now and always.

Please invite someone to Mass today. St. Philip Neri, pray for us. Merry Christmas.

Fr. Szparagowski