Pastor's Note from Fr. Szparagowski 📝 - [August 9th Bulletin]

Dear St. Philip Neri Family and Friends,

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

Today's Gospel is one that many of us know by heart. We can almost picture the scene. The disciples are out on the Sea of Galilee. The waves are crashing against the boat. The wind is strong. They are frightened. Then, in the midst of the storm, Jesus comes walking toward them on the water. Peter, with his usual courage and enthusiasm, says,

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus simply replies,

“Come”.

One detail is easy to miss. When Peter first steps out of the boat, the focus is entirely on Jesus. His eyes are fixed on the Lord. He trusts Him completely. He is actually walking on the water.

Isn’t that often how our own faith begins? When life is peaceful, when our health is good, when our family is doing well, when work is going smoothly, it is much easier to recognize the Lord’s presence. It is easier to pray, to trust, and to follow Him.

But then something changes. The winds begin to blow. Life’s pressures and stress enter our lives. It can be illness of a loved one, problems at work, loneliness, disappointments, or the anxiety of everyday life. Suddenly, like Peter, we begin looking at the wind and the waves instead of looking at Jesus.

The Gospel tells us that Peter “noticed the strong wind.” In other words, he took his eyes off Jesus. He looked down at the danger around him instead of looking into the face of the One who had called him.

How often that happens in our own lives. We become so focused on our problems that we forget the One who is greater than every problem. We begin to think we are facing life’s storms alone.

But here is the beautiful part of today’s Gospel. Jesus never took His eyes off Peter. Even when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, Jesus never stopped looking at Peter. When Peter began to sink, Jesus was already there. Peter cried out only three words:

“Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him. Not after Peter proved himself or apologized. That is our Lord.

When we stumble, He reaches for us. When we fall into sin, He reaches for us. When we become discouraged, He reaches for us. When we feel like we are sinking under the weight of life, He reaches for us. Jesus never abandoned Peter. He simply invited him to trust again.

That is the heart of our Christian faith. There will always be storms. Jesus never promised us a life without crosses. Illness, suffering, disappointments, family worries, and uncertainty are all part of our journey. But He did promise that He would never leave us to face them alone.

This week, whenever you begin to feel overwhelmed by life’s storms, pause for just a moment. Instead of focusing first on the problem, turn your attention to the Lord. Pray Peter’s simple prayer,

“Lord, save me.”

It is one of the shortest prayers in Scripture, but also one of the most powerful. If someone you know is struggling this week, become the hands of Christ for them. A phone call, a visit, a kind word, or simply listening can become the way Jesus reaches out and lifts another person up.

May we have the faith of Peter to step out of the boat, the humility of Peter to cry out when we are sinking, and the confidence to know that our Lord will always reach out His hand to save us. Amen.

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