FJ February 2026

In his book, Memoirs from the Heart of a Priest, Fr John Rizzo recounts a story during his travels in the United States, where he stopped at a roadside diner for a meal.

After eating, he paid for his meal and gave the noticeably pregnant waitress a tip, saying “This is for the beautiful child that you have inside of you”.

A little later, as Fr Rizzo was entering his car, the waitress approached him in tears, saying that she had planned to end the pregnancy that evening, but upon hearing the priest’s words and receiving the small tip, she was now determined to keep her child.

This touching story is a great example of the often-underestimated value of a small act of kindness. Most of the time we don’t even know if anyone has noticed these small gestures, leave alone the impact they have made.

‘Random acts of kindness’ are everywhere on social media these days – think of MrBeast and his extravagant gifts to the homeless, often labelled ‘stunt philanthropy’. But instead of publicly displaying good deeds for clicks and likes, Jesus instructs us to do the opposite:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them... when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

Last month, Australia observed a national day of mourning for the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack. In announcing the day, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraged Australians to do a “mitzvah for Bondi”, which he described as an act of kindness or compassion.

It’s a noble idea, and one that I hope many around the country observed. As you continue on your spiritual journey, I encourage you to build upon this one-off experience and identify ways to share acts of kindness more regularly, perhaps making it part of your weekly or daily habits.

There are many things you could do, for example:

  • Send an old friend a message to ask how they are
  • Take a meal or treat to any new families in town
  • Leave a note of thanks for the cleaners at your workplace
  • Allow someone to be served before you at the checkout
  • Greet someone you walk past on the road or in the shops
  • Pick up a piece of rubbish and dispose of it

Take this as your 2026 daily challenge – what small act of kindness will you do today?

 

Further reading
Little acts of kindness (Sisters of the Good Samaritan)
Practicing small acts of kindness (Loyola Press)

 

Image: Lightstock
Words: Matthew Biddle