I’ll diverge a bit from my normal format today – for a very special reason. Today is Father’s Day. You can still read the daily readings and reflect on them. I’d like to share some thoughts today on fatherhood.
Unfortunately, fatherhood has been much maligned of late. If you look at pop culture today, TV, movies, and especially advertisements, you’ll see that fathers are made out to be out-of-touch dopes at best, and completely unnecessary at worst. This is, in my opinion, tragic. It really started with the rise of feminism. In 1970, Irina Dunn said, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” This phrase seems to have taken hold far too much in our society. And it has had extremely deleterious consequences. Rampant divorce. The breakdown of the family. And as men have bought into this attitude, so many men now feel no need to be a father to their children.
Fatherhood is not only a huge responsibility, it is a gift like no other. Dads are irreplaceable. If you are a dad, my prayer is that your fatherhood can in some small way emulate the fatherhood of God. If you have lost your dad, my prayer for you is that you will savor great memories of Dad on this day. And if your dad is still with you, my prayer is that you will let him know how much you love, respect and appreciate him, and encourage him to be all that God is calling him to be – protector, provider and spiritual leader. And one final thought: please thank your priest today. We must always encourage our spiritual fathers for their selfless service to Christ and His Church. Happy Father’s Day!
Father, we thank you for the gift of fatherhood. Bless all dads today, and help us to be more like you in all ways. Amen.
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