June 20, 2004: Father's Day

"Father’s Day"


The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 20, 2004


Today we are blessed to celebrate Father’s Day—a day to remember and honor our dads, whether they’re still with us or even if they’ve gone home to God. We lift our hearts in prayer and make the words of the opening Mass prayer our own: we rejoice to call you Father.

If you’re a father who’s back visiting today, we welcome you. We pray that this time with your family will be joyous and refreshing.

It’s not always easy to be a father these days. The pressures and worries and responsibilities are enormous. Without a doubt, Jesus had fathers in mind in a special way when he spoke the words we just heard in the gospel: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

This past winter, my friend, Rick’s, young son, Tommy, got sick. His temperature spiked to 102½. Rick and his wife, Krista, got out the Children’s Advil, and 45 minutes later, the fever was down to 100.

Just before bed, Tommy’s temperature was back up. Even with another dose of Advil, his fever hit 103. They gave him water to drink and tried to bring the temperature down by applying cold compresses, but he didn’t respond very much. By 12:30 AM, Tommy’s temperature was 104. Rick and Krista decided to take him to the emergency room.

While Krista started the van, Rick tried to get Tommy ready. He jostled him and woke him up, and Rick explained that they were going to the doctor. Tommy looked at his dad with weary but trusting eyes and said, “Am I going to die, Daddy?”

Rick told me afterwards that three reactions flooded his mind instantly. The common sense answer: “No, you’re not going to die. We just need to get this fever down.” Then the emotional reaction: “I’m scared!” Visions of children with terrible diseases racked his mind. And finally, the spiritual reaction: “Dear Jesus, cover him… heal him… love him.”

Like most fathers would, Rick decided on the common sense answer for little Tommy, since he didn’t want to scare him and he was fairly certain the fever wasn’t life-threatening. But his mind flashed to the many parents in this world who have had to look at their children, knowing that the ultimate answer to that question was “Yes.” It’s almost unimaginable to have to contemplate that circumstance. Of course, that might even have been the heavenly conversation between Jesus and the Father, when the Son asked the question, “Am I going to die, Daddy?” and in his heart, the Father knew the answer was “Yes.”

Yes, indeed… to be a loving father means not just sharing the joy, but also the cross.

I know that like my friend, Rick, you fathers care very much about your children’s well-being. You try to keep them healthy… well fed… provided for in the things they need—and, if you can afford it, also the things they want. That’s beautiful.

But as much as these physical needs are an important part of fatherhood, so are the spiritual needs. As a father, you have been entrusted by God to be God’s stand-in for these precious young ones. Whenever people pray the “Our Father” or refer to God the Father, our natural reaction is immediately to picture our own dad first! He’s the model of God!

So perhaps it’s good to ask yourself today: Am I modeling God the Father for my children?

Am I present to them? Not just physically, but also emotionally? If you’re home but always on the phone, the computer or in front of the ball game on TV you are really absent. And that’s a tragedy.

I’m back here at St. Paul’s after a six-year absence. I look at the kids I knew when I was here before and I see how they’ve grown since 1998. It’s a blink of the eye. Stop and think how quickly your kids are growing up. Don’t squander this precious time by looking past your children to catch a meaningless play in some game… or by hurrying through a bedtime story so you could get back on the computer.

An important way to model God the Father is by praying. Let your children see you pray. Teach them to pray. Show them that human beings don’t have all the answers by any means, and the place to turn when we need superhuman assistance is to God.

Pray mealtime prayers together when you sit down to the table. This reminds your family that our sustenance and all good things come from the hand of God. Bless your children before bed. This reminds them that the angels are watching over them even in the dark. Say a short prayer together for relatives and friends who are sick or dying or in need of God’s powerful intercession. This gives your children great hope to know that miracles are always possible, even in situations that may appear hopeless to our feeble human eyes.

If you’re not used to praying or being a spiritual man, maybe you feel a little self-conscious or uncomfortable. That, too, is a small cross that Christ asks you to take up if you want to follow him. But truthfully, it’s a pretty light cross in the scheme of things. Don’t be embarrassed or shy about embracing our Catholic faith in all its richness. It has guided men, women and children along the path of salvation for 2000 years… and it will guide you, too.

We honor you and bless you, dear Fathers, on your special day. May the Lord continue to shine his abundant light and love upon you always! Amen.



Today’s Readings
Zechariah 12, 10–11 and 13, 1
Psalm 63
Galatians 3, 26–29
Luke 9, 18–24