Fathers - We Need You! | St. Faustina Catholic Church

June 7, 2019

Father’s Day is coming up shortly. It is a day to celebrate, but also a day for men to reflect on what it means to be a man of God. I ask that all the men at St. Faustina’s take a moment to consider how they can help young people in the home and in our society.

Men often try to set the example. They can put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect, to always have the answers, and to be able to fix everything. The idea is noble, but can quickly turn into perfectionism. When this happens, I ask you to think about God the Father: are you only impressed by His “accomplishments”? Do you only love Him because He made such an interesting world? Probably not. Although you may appreciate the universe, we love God because He first loved us and because He sacrificed His Son for us. He did those things because He desired reconciliation (a relationship!) with us. The deepest moment of any Christian’s life is when he or she realizes the deep acceptance and true love of God.

Fathers: you have that power with your children. They don’t actually need you to know how to fix their car. They don’t need you to teach them how to swing their golf club more consistently. Those things are nice, but they are only details. They mostly need to know that you love, accept, and cherish them.

Tell them you love them and that you enjoy being around them. Hug them. Watch them play a volleyball game, but don’t critique their performance; just tell them you are proud. Your children don’t love you because you know a lot of things. They love you for just being you! And they want you to love them simply because of who they are and not what they do.

Human accomplishments are a wonderful thing, but we must remember that God the Father is not as results-oriented as humans are. He wants us to try to honor Him, yet He loves us even when we fail. And God tells us He loves us even when we fail throughout His word! Over and over again He is merciful, forgiving, kind, and steadfast.

To men who are not fathers: fill in the gaps. Get involved in the parish and pour into the lives of young people by encouraging and guiding them. Just like there is no replacement for positive feminine love, there is also no replacement for positive masculine love.

To men and women who have been hurt by a father: know that God the Father has been fighting for you from the moment you were conceived. He knows every hair on your head- when you weep, He weeps with you for the sin that someone has committed against you. Know that He loves restoration, transformation and that He will move mountains for you to be healed. You are not forsaken. Put your trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and He will guide you toward healing and peace.

Blessings in Christ,
Fr. Dat