God the Father
Fr. Isaiah Schick
Happy Father’s Day! One of the mysteries of our Christian faith is that God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I have noticed that some occasionally get confused and think that this means that God the Father is “like” a human father in some way. This can be helpful insofar as it can teach us something about God giving us life, providing for us, etc. However, I want to take a moment today to reflect on the fact that it is actually that human fathers are supposed to be like God the Father rather than the other way around! I think this can clear up some confusion, and it also gives us human fathers a model to strive after – to be fathers filled with love like the Father in heaven who is Love himself! One of the best ways to thank all of the men in our lives who have been fathers to us – other than the obvious “Thank you!” – is to pray for them. Take a moment this weekend to pray for them both in thanksgiving and in asking God to pour out ever-new graces into their hearts that they might become more like our heavenly Father each day. Perhaps even an Our Father offered for them would be fitting. However you choose to honor the human fathers in your life this week, do not forget to take a moment to thank God the Father, too! If you want a suggestion for how to do that, maybe pray through Luke 15:11-32, wherein Jesus describes what the heart of the Father is like. “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1).