Father's Day

A good Father sacrifices and suffers for his children, in the spirit of Christ.  The following is a checklist to be a Christian dad:


Surrender. We have to surrender on an ongoing basis to Christ for his will to be done in our lives. Guys, we are not in charge … as much as we want to be! St. Ignatius of Loyola once said: “Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to him and if they were to allow his grace to mold them accordingly.”

Be a Man of Prayer. Our children will be much more likely to pray if we do. Work on developing a daily prayer routine with the goal of at least an hour a day devoted to prayer. Sound difficult? Think about how much TV we watch a day or answering email.  Consider how much time we spend in our cars each day and how much time we devote to exercise. We have more than enough time for prayer if we schedule it and integrate it into our day.  Also, imagine the powerful influence we can have on our children if they see us on our knees in prayer each night at family prayer time.

Understand Our True Vocation. For those of us blessed to be married and have children, we must recognize that helping our families get to heaven and being good husbands and fathers — not our business careers — is our real vocation. Ask yourself: “Is my work serving my family? Or is my family serving my work?”

Invest Time. Our children need our time. Put down the smartphone; turn off the TV; cancel the golf outing. Let’s spend more time with our kids! In the absence of a father’s time with his family, you can bet there are countless bad influences ready to take his place and guide his children in the wrong direction. I paraphrase author-theologian Scott Hahn, who wrote that, in our modern age, the father or mother who is willing to walk out of the office after 40 hours in order to have more time with his/her family is the real hero.

Be Courageous. Christians are meant to stand out, not blend in. Blending in speaks to conforming so that our faith becomes part of the mainstream … and we need to fight the culture. These are difficult times, and we have a responsibility to love and defend Christ, be great role models for our families and stand up for our faith.

Practice Detachment. Are we too focused on acquiring toys, bigger houses, nicer cars or the next promotion? We need to let go of the things that are in the way of our prayer lives, Mass attendance, charitable giving, volunteering, time with our families and certainly our relationships with Christ.

Love Our Wives. Husbands, we must love and cherish our wives, plain and simple. Our children will learn to love others by how they see Mom and Dad love each other. We need to say, “I love you” to our wives and our children as often as possible. Let’s show our wives respect and cherish the critical role they play in our families. “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” 

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St. Anothony

There is perhaps no more loved and admired saint in the Catholic Church than Saint Anthony of Padua, a Doctor of the Church. Though his work was in Italy, he was born in Portugal. He first joined the Augustinian Order and then left it and joined the Franciscan Order in 1221, when he was 26 years old. The reason he became a Franciscan was because of the death of the five Franciscan protomartyrs -- St. Bernard, St. Peter, St. Otho, St. Accursius, and St. Adjutus -- who shed their blood for the Catholic Faith in the year 1220, in Morocco, in North Africa, and whose headless and mutilated bodies had been brought to St. Anthony’s monastery on their way back for burial. St. Anthony became a Franciscan in the hope of shedding his own blood and becoming a martyr. He lived only ten years after joining the Franciscan Order.


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Thy Will Be Done

We are called to do God's will, not our own.  This is an essential command given to us by the Lord in His prayer.  Problems typically arise when we make gods of ourselves.  This is idolatry.


According to the atheist Jean-Paul Sartre, "Man, fundamentally, is the desire to be God." Friedrich Nietzsche joked, "If there were gods, I could not bear not being one. Therefore, there are no gods."

As Christians, we might identify with the longing of these philosophers, because we believe that we "come to share in the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). We do not simply strive to imitate God, but by means of grace working in us, we come to share in the very life of the triune God.

At every Mass, the priest quietly prays, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity."

Just as Christ our head is not only human but also divine, so through the sacramental life of the Church we become divinized or deified.


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The Soldier

Spiritual battle is a fight with the devil (and the self - me.  We are our own worst enemies).  Unlike other battles, the ultimate victory comes through surrender (to Christ).   

Me

The Preparation

From here to there I take no heed
Thrusting where my cravings lead
Assiduously plodding through the night
Equipping myself for daily fight

Without thought, concern nor tender care

Ambition drives me to lay bare

The splendor of a pear tree dove

Or purity of a child’s young love

With every passing day of gain

I scour the earth for more attain

Observing while the innocent flee

Endeavoring to fill the void in me

I readily climb the highest peak

Assurance I am unlike the meek

Willing to wage a full assault

Ambivalent to where might lay the fault

In endless quest for the more

I see the sign from serpent’s lore

Go out and ready for the take

One final conquest thou must make

A carpenter's son is this gent

Who for countless years is too far spent

He has captured many with his plea

Those who rightfully belong to me

The Battle

I took then my shield and my sword

To do the bidding of my lord

By land, by river, by hill, by sea

To crush this one from Galilee

But where is He from ancient day

Is it possible I've lost my way?

I will imperil those who bear His mark

While slithering further into the dark

Show yourself Galilean I bellow cry

Do you not know that it is I

Let us gird ourselves for the decisive clash

To the victor goes the spoils and ash

“It is Me” finally came a whisper to hardened heart’s door

The one you’ve always been searching for

Your heart beat My knock has ever been

Just waiting for you to let Me in

"Lay down your weapons I come in peace

Let your resentment finally cease

I have no anxiety for who might have won

My only victory is that you become a true son”

“You want me?” I queried with childlike sigh

The one who dwells on mountain most high

How is it possible for you to reconcile

With one who has spent a life most vile

The Surrender

“Let Me in and you will see

The transforming forgiveness that has been entrusted to Me

For you yourself I will take

A man in My image to remake”

"Let Me in” I heard again that hour

“I do not wish to take your power

It’s not a matter of toil and till

It’s only a matter of what you will”

“I am a man who goes to and fro

Tis too much anguish for me to let go

What you ask of me sounds of chide

How can a man expire his pride?”

“O man who sought the world to gain

You who now fear some pain

Accept the strength to you I gave

There are now new roads for us to pave”

“Let Me in I will change your heart

Yes suffering there will be your part

But a new, better man will emerge from the mist

For your old self then will cease to exist”

“Yes a new type of strength to capture” says I

“My greatest conquest then is to die

I will now no longer live for me

But for Him who has come to set me free”     

My Burden is Light

Matthew 11:25-30

        Francis of Assisi is considered one of the greatest saints of the Church.  He certainly is one of the most well known.  He was a man who dedicated himself to the poor and preached the gospel by his actions.  He renounced the material things and treasures of this world in order to live for the world to come.  In order to serve the poor he became poor and in order to live his faith he became obedient.

       St. Francis had the call we all have today, that is to love Jesus so profoundly we actually become “like” him in our actions, words and thoughts.  The Gospel of Matthew challenges us to be “childlike” as St. Francis was and accept the love of the Father as Jesus did.  We are called to humbly submit ourselves to his love.  When we do this the Father reveals to us what our purpose is and what makes us whole.  He reveals to us His will.  St. Francis discerned the will of God; we are called to do the same.

       There is a particular will of God for each one of us and a general will of God which is two-fold and the same for everyone who wants to follow Him.  We are called to take up our cross and “boast in the cross of Christ” as another saint (Paul) tells us in Ephesians.  That is, we are called to persevere in life, remain steadfast in our suffering and struggles and to never lose hope.  We are also called to come to Jesus, “all who are labored and burdened”, and he will give us rest. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

       St. Francis’ greatest gift was to understand and accept the unfathomable love and mercy of Jesus.


He understood that Jesus was with him every step of the way, especially in his suffering.  That


revelation is what gave him the strength to persevere and continue on in times of suffering.  It gave


him the strength to abandon all to Jesus in hope and faith and to live a life of fulfillment, joy and


peace in service to others.  We are so blessed as Catholics to be able to receive these graces


ourselves, to have the opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus so we can do the same, in our


own particular way God calls us, to love and accept God’s love as Francis did.