Fathers Day
While our society celebrates fatherhood as an important natural relationship, Catholics can recognize also how fathers express the divine fatherhood of God. Our fathers, whether biological or adoptive, love to give us gifts which sustain us and bring us joy. For my whole life, my dad has worked to provide us all with necessities, but he doesn't stop there. As if by a compulsion, he continually finds ways to give a little more every day. He loves to cook us tasty food, take us on adventures, and make creative gifts. I am extremely grateful to him for all the time and energy he spends with us even when he doesn't have to. Fathers give gratuitously because they love to do so, and they frequently engage all their energy and creativity in giving. Our dads act as images of God the Father. Everything they do for us is like an arrow pointing in the direction of God. This way our fathers give from within themselves reflects the generosity of God himself.
This is one reason we call him our Father. His giving is gratuitous, certainly beyond anything we can deserve. All creation is a manifestation of his creative, painstaking generosity. He loves to put a personal touch in his gifts. Not satisfied with making a universe we can live in, he makes it fascinating and beautiful. He gives us animals not only to serve our needs, but for us to enjoy as companions. He gave us the capability for human relationship and friends to share our time with. Even when we become insensible of his giving, it continues to pour out of him. He has more, greater gifts waiting for us, if we get to know him as our Father. Our earthly dads, even when they do their best, are only human and imperfect, but God exemplifies perfect divine fatherhood. Gratitude is the built-in human response to God's giving. If we struggle to experience gratitude on a day-to-day basis, maybe we don't have a strong sense of God as our Father.
My recent ordination to the diaconate is a call to participate in God's fatherly generosity, giving of myself to the Church gratuitously. This is a great calling and one which can only come from one place. First I must appreciate God as the Father who gives so freely to me. That gratitude can overflow into cheerful giving to other people. Like our fathers on earth, I am imperfect and not always ready to give, but my time at Visitation so far has helped me discover that the people of God are ready to set an example of generosity, which then motivates me to give more. Out of gratitude to you guys and to God who has already given me so much, I hope to develop great generosity and learn to be a spiritual father during the rest of my time at this parish. Thank you to the people and especially the fathers of this parish for setting a good example for me, and especially to God the Father for giving us the time to learn from each other. Happy Father's Day!
-Written by Deacon Joe Heisey (2023 OLVP Summer Seminarian)
