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We can all look back upon our fathers and the many blessings they provided for us over the years.  Those would include teaching us many core values in our lives such as honor, integrity, courage, loyalty, respect, duty, and self-less service.  Our fathers taught us the value of hard work and becoming contributing members of society.  We can relate that mom was the heart of the family and dad was the leader of the family, with mom’s assistance of course!

My brother Joe and I were talking recently, and we always recall those times in our lives where we can remember parents doing something, at the time was not too humurous, but when you look back upon it was funny.  There were five of us, three boys and two girls, and there was always something going on where we needed dad!  When we needed to talk with dad, we would knock on his door and as we got older, he would respond, Now What!  He knew that whatever he was doing was going to be interrupted because one of us had gotten ourselves into a pickle and needed his help and assistance.  We look back and laugh about it now.

Our fathers also taught us our spiritual values by taking us to Church and ensuring we were not just present physically but actively participating to include singing!  There was no such thing as not going to Church!  You best have your Sunday clothes on and ready to get into the 1959 Brown Chevy Plymouth (that was my earliest recollection of our first car) that was about to take off!  And you best be in it!

We all have some great recollections of our fathers to include some Bible verses of being a Godly father. These scripture passages affirm what God intended for men and how we can celebrate our fathers.

“A righteous man who walks in his integrity – blessed are his sons after him.” Proverbs 20:7.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

The entire universe and all of us, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, must honor first and foremost God our Heavenly Father.  Each day we need to give thanks to God whose power is revealed in all of nature and whose providence is revealed throughout all of history.  It is through God’s son, Jesus, who is the herald of reconciliation, the victor of the cross that freed us from empty fear and hopelessness.  And it is through God our Father that we free the captives, console the sorrowing, feed the hungry, strengthen the weak, and with all of his children, reveal the victory of Jesus’ cross.

And, as we have had our physical fathers to thank, we also have St. Joseph, patron of fathers, Jesus’ earthly father.  He is an example of all fathers with taking care physically and spiritually of his Holy Family – Mary and Jesus.  We also thank those spiritual fathers that are always there to lend a kind ear and who have assisted us over the years.  Most recently for all of us here at Our Lady of the Lake, we have Monsignor Makarewicz who truly takes care of his vineyard and watches over his flock.  And as previously stated, we have God our Father, who is, who was, and who will always be!  One God, one Holy Father, forever and ever! 

“The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him …  the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children.” Psalm 103:13, 17

Blessings – Dcn Jim