Happy Father’s Day to all of our fathers! So often we talk about how important our mothers were in our lives as we were growing up. More and more studies now show how important fathers are in raising their children. An individual recently told me, “it is the father who sets the moral tone for his children, especially his daughters.”
I am reminded of the blessing of parents at Baptism that says, “God is the giver of all life, human and divine. May he bless the father of this child. He and his wife will be the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith. May they be the best teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.”
St. Joseph is the model for fathers. It is true that we do not have much scripture about St. Joseph, but what we have indicates that he was a man of faith and trusted in God. He took on a role which he did not understand, but he had the faith to trust in God. Fathers create a most important image of fatherhood for us. Why? Because it affects the children’s ability to understand God as the Father. If one has no image or a poor image of fatherhood, it is more difficult to relate to Jesus and His teaching about our Father in heaven and the care and love he has for us.
So on this Father’s Day, remember whether you are a father, grandfather or even a godfather, how important your role is in passing on the faith in God the Father. Enjoy your day, fathers!