Written by Father Michael
Father’s Day has changed a lot for me over the years. It will never have the same meaning for me and in some ways; I hope it will never have the same meaning for you either. Fatherhood can have many different expressions. The change started 6 years ago when I told my children that I was making application to become a priest for the Diocese of Gary. My son’s first reaction was he was going to write a book called “My Father, The Father”. He said the tone would depend upon how “holy” I would become between that moment and the time he wrote the book. He wasn’t holding out much hope. I was still the father who was quick to anger.
My daughter’s tale was more profound. Tears formed in her eyes. She told me she was sad because she would no longer be the #1 person in my life. She would have to share me with others. She grasped the reality of priesthood quicker than I. It was a very beautiful father/daughter moment and happily the fears have mostly come to naught. However, it is very difficult to balance a family and the demands of priesthood. But my daughter is still dad’s girl.
The next time that I had a revelation as to the meaning of Father was preparing for my homily to the whole Mundelein Seminary community. About 300 strong, including my classmates, the faculty, administration and staff, this is a one time shot. I had received a sculpture of St. Joseph, who was embracing Mary and she was holding the infant Jesus. Being a father and a deacon and soon to be ordained priest, this had special meaning to me and I thought I had a little different message to deliver to the celibate men to whom I was delivering this homily. I planned on talking about the similarities of a family and their future parishioners and how protective and paternal a father is or should be. But the Gospel of the day did not allow me to do that.
The Gospel talked about how we all are children of God, children without borders, walls, or gates. We all belong to God and we are all fathers and mothers, brother and sisters. As a Father I cannot limit myself to just my parishioners. I am a Father to all people. My little idea of being Father to two wonderful children has grown to being a Father to a whole parish, to being a Father to all God’s children. But that is what being a Christian is. It does not stop at your front door, nor the Church’s door; it stops at the edge of the world. We are all fathers to God’s children. That love, care and concern we have for our biological children is the same that we need to have for all. Now that was a revelation. It was for the seminary, too, because I took twenty minutes to get my point across (most homilies are the 7-10 minute variety, legacy at Mundelein is the long winded old guy from Indiana, and everyone thought Chicago was the Windy City)
So gentlemen, Happy Father’s Day. You do God’s work as a Father, but remember that job is much bigger than you imagined, if you want to accept the title of being a Christian Father. We are all called to a royal priesthood, men and women alike, that is what being a Christian is. We cannot just concern ourselves with our little beautiful family. We need to be concerned about all. This revelation was slow coming to me, maybe it will come to you faster. Most of you do it well now but maybe unconsciously. How can you be more conscious of your fatherly love and do it better, more often?