"I will guide you in the way of wisdom and I will lead you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble".
Proverbs 4:11-12
Let us give thanks this day for the fathers in our lives as we recall the many sacrifices they make for their children and families. Let us be thankful for the ways - both big and small - that they guide and nurture their children to achieve their dreams.
We look to the example given to us in St. Joseph. Even though God was Jesus' father, St. Joseph lovingly took on the paternal role and taught the young Jesus various skills, the value of work, reverence for the Lord, and fidelity and obedience to God’s will. St. Joseph's great mission was to be a guardian to Jesus and Mary. That guardianship extends to our fathers today. Call upon St. Joseph in your time of need and he will answer you with the same kind compassion and loving fidelity he had for Jesus.
For all our fathers who have died, let us pray that God will grant them the rewards they so richly deserve. Through the intercession of St. Joseph, may he sustain all living fathers to continue to be devoted to God and their families!
To all of our fathers, thank you for all that you do in witness of the life of Christ. From our Cathedral family, we wish you a truly blessed Father's Day!
__
God and Father of all creation, we come before you today with humble hearts. You are our model of a loving father. When we fail and fall short of your expectations, you are always there at the end of the day with open arms, ready to heal the cuts and scrapes of the day and to encourage us to try again and not to give up. We hold up these men in our midst who act in the world as fathers to their children or models of fathers for others. Bless them in their moments of doubt and frustration with their children. Give them warm and open hearts to forgive failures. Provide them with the words needed for encouragement and perseverance. We ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.