Thoughts on Father's Day

Posted by Molly


This morning I was talking to my little boys about what I planned to do for their father and their two grandfathers this Sunday, when my five year old, Mac, pointed out that the three of them are not our only fathers.....Father Meyers, Father Charlie and Monsignor Gatto are also Fathers for us. Wow. I love it when my child is wiser than me. Makes me feel like I'm doing something right. : )


So that got me thinking about Father's Day. Naturally, the first fathers we think of are our own fathers and husbands. And it's wonderful to celebrate them because as anyone who has had a really terrific father or husband knows, they are priceless. I am lucky to have both.



But besides our own relatives, my son is right. There are other fathers we should be thankful for this week. As he pointed out, the priests at our parish are all Fathers who offer us support and love and friendship and that is something to be really grateful about. My own father lost his dad when he was only fifteen and was mentored at Gonzaga College High School by a priest who saw that he didn't have a father figure and stepped in. My dad grew up to a successful lawyer, a loving father and a very strong, principled man and I believe a lot of that is owed to the mentoring he recieved from Father Lelii as a young man.


And, of course, there is the Heavenly Father, God, who created us and loves us and brings us all together in our faith. Father's Day is not a day to forget him - maybe that's why it's always on a Sunday.


One father, who I personally think doesn't always get the recognition he deserves, is Joseph, Jesus's, shall we say, step-father. Sure, we all hear him mentioned in the Christmas story, but his role is overshadowed by the obvious importance of Jesus and Mary. I totally get that. Christmas is their story. So maybe Father's Day is a time when we can think about him. I know a lot of really great men, great husbands, great fathers and I'm still not sure how many of them would have been able to step up with unwavering faith and standby a fiance who somehow got pregnant with God's son. That's sort of a lot to ask but just like the Lord knew that in Mary he had found a pure heart willing to take on the role of mothering the baby Jesus, I believe he also knew that in Joseph he had found a man of such strong faith that he would not only continue to love Mary despite the unbelievable nature of her situation but he would also love Jesus as his own and raise him to be the man who could save us all. Joseph is what every father and husband should aspire to be. Jospeh was a man of faith and strength and love. And while I've never tested my own father or husband quite as much as Joseph was tested, I think in their own ways that they measure up. And for me, that makes for a very happy Father's Day.