Happy Father’s Day in this Year of St. Joseph.  A few years ago, I was in Rome for the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19th.  The Italians celebrate Father’s Day on the Feast of St. Joseph.  I was in St. Peter’s Square for a General Audience with Pope Francis and the Holy Father pointed out that St. Joseph “is a model for all fathers and educators.”  Speaking to the crowds gathered for the General Audience, the Pope’s catechesis focused on three aspects pertaining to the life and mission of St Joseph: as the “guardian” of the Holy Family; as the teacher and educator of the young Jesus; and as a guide who helped Jesus respond to the working of the Holy Spirit.  And speaking off the cuff, the Pope sent special greetings to all the fathers of the world, thanking them for what they do with their children. "Be close to your children" - the Pope said - "they need you. Just as St. Joseph was close to Jesus in his physical, psychological, and spiritual growth, you too must be guardians in age, wisdom and grace". 

Today we rejoice in all the Dads in our Faith Community who have remained close to their children throughout the years.  We rejoice in how dedicated you have been in taking care of your children’s material, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  We rejoice in how well you provide for your children and the great concern and interest that you take in everything they do.  We honor you on this day and pray it will be filled with much love and happiness.

Heavenly Father, today we ask You to bless our earthly fathers for the many times they reflected the love, strength, generosity, wisdom, and mercy that You exemplify in Your relationship with us, Your children.

We honor our fathers for putting our needs above their own convenience and comfort;
for teaching us to show courage and determination in the face of adversity;
for challenging us to move beyond self-limiting boundaries;
for modeling the qualities that would turn us into responsible, principled, caring adults.

Not all our fathers lived up to these ideals.
Give them the grace to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes.
Give us the grace to extend to them the same forgiveness that you offer us all.
Help us to resist the urge to stay stuck in past bitterness,
instead, moving forward with humility and peace of heart.

We ask your blessing on all who served as father figures in our lives when our biological fathers weren't able to do so.  May the love and selflessness they showed us be returned to them in all their relationships and help them to know that their influence has changed us for the better.

Give new and future fathers the guidance they need to raise happy and holy children, grounded in a love for God and other people - and remind these fathers that treating their wives with dignity, compassion and respect is one of the greatest gifts they can give their children.

We pray that our fathers who have passed into the next life have been welcomed into Your loving embrace, and that our family will one be day be reunited in your heavenly kingdom.

In union with St. Joseph, whom you entrusted with Your Son,
we ask Your generous blessings today and every day.  Amen.  

Bringing the Gospel Home:   We are all in the same boat and hopefully we have a sense that Jesus is with us.  Trusting that Jesus has the power to calm the storms of our times, what are some things we can work on together to solve some of the world’s storminess? Pray? Feed the hungry? Recycle? Build “Tiny Homes” for the homeless? Care for the sick? Help stop trafficking? Work to prevent discrimination?