June 19, 2015 (Friday
In two days we shall observe Fathers Day.
Father’s Day came into existence in our country rather slowly. Spontaneous observances took place in various parts of the nation beginning around 1908, but It was not until 1966 that a presidential proclamation declared the third Sunday in June as Fathers Day. It became an official national holiday in 1972.
Recently Scott Jones, pastor, First Baptist Church of Rockport, Texas, led a Bible Study in which he helped the class discover Scripture references about God as Father. There are very few of these in the Old Testament, and most, if not all, of them are not direct statements that speak of God as our Father. It remained for Jesus, in the New Testament, to teach us this truth.
Perhaps the greatest new thought that Jesus gave us about God is that He is our Heavenly Father. What are the implications of this teaching that affect our lives today?
Fr. Ferdinand Santos wrote in his blog, The Catholic Webphilosopher, “The almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, everlasting and eternal Creator of all things, is our “Father”: yours and mine, and we are his children. It’s a truly awesome thought, as it boggles the mind. But the more you think about it, the greater it makes you feel.”
Blessed is the man who considers God the Father as his model for fatherhood. This is the kind of man that this day honors: a man who takes seriously the obligations of fatherhood–providing for the physical needs of his family, and the spiritual needs, too. This is the kind of man who lives by the Scripture that says he is to bring up his children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” This is the man who loves his wife and family, and always thinks of their needs above his own. Happy Fathers Day to this man. And all you other guys, too.