Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2015

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

January 11, 2015

Fatherhood

 

            On December 7, 1988, an 8.2 earthquake struck Armenia, destroying cities and killing about 50,000 people. An elementary school in a certain town collapsed, leaving nothing more than a pile of rubble. Immediately after the earthquake, a father ran to that elementary school and began frantically digging through that pile of bricks and mortar himself, in hopes of rescuing his son. There wouldn’t be a full-scale recovery effort for days, so he was all alone in trying to rescue his son. Panicked and desperate, he sweat and grunted and hauled cement blocks away from the pile, hoping against hope. His neighbors told him to give up, that everyone was dead beneath the rubble. But he continued – and he dug, by himself, for 38 hours…until he was finally able to uncover the room where his son and 13 of his son’s classmates were found, miraculously, alive. According to bystanders, when the father finally freed them, the son turned to his friends and said, “See, I told you my father wouldn’t forget us.”

            That is the kind of good Father we have in Heaven. We get a small glimpse of this intimate moment today in the Gospel, as Jesus hears some treasured words of affirmation: “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

            It is in imitation of this kind, strong, faithful Heavenly Father that earthly fathers must imitate. It comes as no surprise that there is a real crisis of fatherhood in our culture today. Many fathers are violent, abusive men – I just think about the crisis in the NFL with Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, who were both suspended for domestic violence. Other fathers are passive and wimpy men, men who won’t lead their families. Then again, some fathers are just plain absent, and their gap is left open in the lives of their family.

            So what does real, manly fatherhood look like? In imitation of God the Father, I think there are three characteristics of a good father.

            First, a good father protects. A father must protect his family. From what, you ask? First and foremost from sin. The Evil One hates families. He wants to corrupt the innocence of children and destroy the unity of families. So a father must stand as the vanguard to protect his family from sin. It always irks me when I’m spending time with a family and a teenager or a kid would take the Lord’s name in vain or tell some dirty joke and the father will just stand idly by. Men of God, your strength is needed to protect your families from sin!

            Fathers, if you knew that someone had insulted your wife and children, wouldn’t you want to rise up to confront that person? Of course. It’s hard-wired in us as men to defend the innocent. Even more so, we need to defend our families…from sin.

            Second, a good father leads, especially leads his family in the Faith. I heard an interesting statistic one time. If only a mother takes her children to Mass, then the kids have a 45% chance of remaining practicing Catholics when they grow up. If only a father takes his children to Mass, there is a 95% chance that the children will remain Catholic. Why is that? Well, when I was growing up, my father was the strongest man I knew. He was my hero. So when I saw my dad – the strong man – kneeling before Jesus and seeking His grace, I thought: “Wow, we must really need Jesus in our lives, if my father desperately needs Him.”

            In certain cultures it isn’t considered “macho” for a man to be a faithful Christian. Well, too bad! Even men, with all their strength, stand desperately in need of God’s forgiveness, healing, and grace. It isn’t enough to support our wives and children in their faith – we need it deeply ourselves, so that we can LEAD our families to Christ.

            Finally, a good father serves. I remember growing up that my father would never take the last piece of pie. He would always make sure that his family was provided for before he himself would rest or take a break. A good father puts others before himself, following the example of Jesus, Who came to serve and not to be served.

            Lead, protect, and serve. These are the three characteristics of a father, following after the heart of our Father in Heaven.

            Now, when I talk about fatherhood, I realize that many men here are in different situations, so allow me to address each one separately. If you are a man whose children are grown and out of the house, your fatherhood does not stop! Continue to be a source of wisdom and support for your family. Protect them in prayer. Reach out to them.

            If you are a man who has had no children, you are still a father! Look for people in your life who you can mentor. There are many fatherless younger men and boys out there – get involved in their lives in a healthy and wholesome way. I myself have no biological children, but I am called “Father” because hopefully I have the privilege of leading, serving, and protecting my flock.

            If you are a young man who has not yet started a family, pay close attention to my words, because your strength will be needed, by Christ and by your family, to build a world of goodness and holiness.

            If you are a woman, please pray for the men in your life - your physical fathers, your husband and peers, and your spiritual fathers. I know that many times we carry wounds from our fathers – forgive your father, then, if it is necessary. Encourage the men in your life to rise up as leaders, protectors, and servants.

            My friends, this Church and this world needs men to step up and act like men, following closely after God the Father. You have a strength – and it is needed, to protect, to lead, and to serve.