Father's Day

Some Fatherly Thoughts on Father’s Day

Feast of the Holy Trinity

Father’s Day

June 16, 2019

What is it I want for my children?  Happiness?  Health?  Wealth?  Success?  Fulfillment?  In some sense I suppose I want all of these things for them.  But then, what is happiness, really?  What defines it?  What is its essence? 
Health?  It will fail us all at some point.  We all die. 
Wealth can be a greater burden than blessing, and certainly an idol. 
And how do we measure success?  The world’s measure is simply different than mine, than that of the Christian. 
Fulfillment… We are forever filling ourselves full of things.  We always crave more.  It’s never enough.

These are all penultimate things.  They always fall short.  They are not what I ultimately dream for my children.

What I want for them is simply to know Christ.  To know He died for them.  To know He lives for them.  To know their sins are forgiven.  To know Him as their very life. 

I want them to go to Church every Sunday… To receive Jesus.  I want them to marry a Christian spouse and establish a Christian home.  I want them to raise children, if God so blesses them, in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  I want them to love and serve their neighbor; to do whatever they do in life out of thankful love for God and neighbor, as serving the Lord; to be rich in faith toward God and love for all mankind; to live each day in their Baptism, which is to say, in Christ, in repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

That is a fulfilling life.  That is to be wealthy in ultimate things.  And to be in Christ in this way is to be safe and well-provisioned when wealth runs dry, when health fails, when happiness, as determined by outward circumstances, is unsustainable due to misfortune or sadness.  Christian joy is so much deeper than the emotion of happiness.  Christian joy is not an emotion at all, but the certain knowledge that all will be made right in the end.  By Christ.  He is our joy.  Even death can’t rob you of that kind of joy.

These things I also hope and dream and pray for the children of my parishes, past and present, and for my Godchildren, whom God has entrusted into my care.

God grant them all this, for such things can only come from Him.  And where my children, or their children, or the children of our parishes, or my Godchildren, fall short or fail, God forgive them for Jesus’ sake, and call them back, grant them repentance and faith, restore them as only He can.

On a not unrelated note, this Father’s Day has fallen on the Feast of Holy Trinity, which is a source of great comfort to this earthly father.  God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ, His Son, and by His Spirit, as our Father in heaven who loves us, has redeemed us by the blood of Jesus, makes us His own, provides for us in every need of body and soul, and gives us eternal life.  Our heavenly Father loves my children even more than I do, if it can be imagined.  He more than makes up for my failures and sins as a dad.  He forgives me.  He sets right what I have done wrong.  He will never fail my children.  He loves them to the end.  He will never fail me.  He is my Father, who loves me.

And so many fathers He has given me, for whom I give thanks.  My dad, who is with Him even now in heaven.  My dear father-in-law.  My fathers in the faith, so many pastors and professors who taught me the Word, and still teach me, who fed me, who have given me Christ.  Mentors who taught me what it is to be a man.  Thank God for every one of them. 

And thank You, Lord, for my children: Madelyn Renee, Mackenzie Elizabeth, and Matthew James.  They fill my quiver.  Blessed am I.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.