Father's Day

I want to wish all fathers a Happy Father’s Day and hope that you all receive many affirmations and much love on this day. Fathers are so important, and it is significant that God Himself is revealed as Father, although God has no gender strictly speaking. The central Christian prayer the “Our Father” identifies God as Father of all Christians and shows us that God has a particular heart for all fathers, biological and spiritual.

Fathers be encouraged and take heart; God will provide all the grace and strength needed to live out your vocation with courage and love. Being a father today can seem so disheartening because our culture has come to largely demean and downplay the role of fathers. Yet, the Lord still calls each man to imitate St. Joseph, Pillar of Families in becoming the bedrock of the Catholic home. As a father you are called to lead your family spiritually and while you do this with your wife, you should still be the one leading the domestic church and encouraging your family to seek the Lord and to grow in holiness.

I also want to encourage women to affirm men and fathers. I have noted that even when men try to do the right thing, they will often receive not encouragement but instead criticism that something was not done quite right or according to exact specifications. So, women please encourage and affirm the men in your life because without your support, the men in your life cannot become the fathers they are being called to be by the Lord.

Thank you to my own father who showed me such patience growing up that he truly became a living symbol of mercy for me. I am even more grateful that it was the faith of my dad that inspired my own adventure with Jesus Christ. Such a gift is far beyond my ability to express adequate thanks. Thank you, dad!

Peace in Christ,
Father Jarred Kohn