To my Dad on Father's Day & Reverence For Our Fathers

Happy Father's Day to all fathers, but especially to my dad.💕

He is someone I've always looked up to. Someone I never want to disappoint. Growing up, since neither of us are big talkers, I wasn't as close to him and my younger sister, who would sing and play guitar with my dad, go places with him, and be silly with him. Regardless of the more quiet relationship we had, I always knew my dad loved me and I hope he felt loved by me in return. I still remember when he would come home from work and my sister and I would run downstairs to greet him with a big hug! 

My dad is an excellent teacher! He taught me how to drive, helped me open my first bank account, and helped me make my first budget. All of these moments, I think, led us to be closer, and I found myself going to find him, in his recliner chair, to ask about all sorts of things whether it be about work, my taxes, friendships, or boys. The advice was always wise (he's a very wise man) but I also enjoyed the quality time with him.

Besides being a wise teacher, my dad is also very smart. Mensa, in case you wanted to know just how smart. 😉

Some who are smart may fall into being dull or too serious. But my dad has always had a great sense of humor and he always brought fun and joy to our family life! He had fun little games he showed us as kids, that always blew our minds. Like one where he would arrange silverware into a "number" and we would have to guess what it was. The trick is that the silverware is meaningless, it's how many fingers he would place on the table after making the number.

My dad didn't hesitate to go all-out when it came to playing games with us, or anything really! He painted lines in our driveway for basketball and some less permanent ones on the grass for a volleyball court. He taught me that if you're going to do something, do it well and do it right. 

To this day, he plays with his kids; pickleball, racquetball, volleyball, cornhole, you name it. My dad will play it. And he'll probably win it.

I can't finish talking about my dad without mentioning his generosity. He is by far, the most generous man I know. Both in his time, and his money. After his retirement, my dad really never retired. He helps out two large non-profits, one he got the finances in order, and the other he does a lot of mailing. He helps out at the church a lot too. Every time I go over to my parents house, he is tirelessly working on something. I have yet to see him get the public recognition he deserves from one of the groups. But even without it, he doesn't complain. He works out of the goodness of his heart. And on top of it all, he is always available to help his kids and their needs.

With his money, he is just as generous! I can't count the times he has bought a meal for the whole table when eating out. He didn't give me a strict budget for my wedding. He gives generous gifts to his kids and grandkids, even the grown and married ones or those who forget to thank him. I hope to be as generous as him one day. 

Last but not least, he taught me the Catholic faith! I am privileged to have a father who goes to mass on Sundays with his family and leads them in the daily rosary. His example of a loving father makes it easy to see God as a loving Father, and not everyone can say that. I'm forever grateful that I can. 

I Love you Dad! 

And now a word on reverence for our fathers...

"It is a fact that people are always well aware of what is due to them. Unfortunately, they remain oblivious of what they owe to others."                                     ~ St. Francis de Sales 

Well, today is Trinity Sunday! and I think it's very fitting for Father's Day to fall on this day. Honestly, It's probably the closet thing to a Father's Day that we could ever have for God the Father. Our priest talked about the Fatherhood of God, as well as priests, and our earthly fathers. What stood out to me, is that in all of these relationships, the same thing is missing in today's world. Reverence.

Yes, I think we have lost an overall respect and reverence for our fathers in the modern world-all of them. God The Father is disrespected when we disrespect His Son. For no one can come to the Father except through Christ. Abuses in the liturgy, indifference, horrific songs (like "God is a woman" which I hate to even type out) or other offenses against the Trinity. 

Our priests are deemed "pastoral" or not, based on what they give us and what they do for us. Many priests are left, forgotten after the people get what they want. Or if they don't get what they want, they leave in a huff, badmouthing their pastor all the way to the next church.

And our earthly fathers...fathers are treated like children or imbeciles in the media. We've all seen the commercials with the dumb fathers who have no good ideas or can't help but be immature. And let's be honest, in real life it isn't much better; laughing at, teasing, and criticizing fathers like it's no big deal. All in good fun, they think. 

The remedy, I believe, is to remember reverence. Alice von Hildebrand talks about how our culture has lost it's reverence. We talk and joke about things that are sacred or private, things that should be treated with utmost reverence. Some examples would be taking the name of the Lord in vain of course, women dressing immodestly, jokes of sexual nature, and I would add, belittling our fathers. 

Honoring one's father and mother is the fourth commandment. And the Catechism of the Council of Trent gives us a beautiful definition of what that means.

To honor is to think respectfully of anyone, and to hold in the highest esteem all that relates to him. It includes love, respect, obedience and reverence. Very properly, then, is the word honor used here in preference to the word fear or love, although parents are also to be much loved and feared. Respect and reverence are not always the accompaniments of love; neither is love the inseparable companion of fear; but honor, when proceeding from the heart, combines both fear and love.

I found their definition interesting because it implies that fear and love are not enough. Honor includes respect, reverence, and obedience, making that love complete. Many cultures have always understood this. America has lost that somewhere and we must return to it! Not only for our earthly fathers, but also our pastors. The Catechism instructs us to obey our pastors; even bad ones.(with the exception of sinful things of course) The list of saints who condemn any badmouthing or complaining about priests is long! And how often do we think to take care that our pastor has somewhere to celebrate the holidays, or is taken care of when they're sick? 

I'm obviously not perfect in being reverent to my fathers. But I've thought about how important it is, and I am going to try to do better. This little post will serve as a reminder for me, and hopefully will be a helpful reminder to you. As St. Francis de Sales said, we often forget what we owe to others. And we do owe reverence and respect to all our fathers; now more than ever in this culture of irreverence.

Wishing you a blessed Trinity Sunday and a Happy month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! 

Gina💖