[ Ordinary of the Mass ]
[ English Text ]
[ Latin Text ]
[Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus]
Just this
past Friday we celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Hear of Jesus, and in the
Epistle we heard the following phrase:
I bow my knees to
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom fatherhood in heaven and earth is named,
Some of
our Protestant friends object to the idea of addressing a priest as
“father.” They base this objection on a misunderstanding of our Lord’s
words in Saint Matthew’s Gospel, where our Lord is criticizing the prideful
behavior of the Pharisees:
[6] And they love
the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, [7] And
salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. [8] But be
not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren. [9]
And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in
heaven. [10] Neither be ye called masters; for one is your master, Christ.
This is
another case of our Lord using the Hebrew method of emphasis by
exaggeration; what we call “hyperbole” in English. He is trying to
discourage two things. First of all, He is discouraging the need to feel
self-important, and the demand for recognition that comes along with it.
Second, he is discouraging any idea that men and women can have any claim to
respect that does not give yet greater respect to God Almighty.
God is our
first Teacher, Master, and Father, and human beings hold these titles only
by analogy to God. God is the Father who brought all things into existence
out of nothing, He is the Teacher who created all of the organization and
design in the universe, and He is the Master whose will is written in the
hearts of mankind and must always be obeyed. Human beings are called by
these same titles as appropriate, but always as subordinate to God. It is
God who commanded us to honor our father and mother.
As Saint Paul tells us, the concept of “paternity” or “fatherhood” is named
after God—when properly applied, the name “father” acknowledges the
greatness of God the Father, and its use is in no way sinful.
I don’t
imagine that many Protestants refuse to call their male parent “father.”
Most likely, their objection is really to the priesthood, for it offends
them that God has sacramentally set aside some men and given them the power
to renew the Sacrifice of the Cross in Holy Mass. But Saint Paul, again,
speaks of the concept of having a “spiritual father.” He wrote to the
Corinthians:
I admonish you as
my dearest children. [15] For if you have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have
begotten you.
“By the Gospel, I have begotten you.” Which is to say,
“I am your spiritual father.”
For
centuries, Christians have called their priests and bishops “father.”
Indeed, the title of the “Pope” comes from the Latin “Papa” which is
also a title with which we might address our own father. We also refer to
the great theologians of the early Church as the “Fathers of the Church.”
Sometimes we speak of the “Doctors of the Church,” which is the same as
calling them “teachers” or “rabbis.” (The Jewish rabbi is a doctor of the
old law.) It is ironic that the Protestant who would not dream of calling
his minister “father” has no scruple about calling him by the academic title
“doctor.”
Of course,
the secular observance today is intended to honor our human fathers—those
who gave us life, and those who raised and nurtured us. And, just as I
mentioned on Mothers’ Day, we should have a similar admiration for those who
came to help when our actual fathers were unable to carry out their roles:
brothers, uncles, stepdads, priests, and teachers ... and probably a few
intrepid ladies as well.
If you are
fortunate enough to have Dad around, go and visit him today if at all
possible. At least a phone call. And don’t forget those others who stepped
in when Dad was not available. If Dad is no longer with us, we still can
offer our prayers for him and to him—the souls in Purgatory are saints of
God, and who better (besides the Blessed Virgin) to intercede for us than
the man who loved us so much.
Let me
also urge the men of our parish to adopt a Christian attitude of fatherhood
toward those whose own fathers cannot completely fulfill their role. There
are many ways to share your time and your abilities with young people in
need. Recognize too, that God gave you your size and strength and abilities
so that you might protect women and children, and never that you might take
advantage of them.
So, on
this Fathers’ Day, be sure to visit Dad in prayer or in person—likewise
those that filled in for Dad in your life. Say a prayer for your spiritual
fathers as well—and pray that God will raise up many more of them. But,
please don’t lose sight of the fact that all fatherhood is a mere analogy to
the fatherhood of God, who should always be honored with our prayers and
with holy behavior.
