Fatherhood and Catholicism | Part 3

In response to a question asked by one of our RCIA Candidates we first asked our some of our moms to answer the question: what does it look like to thread our faith through each facet of our lives? What does it look like to parent catholic and to work as a catholic and to not allow ourselves to put other things in front of God? Now we turn to the dads to give their insight. These are their answers.

This part 3 of a 6 part series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

First, I applaud your question. This is clear evidence that you are taking your faith journey seriously and with a desire to serve and please your Lord and Savior. Welcome Home! You are entering the Church that was founded by Jesus Christ, with his disciple Peter as the first Pope. (Matthew 16:18)

And secondly, in your admirable search for guides to build in the balance to live a fully Catholic life, please don’t fall into the trap that you can do it all yourself. We were created to be in communion with others and for each of us to truly become the best versions of ourselves, we require other Catholic Christians to be walking the journey alongside us. Find a small group or a larger group of fellow committed Catholics for encouragement, enlightenment and accountability. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).

At the same time, individual discipline in the form of habits contributes greatly to weaving our faith into our daily lives in a meaningful way. As Matthew Kelly has stated … our lives change when our habits change. And the very first necessary habit is daily prayer on a personal level with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Every day there are readings for the daily mass. Begin your day in prayer. Praying the Psalms or the Rosary are other great devotions. Read and reflect on the scripture and ask the Lord what He desires to share with you that day. There are many forms of prayer and each one of us will gravitate to the form we enjoy the most, but the key is to set aside specific times in the day for that personal encounter with the Lord. Ideally, this prayer begins upon awakening each morning. Give God the glory for each new day we see, do not take anything for granted. It is His will which calls us each morning and does not involve our own doing. Our prayer can take the form of ACTS. Adoration is first, followed by the confession of our sins. We should always be humble and in awe of our God who is so forgiving and merciful to we who are sinners. T is for Thanksgiving. Every good gift comes from God to whom we should give thanks and take nothing for granted. Reflect upon and name every good gift that you have received and develop an attitude of gratitude for everything that you have. Lastly, at the end, share your supplications, those prayers for healings that you have on your heart. Pray every day and throughout the day. May your life be a prayer.

And accept whatever cross that comes your way. Suffering is a natural human experience and it strengthens us and makes us better. Our journey is to follow Christ. And his earthly journey had the experiences of joy and sorrow. And both are needed by us to obtain the glorious resurrection and invitation to eternal life. No different than Jesus’ own journey. We do not get a pass for a different path. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and we must accept and embrace our own cross (2nd Station of the Cross), deny ourselves and follow Him. This is a great spiritual maturity that can accept, embrace, and endure physical suffering and keep the faith. Ideally, we are able, with the power of the Holy Spirit to offer up our suffering for other souls who are in need of prayer and healing.

A Father is a protector and a provider. He is a strength and an anchor for the entire family. He is strong and faithful, despite the storm. He is close to His God who is his rock and salvation. St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus is his model, his strength, and his patron Saint.

Guest Post Written By: Tom Steele

Part 4 will be posted on May 22, 2020