A FATHERS’ DAY PRAYER. Loving God, blessed Trinity, may your Holy Spirit set the hearts of father on fire. Fill them with the generous life-giving love of the Father and the compassionate redeeming love of Jesus in his Sacred Heart, for peace in all homes and families of the world.

June 15.  Trinity Sunday.  Fathers’ Day. Fr Joseph looked around the church. In his parish the men sat on one side, women on another and young children all together but the youth often stayed at the back.  He thought to himself, “How can I relate this situation to the Blessed Trinity?  Maybe I should encourage them at least once a month to sit as family units, as best they can, to be more of a real symbol of a community of love. We could even call it a family Mass, like today when we celebrate Father’s Day as well.”  In his homily he brought out the well-known images of the Trinity, the perfect community of love and then added that loving married couples and loving families, where ideally fathers are also present, should recognize their calling to imitate this community aspect. After all a special and helpful slogan could be “Fatherly Love is a Vocation and his way to Holiness.”   

Reflect, share and act. Scripture:  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. to God who is, who was, and who is to come.  Rev 1:8. Pope Francis.  The Father is the ultimate source of everything, the loving and self-communicating foundation of all that exists. The Son, his reflection, through whom all things were created united himself to this earth.  The Spirit infinite bond of love is intimately at the very heart of the universe, inspiring and bringing new pathways. The world was created by the three persons, acting as a single divine principle. When we contemplate the universe in all its grandeur and beauty we must praise the whole Trinity. LS 238-239.  God sets the father in the family so that by the gifts of his masculinity he can be close to his wife and share everything and to be close to his children as they grow, to be a father who is always present, not controlling or overbearing.  It is not good for children to lack a father and to grow up before they are ready. AL 177.   JUBILEE: Act and pray. For the needs of fathers, families and children as appropriate.