FATHER’S DAY REFLECTION
Dcn. Andy Gonzalez

We all know that we need to live a holy life on earth to get to Heaven. One of the commandments that helps us to reach that goal is “Honor your father and your mother, so  that  you  may  live  long  in  the  land  the Lord  your  God  is  giving you.” (Exodus 20:12, NIV) Today we have the opportunity to reflect on how we fulfill this commandment with our fathers. Let’s be honest, when we are children, we  see  our  fathers  as  our heroes.  When  we  grow  up,  the  image  of the  hero  is distorted, turning our fathers into an old-fashioned figure who is trying to impose many  laws  that  we  do  not understand.  Then  we  start  rejecting  them, walking away from their guidance. It isn’t until we are in front of the death of our fathers, that  we  can  recognize  how  special they  were.  That  is  the  sad  experience  that many of you had during the COVID-19 epidemic, losing your fathers without the opportunity of saying goodbye to them.

If there were a job announcement looking for fathers, it might be described something like this: 

• Job Description: This job is a lifetime commitment. Looking for men who can work  full  time  24  hours  for  seven  days  a  week  and  able  to  work  extra  hours, including nights. The candidate must be able to work under a lot of stress and in a chaotic  environment.  He  must  face  many  challenges  with  unending  fortitude, repair electronics, fix children’s cars and motorcycles, receive unexpected calls that will make him upset, and be willing to be ignored or become indispensable in less than an hour.
• Requirements: Men  who can  withstand  being hated  for their children’s sake, at least temporarily; who can give  money  to  them  every  time  they  are  in  need;  can  give  advice  when  their  children  are  in  trouble;  and  close  their mouths when they want to express how much they are worried for them. They should possess excellent communication skills and great organizational abilities. A Drivers License is required because they must be able to take children to Sunday Masses, religious education classes, camping, long sports tournaments or performance presentations, and especially to St. Ann School every morning, fighting with the “happy” traffic of New Orleans.
• Possibilities of promotion: None! You will be in the same position forever, without complaining,  constantly updating your skills’ and be willing to be outdone by those you serve.
• Previous Experience: None required.
• Salaries and Compensation: No pay and no possibility of a pay raise, since you will have to invest everything you receive in the same company.  You will need another job to support yourself.
• Benefits: No health insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, and no paid vacations are offered. This job has the right of recognition only once a year on Father’s Day, and usually you will have to cover the expenses incurred on that day as well. The best benefit you might have for this great job is Heaven!

This week we remember and recognize our fathers. There are no perfect fathers, because only “the Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) But despite not being perfect, they accepted this hard “job” and assumed all the sacrifice. The Lord asks each one of us to show respect for our fathers, not only when we are children, but also as adults. As  children,  we  must  obey  our  fathers because  they are  like  the captains  of  the ships  of  our  life,  guiding  us  until   we become not only good men and women, but also holy Christians who lead our society to the Kingdom of God. As adults, we must respect and take care of our fathers, especially when they cannot take care of themselves anymore. It is in those moments of weakness when they can teach us how to face suffering and those difficult moments that we find on our journey.

But  above  all,  we  must  love  our  fathers because  they were  called  to  love  us  first.  They  were called  to  be the image of the love of God who is always waiting for us, to bring the best robe, the ring, and the sandals to put on us after a long and difficult journey. They were called to cook the fattened calf, and prepare to celebrate with a big feast every time we decide to return home, just as the father did in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11/NIV). We give honor to our fathers today because they gave part of themselves to us, so we can have the opportunity to breathe, cry, walk, speak, smile,  think,  work, create,  and  return  that  love  to  others.  It  is  because  of  our  fathers  that  we  are  able  to  accept the sacrifices of such a hard job one day too. It is because of them that we can become heroes to our children, giving them the same opportunity of living a holy life on earth to one day reach our eternal happiness in Heaven.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!