In our 1st reading from the Prophet Amos, Amos is being persecuted for warning the king about the troubles that will come to him if he continues to live for himself and not obey the Lord.  Amos humbly admits that he is not like the other great prophets, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel whom God called from an early age to speak His words.  Instead, Amos says that that He was a common man, who like many other people- was a shepherd and did other kinds of jobs to make a living, but the Lord called him to prophesy to the Lord’s people Israel.  So to Amos, the Lord called an ordinary man to do a special task- to be a voice for God.  Being called to be a Prophet was a great and honoring calling, even though it came with great responsibility, and often times- persecution.

With that in mind, I feel called to share with you what I was reminded of when I read this first reading this week in preparation for this homily.  4 weeks ago today was Father’s Day, and instead of being here at the parish, I was beginning a retreat for Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians at my alma mater, Franciscan University of Steubenville.  Although I did not realize when I planned to go that I would be away from the parish on Father’ day, I was a little saddened that I wasn’t here on the first Father’s day after being installed as Pastor of Corpus Christi.  I had several people texted me, saying Happy Father’s Day.  However, the retreat was on “Fatherhood”.

You see, for me, like it was for the Prophet Amos, to be called a ‘Father’ is a very special and honoring calling.  I’m sure you’ve heard the Scripture verse, “Call no man on earth your father”, and what the context of that verse is saying is that we should have 1 ultimate authority- God.  And yet, all priests are called ‘father’.  What this great and honoring title means, is that priests are called to share in the Fatherhood of God.  And what’s more, is that we give the title of ‘father’ and ‘mother’ to our own parents.  Therefore, fathers and mothers too are called to share in the Fatherhood, and the authority of God.  After all, whether they know it or not, their responsibility and authority is given by God our Father.  So you fathers and mothers- God wanted you, and no one else, he called you to be the best mother and father of your children.

We all know that a father is one who should be there for their children, care for them, provide for them, protect them, and warn them when their children are about to hurt themselves.  In a word- a father is supposed to really love his children.  And although not one of us can say that we have a father who has loved us perfectly- except for God.  God does love His children perfectly- he always is caring for us, in fact everything that God does is for our good.  God wants and gives the best to us, His children.  God is so patient with us, so gentle and merciful when we do wrong.  And yet, out of love, God warns us and disciplines us when needed.  God is a perfect father, how are we doing in being a son or daughter?

So how do we, who have the honor and responsibility to share in the Fatherhood of God, love our children like God does?  I want to share some of the insight with you that I received on the retreat.

So how do we love our children like God does?  The answer- To be a father like God, we must first be a child of God.  To learn to be a father like God, we must learn from the Father.  And we best learn from the Father by being allowed to be ‘Fathered’ by God.  We must learn to be children of God.  We must first and always find our identity in being a son and daughter of God.  Even though none of us chose who our father and mother to be, God has chosen us to be His children.  Listen again to our great 2nd reading.  And I encourage you to read and pray over this 2nd reading in your own prayer time this week.  St. Paul writes to his children, the Church in Ephesus, “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him”.  God has chosen us.  From the foundation of the world, he had you and I in mind.  And he has called us for greatness, has chosen us to be holy and without blemish before him.  God wants us to be in His Holy Presence, and to look at him with such intimate and holy love, just the way He looks at us.

Our 2nd reading goes on to say, “In love he destined us for adoption through Jesus Christ”.  God has chosen to adopt us in and through His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  God the Father calls us his son and daughter, just as He calls Jesus His Son.  And God loves us, his adopted children, just as much as He loves Jesus.  Let me say that again, God loves us, his adopted children, just as much as He loves Jesus.  Do we know that?  Have we allowed that truth to sink deep into our hearts?  God loves us perfectly and completely.  God cannot love us more, and will not love us less.  Even though we haven’t fully received His love, and even though we do not love him in return as we should, God loves us- and there is nothing we can do about it.  Our 2nd reading goes on to say, through Jesus we have redemption and forgiveness of sins because God wants to lavish the riches of his grace upon us- do we really know that?  Do you and I really know that we are the Lord’s Beloved?  Do we know our identity first and foremost as a beloved son and daughter of God?  How much time do we spend in Adoration in His Presence as His child in prayer?  How often do we spend time in prayer as a child, asking the Father how to be a mother and father, as He has called us to?

And Jesus in our Gospel teaches us how to be a father.  After all, Jesus was a father figure to the Disciples.  Jesus sent them out and gave them his authority, the same authority He received from God the Father.  Jesus instructed them to take nothing with them for the journey- no food, no money.  He wanted them to be dependent solely on the Father, to trust that the Father will take care and provide for them.  He wanted them to leave behind the comforts, and to step out of their comfort zones in order to preach the uncomfortable message of repentance.  He warned them that it would be a long and difficult journey, and some would welcome them generously whereas others would shut the door in their face.  And Jesus warned them, regardless of how they receive you- whether with good or evil, with love or with persecution- leave there and shake the dust from your feet.  Or in other words, don’t get yourself wrapped up in how they receive you, but to always know your identity as a beloved son and daughter of God who has chosen and sent you. 

And so, my brothers and sisters, as I have been chosen and installed to be your Pastor- to be your shepherd- and as you call me “Father”, know that I do not take that title lightly.  I understand the great honor and responsibility it is, and I ask you to pray for me that I can be the ‘father’ God is calling me to be.   I vow with all my heart to always love you, to provide to you, to guide, to protect, and to warn you when needed.  But I promise to do so, not on my own behalf, but as a child of God called to share in the Fatherhood of God through Jesus Christ.  I want to always to see myself as a child, dependent on God the Father, and to learn from the Father and so to then love and father you as He teaches me.  And so I ask you to pray for me, and pray for yourselves, and for all of us, that we can know how beloved we are by the Father.  For no matter what other titles we are given in life, there is nothing more important then finding our identity as a beloved child of God.

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