Corpus Christi Blog

Father’s Day - Knowing the generosity of God

06-16-2019HomiliesFr. Chad King

What a special day today is, not only is it the Lord’s Day, but today we also celebrate Father’s Day, and this year it happens to fall on Trinity Sunday. If someone would ask you who God is? Perhaps you might think of the Blessed Trinity- and remember what you learned years ago that God is 3 Persons in 1 Divine Nature- so a Communion of Persons. Which is right, but beyond the mystery of that mathematical equation, we can understand the 1 Divine Nature of God as what He is- what makes God- God, compared to the nature of a stone for example. So, God’s divine nature means that God is infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, love, goodness, and generosity- just to name a few attributes. Knowing that is God’s nature, He could do nothing but, what is good and loving. The 3 Persons of the Trinity is who God is- who is the being acting from the Divine Nature- so that God is, what God does, is loving, and generous, and good first and foremost within themselves from all eternity (as obviously 1 person can’t give of themselves- to themselves-so there must be more than 1 Person in God. God has revealed Himself as 3 united but distinct Persons, the Church Fathers have called the Father the Lover, the Son as the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit as the Love constantly given and received between them. That is what Jesus means when He says in our Gospel today, “Everything that the Father has is mine; the Spirit will take from what is mine and declare it to you” The 3 Persons of the Trinity has given and received the fullness of each other from eternity. But now, in God’s generosity, God has made human beings to have a special share in His Divine Nature- somebody else who the Persons of the Trinity want to give of themselves to, and other beings who has the attributes of knowing, loving and being good and generous, and who can and hopefully will grow to share fully in God’s Divine Nature. How amazing and generous our God is. Now that we have an understanding of the Blessed Trinity only somewhat in our minds, let me try and relate what that truth means for us. Let me try and do justice to this important and special day, and tie Father’s Day and Trinity Sunday together, because really, they are always connected. After all, the Trinity reveals a Fatherhood, and together with the Son and Holy Spirit, a Communion of 3 Persons whom we are called to share in. Some of us are called to share specifically in the Fatherhood of God, but all of us are called to share in God’s divine nature and live in this Communion of Persons for all eternity. To help us as fathers and families to share more perfectly in the nature and family of God, let me begin in a poignant and straightforward way.

On Thursday, I was listening to Catholic Radio and listened to part of an interview of Bishop Robert Barron, he wrote a little book called the The Suffering Church, it is his response to the recent Scandal in the Church- namely that some Bishops and Priests have not been good fathers- and have and are living double lives, and covering it up. We all know the sins of some of our priests, have wounded us all.

Then on Friday, again I was listening to Catholic Radio (do you see a trend- listening to Catholic radio - do you have the same trend?). Anyways I was listening to EWTN’s show More to Life with Gregory and Lisa Popchak - they are Catholic Counselors that help with personal and family life. That call-in radio show was entitled “Bedaditudes” - to help dad’s live the virtues of the beatitudes. There were several people who called in looking for advice. One of the call-ins was a wife- she said their teenage daughter stumbled upon some graphic websites that her dad has been looking at. When his wife and daughter confronted him, he didn’t think it was a big deal and that they were blowing it out of proportion. Dr. Popchak asked the wife what his spiritual life is like. She said that he goes to Mass on Sundays and is active in the Pro-life movement and stuff. Greg asked, what’s his home life like- does he pray at home, do you pray together? She said that she has tried and asked to pray together, but he doesn’t want to. Again, this is an example of a father struggling, and unfortunately living a double life- he is doing good and holy things on the outside, but he is not able to be open and honest with himself, or with his wife or daughter. It is like his actions are all a show, but his intentions are not real and genuine. And as Gregory said- that is the deeper issue than the sin of the websites he was looking at.

There were a couple other call-ins that ended up revealing the same issue. For example, one caller was a father of a grown son. He said that his son has a successful job, is married and has children of his own, and he seems to be happy, but he doesn’t go to Church anymore or really sees a need to. In other words, this son is successful in many aspects of his life except for the one area that is most important- his faith life. The father said that his son went to Catholic school and grew up going to Church. The father went on to say that his grown son is thankful for the good upbringing he had, but now God isn’t as important or relevant. I know many of you have similar situations in your family. Dr. Gregory Popchak rightly answered this father describing that there is a difference between Catechesis and Evangelization. Sending to Catholic schools and the like is geared to catechize- to teach and learn about God—thus many children end up seeing that God is just a topic among many they are to learn about, but don’t know how to relate with. But my brothers and sisters, the Trinity reveals that God is anything but a topic, He is a real living Being, who loves us and deserves to be loved and worshipped, and certainly not hated or indifferent about. Dr. Popchak went on to say, Evangelization, on the other hand, is geared to foster an encounter with the living God- with God who is bigger and greater than anything they can learn about- but one who also wants to influence every aspect of one’s life in a personal loving way. Lisa Popchak then chimed in saying sometimes sending to Catholic school or going to Church on Sundays is just something parents do to check off the list of what they should do, hoping their children will ‘get God’ that way. But in reality, unless it is shown at home in the lives of the parents that God is a real Person who loves them and wants to influence their life for the good- and my brothers and sisters, indeed for all of us, unless a personal relationship with our loving God is encountered and fostered in every person’s life, then it is easy to see God as a topic and going to Church just as something one should do. Dr. Popchak went on to say to this father, ‘I don’t know where you are with your personal relationship with God, but I suggest that the next time your son talks about a situation at work or a difficulty with his wife or children, that he should emphasize with him, tell him how sorry that he is going through that, but then pray out loud and ask God to bless the relationships involved, and give direction to that situation- whatever the case may be. But Gregory said to keep the prayer short and to the point, and as part of the conversation. When you hang up, your son just might realize what you did - and think he just brought God into my situation’. Again, Gregory re-iterated- don’t ask him if you can pray with him, just do it as a natural part of the conversation. And I’d like to echo by saying- until God is personal to us and a natural part of all of our lives, then it will be hard for God to be a natural part of a conversation or relationship we have with another person.

To close I want to remind us of the last line Jesus says in our Gospel today, “Everything that the Father has is mine; the Spirit will take from what is mine and declare it to you” The Trinity is a Communion of Persons full of abundant goodness, love, and mercy. Jesus came to generously bestow upon us that life, love, and mercy that He receives from the Father, and the Spirit is given to help us who ask, to receive that which the Father and Jesus wants to give us. The Blessed Trinity is a Communion of Persons who wants to give of all that He is to us. So, adopted brothers and sisters in Christ, let us ask, and continually ask, ask to be open to receive and then give to others all what we have received from Him. Our God is most generous in giving Himself, so let us continually ask with all our hearts. In a special way, you who are fathers, let us be open and pray that our Heavenly Father will teach us how to be the fathers He is calling us to be. And all of us, as families, as communion of persons, made to share in the Communion of Persons of the Trinity, let us learn from God how to love and support one another to become the perfect image of the Trinity we are called to be. Amen? Amen!

BACK TO LIST