Spiritual Sunday | June 21, 2020

"I will guide you in the way of wisdom, and I will lead you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble ."

— Proverbs 4:11-12

In the Loving Arms of Our Father

We know them as Dad. Daddy, Pop and many other names. They are our fathers — whether by birth or circumstance — and they've had immeasurable impact on our lives and the people we've grown to be. As Joseph did for Jesus, they've given selflessly to provide for us and to set us on the right path. On this Father's Day 2020, we extend our blessings to fathers everywhere — young and old — for all they've done and all they do.

'I Believe in God,

the Father Almighty'

In his General Audience of January 30, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI compared God the Father to a human father, carrying out his role, often in the face of immeasurable adversity. Here, we share an excerpt that rings especially true in these times:

"God is a Father who never abandons his children, a loving Father who supports, helps, welcomes, pardons and saves with a faithfulness that surpasses by far that of men and women, opening onto dimensions of eternity.

'For his steadfast love endures for ever,' as Psalm 136 repeats in every verse, as in a litany, retracing the history of salvation. The love of God the Father never fails, he does not tire of us; it is a love that gives to the end, even to the sacrifice of his Son.

Faith gives us this certainty which becomes a firm rock in the construction of our life: We can face all the moments of difficulty and danger, the experience of the darkness of despair in times of crisis and suffering, sustained by our trust that God does not forsake us and is always close in order to save us and lead us to eternal life."

Read Pope Benedict's Full Transcript

God's Masterpiece

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages ,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew his masterpiece was complete,

And so, he called it Dad.

— Anonymous

Today we pay homage to our fathers with family photos and reflections

Loving Teacher

“I am grateful for life lessons learned at Dad’s knee and in the garden," says Sister Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster of her late father, Albert, shown here with young Bonnie on his knee in 1958.

Unending Sacrifice

"It always pained me to realize how hard he had to work while the rest of us had fun," says Sister Pat Marie Buranosky of her late father, Andrew, shown here holding toddler Patricia.

See More of Our Sisters & Their Dads

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

Even though her father died in 2002, Sister Frances Marie still cherishes a greeting card she gave him many years ago that includes the following anonymous poem:

The world has many heroes who have won a world of fame,

Heroes who have given their all to win in life's great game.

But of all the famous heroes that our changing world has had,

There's not a one I look up to or admire more than my dad.

To me, my dad's a hero, though he'd turn away from praise.

He's heroic in his quiet strength and his gentle, giving ways.

He may not make the headlines. You won't see him on TV.

But I think my dad is everything a hero ought to be.

He always keeps his promises, on that I can depend.

He's loyal to me, no matter what, and he'll always be my friend.

So when I think of heroes and the great things that they've done,

I feel the way I've always felt — my dad's the greatest one.