June 2006
A Message for Father's Day
A Father They Will Fondly Remember

The greatest short story in the world is the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  The central and most attractive figure in the parable is the father.  What an example our Lord has given us in this parable of fatherly love.  It has also been said that it should have been called the parable of the Loving Father, for it tells us rather about a father’s love than a son’s sin.  The love of this father shines through in this parable and is an example of the love God has for us, and the example and standard we need to emulate.  The unconditional love of this father for both his sons, difficult as they are for different reasons, shines through and is a love that seeks not it’s own.  In his love the father reaches out to do everything in his power for their benefit without violating their personal freedom.  There is nothing the sons could do that would make him stop loving them.  In fact, we might wonder why the father in the parable doesn’t hold the reins tighter on his one son, for the boy’s own good.  But, as we find out, the father’s apparent indulgence instead turns out to be farsighted wisdom, for there is no way for this boy to learn but by leaving and losing everything.  It breaks the father’s heart to let him go and we see that he waits with an eye toward the road, and we he finally sees him return, he runs to greet him with open arms.   

Love and forgiveness are the legacies that matter and the ones we should leave our children.  We see the unconditional love and the forgiveness with no recriminations the father has and shows.  The same love and forgiveness our Lord has and shows for us and the example for us to live and emulate.  Let us give of our time, love each of our children equally and unconditionally, heal what needs healing, recognize what is important to our children, and live with the integrity and obedience to God to instill in them the path to take. Like the Parable of the Prodigal Son that has been told in churches for two thousand years, we too can leave with our children a father they will fondly remember. 

 May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ guide us and inspire us always.