Although, many dioceses have transferred the Feast of the Ascension from Thursday to Sunday, I decided to do this week’s reflection on the Gospel for the Seventh Sunday of Easter. (John 17:1-11a)
There is a special relationship between a father and a son. A father rejoices in being able to pass on the knowledge and traditions that he knows to his son. A son enjoys learning from his father and being under the protection and guidance from him.
One thing the world needs more of is good men. Many boys are not being raised very well. The father is usually busy most of the day and then when he comes home, he is too tired to interact with his son. The son ends up learning about being a man from video games, television, and the friends he associates with.
One father/son relationship we should all look up to is the relationship of Jesus to His Father. Jesus was always obedient to His Father even though He didn’t always want to do what His Father asked Him to do. The Father guided Jesus through His Earthly life and we get to see what one person can accomplish by following the path God lays out.
There is a reason that God gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother. Parents are usually wiser than their children and their guidance should help keep their children physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe and healthy. Even if we end up with horrible parents, we should still respect them and try to help them find their way to eternal happiness. No matter how bad parents may be, they still are the reason we exist. Through the combination of our parents and God, our eternal soul was fashioned for us. By creating an eternal soul for us, we now have the chance for eternal happiness.
It’s common for boys to grow up and start doing things that their father once did. Many will say, “I’ve become my father.” If your father was a good man, then it’s good to be able to say that. I’ve taken up writing this blog, following in the footsteps of both of my parents who are writers. We should also all aspire to be like our Heavenly Father. God is loving, forgiving, and understanding. He knows the pain we go through because He experienced the pain of life through His Son. Let’s continually strive to become more like our Heavenly Father and try to allow Him to guide our life on Earth. Who knows what we can accomplish when we heed the words of our Father.
