A LITTLE ODD
1. IT MAY seem a little odd that the
Season of Christmas encompasses approximately 30 years of Jesus’ life. Scarcely
have we finished reading about shepherds and wise men visiting the manger, and
we find ourselves at the Jordan River witnessing the Lord’s baptism by John.
2. THE LITURGICAL readings span these
three decades in the short period (approximately three weeks or less) from the
Nativity of the Lord (December 25) to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
which marks the end of the Christmas season.
ORDER OF GRACE
3. THE QUICK leap from birth to
baptism begins to make more sense when we recall that for a newborn in a
Catholic family, the two events are closely associated. A child is born and
within the first year, he or she is baptized in the parish Church.
4. CONSIDER THAT the Sacrament of
Baptism is a "new birth" into the life of Christ and his Church for
all who receive it. A human being’s birth in the order of nature is
complemented by the spiritual birth of baptism in the order of grace—the former
taking place typically in a hospital and the latter in the parish Church.
GUARANTORS OF WELL-BEING
5. ANTHROPOLOGISTS ARE fond of
observing, rather coldly, that a father is not essential to his child’s
survival after it is conceived. Should a father be struck down in battle while
serving in the military, to use one example, neither his presence or his life
is required for the birth and survival of his child.
6. NO ONE will argue that this and
other depressing scenarios are impossible, but the plain fact of the matter is
that these scenarios are exceptions and not the norm of human life. The
enduring and positive presence of a father is crucial for the survival and
prosperity of the entire family. The presence of the father is the first of two
absolute necessities which are the guarantors of a family’s psychological and
spiritual well-being and maturity. The second guarantor is his life-long bond
to the mother of his children in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
POWERFUL EXAMPLE
7. WHY DOES a child need a father for
his or her spiritual well-being? Leaving some room for mystery, I first would
venture to say, "So goes the father, so goes the family". Without
doubt, a father’s example before his children is exceptionally powerful whether
for good or ill. A father protects his family and provides for it. He mediates
his children’s gradual independence from the immediate family and
self-sufficiency in the world. He provides a solid example of work moderated by
leisure, love protected by respect, and inspiration governed by authority.
8. WITH THIS in mind, a family’s
long-term loyalty to a holy way of life and habit of faithful religious
observance is entirely dependent on the father’s very personal and unfailing
example. A father’s refusal to lead and guide strongly in the practice of
religion actually may deal a mortal blow to the stability, maturity and
longevity of the core relationships of his family. A father’s laziness and
indifference to God and to the Church may compromise the well-being of his
children long after they have left his home.
PERSONAL EXAMPLE
9. SACRED SCRIPTURE teaches that a
husband should be the head of his household. Avoiding troublesome and frankly
suspect interpretations, I find the following understanding of St. Paul’s
thought to be above criticism: A father’s "headship" is first and
foremost one of personal example. In other words, a father should lead and
guide his family strongly in faith by the being the best example of faith. The
mother of his children should not have to bear the burden of faithful witness
alone.
10. MORE THAN ever these days, men who
are fathers are called upon to share the raising of children and share the
domestic responsibilities of the home. This is a good thing and is the occasion
for being schooled in the virtue of humility. But remember this fathers: As
your active presence in your family’s life is vital, your presence in the
Church—the Family of Faith—is equally as vital.
LEAP OF FAITH
11. FATHER, DESIRING to make an
excellent example, understand that in Christ you are the spiritual mid-wife for
your children’s birth in Holy Mother Church through the Sacrament Baptism. You
are the spiritual teacher of your children in living out the Sacraments of
Confession, Eucharist and Confirmation in fidelity. You are the spiritual
mother of your children in their practice of the faith, for our Lord Jesus
himself cried out, "How often would I have gathered your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" [Mt 23:37]
12. YES, THE liturgical leap from
Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem to his baptism in the Jordan River is a short one. We
can understand this more perfectly by the example of another brief excursion,
the path from the human mind to the human heart—the longest journey of all. I
am speaking of the leap of faith.
