The necessity of fathers cannot be overlooked in the Church or society. At home, fathers play a critical role as the spiritual leader of the family.
We show our gratitude for their love, protection, and guidance by praying for our fathers, whether they are alive or deceased.
We acknowledge God as our Father in Heaven, giving thanks to Him for all that He does for us.
St. Joseph, is also honored by the Catholic Church as the adoptive father of Jesus and role model for all fathers.
Whether a biological father or not, every man is called to be a spiritual father to those around him. Catholic priests especially, are called to offer spiritual protection, nurturing, and guidance to the people in their care.
Father’s Day, a secular holiday in the United States, is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.
The irreplaceable role of fathers:
Dads make a difference:
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6: 4
Fathers lead their families to Heaven:
A good father puts his wife and children ahead of himself:
The Church deeply venerates this Family, and proposes it as the model of all families. Inserted directly in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Family of Nazareth has its own special mystery. And in this mystery, as in the Incarnation, one finds a true fatherhood: the human form of the family of the Son of God, a true human family, formed by the divine mystery. In this family, Joseph is the father: his fatherhood is not one that derives from begetting offspring; but neither is it an “apparent” or merely “substitute” fatherhood. Rather, it is one that fully shares in authentic human fatherhood and the mission of a father in the family.
Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos, 15 August 1989
Teach your children well:
Essential fatherhood:
Respect for parents (filial piety) derives from gratitude toward those who, by the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought their children into the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace. “With all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother. Remember that through your parents you were born; what can you give back to them that equals their gift to you?”
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2215
St. Joseph, model for Catholic fathers:
What it means to call God “Father”:
Every man is called to be a spiritual father:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
Setting out on mission:
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