Wednesday 4th Week of Lent   -   revisited

Gospel – John 5: 17-30

I Am My Father’s Son

Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth

I know I have shared quite a few stories about my Dad over the past year, probably repeating myself more than once as well.  But some things are worth repeating.

From an early age, I worked in his country store and I learned to stock shelves, pump gas, cut grass, burn trash and give change for a $20 bill. Dad told me the last time we talked how much he regretted we didn’t have much time together, that the store took so much time that we didn’t have as many moments together as other fathers and sons.  I reminded him that, because of the store, I got to see him each and every day, more often than most other sons, and that I got to work alongside him.  And then there were the endless games of softball on Sundays, quick trips over to the store to get something mom needed, and also to grab some ice cream, and the early morning runs to Washington for supplies for the store which always included a big breakfast at the diner on the way home.  And there was also his utter refusal to go anywhere without his hat, some toothpicks, cough drops and a little spiral notebook, his ability to turn any car ride into an historical tour of Charles County, and the countless walks in the woods, sometimes returning with some rather oddly shaped Christmas trees!!

What did I learn from him?  Kindness, generosity, charity especially to those in need, forgiveness, selflessness, strength in times of crisis, courage to face a new day, compassion for those suffering a loss, a willingness to sacrifice, humility, love and so much more.  Hopefully I still honor him by patterning my life on the lessons he taught me.  I hope I am becoming my father’s son!

We hear about sons and fathers in today’s Gospel.  “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does.”

So just a simple question today! Is God the Father at work in us?  Does our Father’s love for us show forth clearly in our actions, in our words and in our intentions?  Are we our Father’s child? 

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