fatherhood | Revolution of Love

(Since today is the feast of St. Joseph I thought I would post a past article Brian wrote for RoL.)

St. Joseph: Ready to Do God’s Will
by Brian

The ideal saint for any husband and father is St. Joseph. Why? Because St. Joseph did what every husband and father is capable of doing – God’s Will.
Since God never placed a money tree in the back yard of the Holy Family’s home, St. Joseph had to provide for his family by earning his living as a carpenter. I’m sure he experienced good days and bad days and months when work was slow. Yet I can picture him, no matter what kind of day or month he had, as working hard and offering his labors to God.
St. Joseph not only provided for his family by keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table, but also by loving them, respecting them and being part of their everyday lives. Just as he was faithful to his temporal duties within the home, St. Joseph was also faithful to his spiritual duties. In Scripture we are told that he listened to and obeyed God. He followed the Law of Moses, this is evident when he and Mary took the infant Jesus to the temple to be circumcised. I am also quite certain that St. Joseph said his daily prayers, faithfully went to the Synagogue, and celebrated the Jewish feasts. He was a man who practiced and lived his faith.
Since becoming a husband and father my relationship with St. Joseph has grown. I not only find myself learning more about him, but also seeking his help and guidance. I have heard many say and write that the saints are worthy of imitation. I totally agree. However after reading the lives of many saints I have often felt discouraged because they lived such extraordinary lives and did so many amazing and holy things. Yet, when I turn to St. Joseph I see someone who humbly followed the law of Moses, faithfully fulfilled his temporal and spiritual duties, obeyed God and loved his family. In my opinion St. Joseph was ordinary, but the ordinariness that surrounded his life as head of the Holy Family is precisely what makes him so great and so holy.
I encourage all of you, especially husbands and fathers, to turn to St. Joseph and seek his intercession and help. He knows exactly what you are going through in providing for the temporal welfare of your families while at the same time being its spiritual head.
St. Joseph, protector of the Holy Family, pray for us!

7 Sons Lay Hero Dad to Rest
by TIM DRAKE

The story of a Catholic father dying to save his son started being told in a small town in Virginia. Then on the front page of the The Washington Post. Then it began to be repeated on blogs and in online discussions from coast to coast.

But those who know him say they always knew Thomas Vander Woude was special. Whether it was installing a gymnasium floor, training altar boys or coaching sports, when the daily communicant father of seven saw a need, he stepped in.
That trait led to the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 8, when he dove into a septic tank to save the life of his son.
Anne Carroll, director of Seton High School, in Manassas, where Vander Woude coached, served on the board and volunteered, said Vander Woulde sacrificed for others “on a daily basis.”
“He died as he lived,” Carroll said. (Continued…)

Okay, I was supposed to sign off after the last post but I quickly checked out Trisha’s blog and I had to comment on her post The Gift of a Child about parents choosing to keep or abort their unborn babies with medical problems. As I mentioned to her, when I was pregnant with Bella, Brian and I were sitting in the doc office (not our regular obgyn) waiting for the same check-the baby-for-deformities ultrasound. There was a little TV playing and on it there were other couples talking about when they took the test. One mom talked about how she found out her baby had medical problems so she chose “termination.” Brian and I were shocked to see it “advertised” in the waiting room.
This time, when I was pregnant with Andrew, I told my obgyn Dr. V that I wanted to skip all that testing. Being a Christian, pro-life doc, he understood that we’d never abort if there was something wrong but he encouraged me to take the non invasive tests so if there was a problem he’d be able to prepare for it before delivery. (I thought about babies that went through surgery before they were even delivered!) So we went for the ultrasound and minimal genetic testing.
When we arrived at the ultrasound office we explained to them that we were only doing this so if there is something wrong, we could prepare to do whatever was medically necessary to help our baby. Termination was a word never to be uttered before us. The genetics testing lady clucked her tongue a bit but she complied. It’s crazy that we had to be so adamant and fight for our baby’s life before he was even born!
Ugh, that fired me up! Hand me the vacuum. I’ve got some serious cleaning to do…

This is a Father’s Day reflection on the Vocation of Fatherhood from Brian.

The Eucharist, Fatherhood and Sacrificial Love

I am always excited when Father’s Day falls on a feast day. This June 20th is no exception since Father’s Day will fall on the feast of the “Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ,” also known as Corpus Christi. I believe this is significant because the Eucharist strikes at the core mission and vocation of fatherhood, sacrificial love.
The Eucharist is the fountain of sacrificial love; Christ gives, pours out, and donates His entire being every time a priest, through certain words and actions, makes Him present on the altar at Mass. Christ continually sacrifices and empties Himself because He loves us and wants us to experience the fullness of life.
In the same way, every father is called to practice this form of “sacrificial love.” It is a love that “gives without counting the cost,” as Mother Teresa would say. It is a love that rejects impatience, goes beyond duty and stamps out reluctance. It is a love full of joy and anticipation. It is a love that is rooted in the very Cross of Christ. It is a love that is powerful, beautiful, awesome, and life giving. It is a love that shines brightly and dispels all darkness.
Even though sacrifice will always be a part of fatherhood, what really counts is that which motivates it. As St. Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen, “…if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” And as Our Lord said in the Gospel of St. John (13:34), “Love one another, as even I have loved you.” Love must be the motivating factor behind all sacrifice.
I know all this is easier said than done. Nevertheless, if we want to imitate Our Lord, especially in the Holy Eucharist, and practice “sacrificial love” we must not grow tired, day in and day out, of giving it our best shot. Each day we should recommit ourselves to this ideal and seek God’s help as we give ourselves to our families. With God’s grace, nothing is impossible.
May Our Eucharistic Lord give all fathers on this special day the grace, courage and strength to live out their vocation as bearers of sacrificial love.
God bless.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: fatherhood

St. Joseph: Ready to Do God’s Will

7 Sons Lay Hero Dad to Rest

Termination Is Not An Option

The Eucharist, Fatherhood and Sacrificial Love