Father and Mercy

It is often defined that justice is giving what is due to the other; a Christian would add, “With charity.” Charity as everyone knows is very much related to mercy — it goes beyond justice. As always, God is faithful to His covenant with us. It is us who are not, thus we break ourselves. Out of justice, we deserve the consequences that befall us. However, God who is mercy Himself, chooses to redeem us from our state of brokenness. He gives us a new lease of life. We only have to remember a few instances of merciful acts of the Lord in the scriptures, like the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15:11-32), the Woman Caught Committing Adultery (Jn. 8:3-11), the Resurrection scene where the Lord cooked breakfast for His disciples by the sea of Tiberias (Jn. 21:9-10), and the most compelling of all is His holocaust on the cross which is mercy beyond words.

As we celebrate Father’s Day, it is our ardent wish that all fathers will cultivate a life of prayer while striving hard to meet the demands of their family responsibilities and give witness in their social and professional lives especially to those whom they touch, coupled with the use of the graces offered by the Church through the Sacraments of Mercy: the Holy Eucharist and Penance, so that they may become more like the Lord.

Finally, may the fathers go to our Blessed Mother who can share the merits of St. Joseph who was entrusted by God to care and embrace family life heroically as a father.