Father of Our Hearts

"Remaining little before God ... is to recognize our nothingness,
to expect everything from God, as a little child expects everything from his or her father." 

"It is so sweet to call God our Father!"
- St. Therese of Lisieux

On Mother's Day, we spoke of the three types of mothers a Sister has in her life: a biological mother, spiritual mothers, and her Heavenly Mother - Our Lady. The same can be said for fathers, too, as every Sister has a bilogical father, spiritual fathers, and ultimately God the Father, He Whom every father points toward. 

In conjunction with our biological mothers, our fathers are the ones who gave us life, and thus our vocation. But not only did they give us our vocations, by being head over the household, our fathers are also the protector of our vocations. This protection the Sister is forever grateful, for God has called many to religious life, but some - without the protection of one's family - never respond to their vocation. Our fathers have given so much of themselves to ensure this protection and care of our family, and they have done far more for us then we ever may realize. It is through the words of the Our Father, which are frequently on the lips of the Sister throughout the day, that she often calls to mind her beloved father. 

The Sister is also blessed to have many, many spiritual fathers in her life through the gift of God's priests, as every priests - through his ordination - is called to be the father of souls. Through the gift of priests as spiritual fathers, many of the Sisters have come to know of the God the Father's infinite love for them, His boundless mercy (through the Sacrament of Reconciliation), and His ardent desire to have each child with Him in Heaven. Of His ordained ministers, the Sister particular sees God the Father through His Bishops and the Holy Father. 

In our religious family, we are blessed to consider St. Joseph as not only one of our patrons, but as a spiritual father to our community. Though we have elaborated on his role in the life of the religious already (you can read about it here) one can never speak enough of the praise that is due to St. Joseph as the foster-father of Jesus, patron of the universal Church, protector of vocations, and a father to all that his Son calls children. 

Most important of all fathers, is the One Father - God Almighty - of Whom we are given the grace, the pure gift, to call "our Father." He Who is Love makes "love" synonymous to "Father." Everything we have and are come from Him; our life, our families, our vocations, our apostolates, our joys and sorrows ... not a single thing comes to us without it being given from Him. And how He wishes to gives us so much more ... if we would but be docile enough to receive His gifts. God is a Father that wishes for every child to run into His arms, looking for protection from harm, for strength to carry the cross, to lay before Him every thought of our heart. The list of characteristics of God as Father could go on and on, but to the Sister, His identifying quality is all her heart needs - God the Father is Love - and from every father in her life, the understanding of this truth has grown. 

On this blessed of Father's Day, we offer our deepest thanks to all the father's in our life. To our biological fathers - thank you for all that you have done, all that you are too us, and every way you have supported us in our vocation.  To our spiritual fathers - thank you for being the priests God is calling you too be; you are an instrument of God's love and mercy to every soul. And to God, our Father in Heaven, we long for the day when w may see you face-to-face and run into Your arms as a child, happy to finally be home. 

In honor of all of our fathers, let us offer a heart-felt Our Father in thanksgiving for the many graces we have received from them. 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above,
​coming down from the Father."
- James 1:17

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"I'm the Daddy of a Nun" Poem

I'm the Daddy of a Nun
Sure my daughter has been vested
And my joy I cannot hide,
For I've watched her from the cradle
With a father's honest pride.

But the morn she left me early
I was feeling mighty blue,
Just a-thinking how I'd miss her
And the things she used to do.

But now, somehow it's different,--
With each rising of the sun,
And my heart is ever singing,
"I'm the daddy of a nun."

Since to err is only human
There's a whole lot on the slate,
That I'll have to make account for
When I reach the golden gate.

But then I'm not a-worrying
About the deeds I've done,
I'll just whisper to St. Peter:
"I'm the daddy of a nun."