5 October 2016 - a Father's love

[ Today's Readings ]

We need to realize that God is our Father. 

In Baptism we see "the Spirit of God descending like a dove" and we hear the Father say "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" just as Jesus does (see Matthew 3:17). We should then marvel with John, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (see First John 3:1).

The Fatherhood of God should define who we are as sons and daughters.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (see Romans 8:15).

This is the starting place for our prayers. We recognize God as our Father first even before we ask that his name be hallowed. Because after all, what name are we asking to be hallowed? It is the name of the Father not just some ambiguous concept or inapproachable idea.

The Our Father is a prayer only Jesus can teach us. Only he can teach us how to relate to the Father as a son or daughter. It is the trust he has in the Father than allows him to welcome and desire the coming of the Kingdom no matter the cost to himself. It is the trust he has in the Father that allows him to completely depend on him for his daily bread, not succumbing to the temptation of the devil in the desert to take that matter in his own hands. Even though he does not himself have any sins to ask the Father to forgive he shows us that we can trust in the Father's mercy to do so as long as we ourselves are willing to embrace mercy. This is because mercy is meant to be a defining characteristic of our family! We can trust the Father even when we face the final test. If it is not meant for us he will not subject us to it. If we do undergo it he gives us the grace to make it through.

It is confidence in the Father that allows Paul to stand firm in his beliefs even when Cephas himself wavers in his actions.

But when I saw that they were not on the right road
in line with the truth of the Gospel,
I said to Cephas in front of all,
“If you, though a Jew,
are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

In a circumstance like this we have more trouble than Paul. We either cave to the pressure and abandon our beliefs or else use it as an excuse to give less obedience. We can't easily care about both. Paul's trust in the Father allows him to take Peter to task about this without crossing the line into disobedience. He believes that Peter is established as a pillar by the Father himself and he trusts in the Father.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.