Offaly influencer's thought for Father's Day

There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. In another story, a first-class school teacher asks her class, "What is Father's Day?" One boy answered, "Father’s Day is just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the gift." Another boy responded, "What gift?"

In case you don’t know, it’s Father’s Day this coming Sunday. Father’s Day is a day to honor fathers and father figures alike. It is a day to celebrate fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of the many good fathers in society and is also a beautiful opportunity to celebrate the deep, God-given desire to respect, impress, and follow honorable men in our lives. 

These are the men who have shaped us, invested in us, been patient with us, and given us the love and stability we have needed to become mature and competent adults. I would like to dedicate this thought for the week to all fathers this weekend, as a tribute to them for all they have given to us and the joy they have brought to our lives and especially to my own amazing Dad, Ricey. Happy Father’s Day to fathers, grandfathers, and stepfathers! This celebration gives us reason to pause, to pray for, and to reflect on our Fathers whom we honour. On this Father’s Day, we celebrate, congratulate, and pray for the men who continue to reflect the Divine qualities of fatherhood as they lovingly establish, nourish, and maintain their families. Fathers are a blessing, and we thank them for blessing us with lives of dedication, endurance, and love.

Special time

We celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 18, 2023. We think of the strength of a father, his guiding hand, his wisdom, his help. God the Father gave up his only Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might be saved through him. He provides an example of the very vocation of fatherhood. Fathers are to sacrifice their lives for their families. They do this by being the spiritual leader and guardian of their families. Praying for and with their families. Being a courageous witness to the Gospel. Providing care and support for their families. Serving as an example of goodness and truth. Leading with courage and accountability. Laying down one’s life for another.

This Father's day, in a special way, lets us be grateful for Our fathers, by birth or adoption, who love us and support us through life. God our Father, who will always teach justly and grant us boundless mercy. God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old. We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation, may they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice. We pray for our own fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering, may they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow. We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice. We remember fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.

My Dad

It's a time to love, kiss and hug one of the most precious creations of God - our Dad! Especially for those of us lucky enough to still have them with us. For him, we will always remain the small child, but this is the day to visit our Daddy, spend time with him, hold his hands and reassure him of our love and care. Father's Day holds great significance for most of us. It's that time of the year to let your father know that no one loves him more than his own children and grandchildren. It's a time to be grateful to your father who in most cases can be one of the most loving, kind-hearted, understanding and caring people in your life. So this weekend let's celebrate Father's Day with non-stop surprises. Father's Day poses as a great opportunity to pamper your father for all that he has done for you over the years.

You can never repay the debts, but on Father's Day, you can create a magical place for your father to be delighted and fly high on love and life.  In writing about Fathers’ Day, it has given me the opportunity to reflect on what has inspired me to become the type of father that I am. It’s only natural to think of my own Dad, Ricey. I do not think I have been a perfect son at times for my dad, but I know for certain that he has never stopped loving me, he has always forgiven me and he has always given me another chance, indeed many chances if truth be told! You see, my Daddy takes great pride in being a guide to all of his children. He gave us the greatest gift ever in that he believed in us! He is a hard working man who has found some success in different aspects of his life. He made a gigantic effort to teach us everything that he knew; and he encouraged us to learn even more about real life as we set-out on our own unique journey's. Knowing this, I must be an example today that will help prepare my children for tomorrow. I might not always get it right but I must try for their sake.

Saint of fathers

So with Father's Day fast approaching, now is a great time to shine a spotlight on men from all walks of life and surround them with encouragement in taking steps to a healthy life. It comes at the time of year when we show appreciation to our fathers, biological, foster, or spiritual and thank them for their love and support through thick and thin. It is a good time to also recall the exemplary role-model and patron saint of fathers, Saint Joseph the foster father of Jesus.

Saint Joseph experienced the same difficulties in life we all do, yet he lived an exemplary life and established an ideal that is well-worth emulating for all fathers who have come after him. Saint Joseph was a man of compassion, empathy, love and caring. He was a man possessed of unwavering faith in God. He was a man who loved and protected his family. As I reflect on Father’s Day, the word that comes to mind is “gratefulness”. Among the many things I’m gratefulful to my Dad for is teaching me how to play football and hurling, how to change a flat tire when I am in Donegal and he is in Offaly; for assistance when I needed help; the importance of self-discipline and hard work; how to be respectful to others; and how to live out the vocations of husband and fatherhood. Most of all, I’m thankful for his role in sowing the seeds of faith in my life. I also believe that the father-figures in my life, like uncles, teachers, colleagues, neighbours, friends and sport trainers have helped me to understand that one of the most important things that I must strive to be is a good role model and put selfish interests aside and make a sincere effort to do the right thing.

To make intelligent and thoughtful decisions that will benefit all who may be affected. Being a father has helped me to learn how to care for the less fortunate and those who need assistance at times. And I have learned that fathers unconditionally love those who need the strong support of someone who sincerely cares. You see, just as many of the men in my family have been an example for me, I see my job as a father to be a strong role model for my two daughters, Mia and Sophie.

 
A day of reflection

I am fortunate to have an amazing dad who, I know, loves me and who has taught me what it means to be a man after God’s heart. If there has been anyone who has been a consistent support and encouragement in my life, it would be both of my parents. I could write an entire separate thought on how much I love my mom, but today it's about my dad! I think that I take for granted the sacrifice that my dad has made in his life, in order for my siblings and I to be where we are today. My dad has modeled what it looks like to put the Lord first before anything else. Of course my dad isn’t perfect, because no one is, but I honour and respect his pursuit of God and the wisdom he has given me over the years and still gives to me to this day.

My Dad is neither an anchor to hold me and my siblings back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way. Father’s Day is always a day of reflection for me. It is a day to celebrate fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of the many good men in society today. As such, I’d like to dedicate this thought for the week to all fathers around Ireland and the world this weekend, as a tribute to them for all they have given to us and the joy they have brought to our lives and especially to my own amazing Dad. It got me thinking that the occasion of Father's Day is special for all of us. It's a time to love, kiss and hug one of the most precious creations of God - our Dad! Especially for those of us lucky enough to still have them with us and especially after going through the last few years or so of the Coronavirus where some have lost fathers, parents, grandparents, grand children, family members and other loved ones.  Also, I would like to acknowledge, at this time, those that are struggling to become a dad, and hope that God gives them the strength to cope with their pain and disappointment. God the Father gave up his only Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might be saved through him. He provides an example of the very vocation of fatherhood. Fathers are to sacrifice their lives for their families.

They do this by: Being the spiritual leader and guardian of their families. Praying for and with their families. Being a courageous witness to the Gospel. Providing care and support for their families. Serving as an example of goodness and truth. Leading with courage and accountability. Laying down one’s life for another. Today, in a special way, let us be grateful for: Our fathers, by birth or adoption, who love us and support us through life. Our Church leaders, who take on the paternal role of guiding us through life. And God our Father, who will always teach justly and grant us boundless mercy.

Prayer for dad's

A lovely prayer by Kirk Loadman that I like to pray now and then goes as follows, "Let us praise those fathers who have striven to balance the demands of work, marriage, and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice. Let us praise those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become a good father.  Let us praise those fathers who by their own account were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support. Let us pray for those fathers who have been wounded by the neglect and hostility of their children. Let us praise those fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their children's lives. Let us praise those fathers whose children are adopted, and whose love and support has offered healing. 

Let us praise those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely chose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their step children's love and respect. Let us praise those fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child with even greater love in their heart and soul. Let us praise those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation as if they were their own. Let us praise those men who have "fathered" us in their role as mentors, teachers and guides.  Let us praise those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly delight in their children.  And let us praise those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and whose love continues to nurture us. Let us remember that God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree, The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea, The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night, The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight, The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed, The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need, Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add, He knew His masterpiece was complete, And so, He called it ... Dad.

Thought for Father’s Day

As your thought for Father’s Day, make your dad feel the most special man in the world by showing your care, love and affection. To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.  We all know how our parents cared for us over the years and gave us every little thing that we ever needed. Love them, respect them, and care for them. Most of all let your dad know how much you love him not just for Father's Day but for all time. In being a dad to Mia and Sophie I have learned how to be a better listener, to be more compassionate, tender and patient. However, the most important thing that I may have learned from being a dad is to be respectful. I believe being a dad has helped me to better respect the gift of life, the people and friends in my life and the people around me whom I come into contact with.

Writing this thought for the week has helped me to realize that Fathers’ Day is so much more than a celebration of fathers. It’s a celebration of all of the people in our lives like our parents, our wives, our friends, and the father figures who help father’s carry out their important role each and every day. So be truly grateful for your dad and for the other father-like figures that have selflessly supported you in your life. To my Dad, Ricey, thank you for all the things you've led me and my siblings through and taught us and continue to do.  Through and through you've shown me the ropes. Helping me in anything and everything I face. Everyday you're there for me by simply calling your name. Daddy, if you end up reading this at some point, I love you. With all of your amazingness and imperfections, you are a man I look up to, a man I am proud to call my dad, a man I look forward to learning more about as the years progress, a man with heart and soul that I love dearly.

Unconditionally! Rarely do I get to thank you enough. So on this special day, I do exactly that. Thank you Ricey for being my Dad and to all Dad's, Happy Father’s Day. I love you Daddy! Thank you, thank you, thank you for you. I’m so grateful for my Dad and for the other father-like figures that have selflessly supported me in my life. Nevertheless, these earthly role models and mentors serve to make me aware that there is a heavenly Father whose providential grace has guided my entire life. Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers!