Holy Fatherhood Is Part of God’s Plan
 

 

A PASTORAL LETTER FROM BISHOP MARTINO
     My Dear People:
From time to time, in my prayer and preaching, I experience a repetition of an insight. Since these insights are spiritually beneficial for me and for my ministry as a Bishop, I look on them as graces. Lately, I have repeatedly found myself reflecting in prayer and in my homilies on God as Father. Certainly there is nothing original in this reflection, but the fact that it keeps returning has impressed me with the thought: "Is God trying to tell me something as I begin my ministry as Bishop of Scranton?"

With the celebration of the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19, I have decided that I should share my thoughts with you not only on God's fatherhood, but on the fatherhood of St. Joseph, as well as on the type of fatherliness which – in complete honesty – all Catholic men should practice, no matter what their state of life.

It is not easy today to speak of fatherhood. I remember my time during high school, teaching catechism classes to fatherless boys. It was very difficult to explain to them the loving fatherhood of God, when in the hearts of many of these boys there was great anger. They asked: "Why has my father died? Why has my father abandoned his son?" I suppose I could have taken the approach of speaking of God as something other than a father, but that would cause another, greater problem. I refer to the fact that when the apostles approached Jesus and asked them how to address God in prayer, Jesus said: "Say 'Our Father'."

Jesus did not come to earth to speak generically about God. There is nothing abstract in His teaching about God. In the teachings of Jesus, God is a Father, who seeks us out, forgives us our sins, and never abandons us. Thus, if we try to even imagine the God preached to us by Jesus Christ as anything other than "Father" we are rewriting the teachings of Jesus. Certainly, the Scriptures speak of God the Father's love sometimes in maternal terms, but not to the point where the God shown to us is revealed as anyone other than "Our Father."

When, in His divine plan of salvation, the Father in heaven sent to us His only divine Son, Jesus, to save us, He chose a mother for Jesus. Jesus' conception was not in the usual manner, but miraculous. Yet the Father in heaven did not exclude an earthly foster father for Jesus. No, he gave Jesus and Mary – and to us! – St. Joseph. Because St. Joseph had this wonderfully paternal role in the earthly life of Jesus, St. Joseph has been proclaimed Protector of the Universal Church. Believe me, I experience St. Joseph's protection often in my role as Bishop of Scranton.

In preaching now in 2004 in the Diocese of Scranton about St. Joseph, I find myself in a similar situation to what I experienced as a high school student teaching about the fatherhood of God to fatherless boys. Many of us are uncomfortable calling God "Our Father" because we have a problem with the very notion of fatherhood. So many men today do not know how to be good fathers. They have often failed their wives and children miserably. One rarely notices the level of emotion about fathers on our annual "Father's Day" which we see every year on "Mother's Day."

It seems to me that our Diocese will be so much healthier spiritually if we can help Catholic men to be good fathers. Certainly we must start with married men. We should ensure that they are in a healthy marriage. We need to instruct them on the teachings of the Church regarding how husbands and wives should love one another. In addition, we must show them what the unique love of a father is. Our concentration must not only be on married men, but also on young boys and single men, who need to learn and practice what it means to be father-like at their stage of development and in their vocation. Priests, whom we happily call "Father," also need to be reinforced in their special fatherhood, their priestly ministry.

We must do something to bolster fatherhood. Healthy fatherhood is part of God's plan. We cannot be deterred by political correctness or by current efforts to redefine marriage, family and gender roles. We have only one plan: God's revealed Word and the Church's official teaching of that Word.

Soon, I hope to take some concrete steps to strengthen fatherhood in the Diocese of Scranton. I would very much appreciate your comments as I formulate more specifically my plans. Meanwhile, let us recall the kind, merciful, gentle, yet strong fatherliness which St. Joseph exercised during Jesus' earthly life and which St. Joseph still exercises in our lives. Through the intercession of this great Patron of the Universal Church, may we see holier and better men and fathers in the Diocese of Scranton. With more men like St. Joseph in our midst, how can the future of our Diocese be any better?

Sincerely in Our Lord,

Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.
Bishop of Scranton