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Dear Sacred Heart Family,

St. Therese of Lisieux has her own story about the influence her father had on their lives as a role model. The Little Flower used to ask an innocent question to her first grade classmates: “Have you ever seen a saint praying?” She would add, “If you haven’t, come to my house in the evening. You will see my dad on his knees in his room with outstretched arms, praying for us, his children, every day.” She states in one of her letters from the convent: “I have never seen or heard or experienced anything displeasing to Jesus in my family.”

Today we celebrate Father’s Day, where we rightly praise fathers for their works on raising and forming the next generation. On this Father’s Day, let us pray for our fathers, living and deceased, honoring them, thanking the Eternal Father for them and asking Him to shower abundant blessings upon them. A father, with his wife, is the first teacher of faith for his children. Our society badly needs fathers who hand down to their children the basics of our Catholic Faith, through both the word and example.

St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, is the model of fatherhood. His faith and obedience to God inspired his devotion for his family. As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 20, it might be helpful to study his example. St. Joseph was obedient. St. Joseph was selfless. St. Joseph was a worker. St. Joseph was a leader. Let us look at the inspiring example of St. Joseph, patron Saint of fathers, workers and the Universal Church for his obedience, humility, selflessness, courage and the love he showed to Mary and Jesus. If we can emulate St. Joseph even a little each day, we will be that much closer to becoming the men we are called to be.

In Christ and Mary Immaculate,
Fr. James Kaniparampil CMI

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