A look at the index of labels to the right of this page will
show that I have posted little observations of Fathers’ day over the past
years. I have tended to use examples from films to illustrate but this year I
thought of a real father. Don’t worry, I’m not going to speak about myself.
I would like to remember a friend who passed away a few
years ago. Everyone called him Ted although Theodore, which coincidentally
means God’s gift, was his real name. He was a small, unassuming, and quiet
spoken man who rarely talked about himself but he was one of the most giving
men I have ever known.
Ted was an avid gardener and wine maker but by profession he
was a master electrician who worked at his trade right until his final illness
struck. My wife and I originally met him in an Italian language class but he
subsequently became a friend as well as our electrician. I will never forget
the night our electricity went out during a violent ice storm. Ted came to the
house, climbed a ladder, and repaired a broken power line in the midst of the
storm.
The only problem we ever had with Ted was that he was always
reluctant to accept payment from friends. There was a large crowd in the church
at his funeral and I’m sure that most had also been the recipients of Ted’s
generosity. Ted will never be canonized as a saint, but he was one of the
multitude of ordinary men who loved their families, their church, and their
country.
It was only at his funeral that I realized what a devoted
husband and father he had been. At the wake, I saw an old black and white
marriage photo. Ted, who served in World War II, was in uniform next to his
young Italian war bride who had sewn her beautiful white wedding gown out of
Ted’s parachute. I never met his wife because she died shortly before I met
Ted, but I know that he loved her until the day he died. They had four or five
children and all were there at the funeral with a number of grandchildren. One
of the grandchildren gave a brief eulogy in which he described all the things his
grandfather had taught him.
Ted was not big and brawny but he struck me as a real man, a
man of great courage and strength. I believe that his generosity towards us
sprang not just from his faith, but also from his dedication as a husband and
father. It takes real courage to be a father. It takes real courage to make a
commitment to give up your own wants in order to live for your wife and
children. Someone once said that the best thing a man can do for his children
is to love their mother.
In today’s world fatherhood is much maligned. TV shows
depict fathers as bumbling idiots. Even commercials usually depict fathers who
can’t get anything right. But it is very important that we do all we can to
support those who have accepted the challenge. Here is a little prayer for
fathers.
Our Father in Heaven, we thank you
for all the fathers on earth who,
like St.
Joseph, accept the responsibility to care for and love their children.
May you
strengthen them with the kindness, patience and wisdom they need
to
encourage and guide their children.
May they be
supported by a steadfast wife, a caring family and good friends.
Most of
all, may they know that you and you alone are the source of all that is
good and
truly valuable in this world.
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