Jesus has a special word for fathers in today's Gospel. Before saying it, let me tell a story which shows something dads don't always recognize: how important he is to his child--and wife.

Once a young wife came in to see me. She had with her two children, one a boy about three and the other an infant. She wanted a prayer and advice because her husband was threatening to leave her. I listened, but had no magic words. I suggested she make a novena which involved certain prayers and lighting a candle every day for nine days. She returned in a couple of weeks and I asked her how it went.

"Well, Father," she said, "I made the novena. On the final day my husband got real agitated, started storming around the house. 'No one cares about me. What I think. I don't matter to anyone.' He grabbed a suitcase and began throwing clothes into it. Then I noticed our little boy. He had placed a paper bag on the end of the same bed and was carrying his little shoes and pants to it. When his dad saw him, he stopped and stared at his son. Tears were running down my face. My husband started crying too. Jesus had answered my novena."

You know, I pray for that young father. That what he glimpsed in that moment he will always realize--how essential a father is to his children. And that all fathers will know their irreplaceable role.

Some recent studies have demonstrated how important a father is to his child's development. Children with fathers present have a lower rate of delinquency, drug & alcohol use, teen pregnancy and so on. For a single mom it is more difficult--she needs more support. The father's presence is also a significant positive factor in children getting a college education, a satisfying job, and a lasting marriage. Now all those things are vitally important, but for us there is something even more fundamental in a father's role.

We see that deeper role when we turn to the Catechism. The father's role, it says, come from the fact that he cooperates with God the Creator. (#2367) To underscore this you could ask who the most powerful man in the United States is. Most perhaps would reply, "Of course, it is the president." Others might say, Bill Gates with his billions or Ted Turner with his media influence or maybe some great surgeon who has the skills to extends men's lives. But all those answers miss the mark. The most powerful person in the United States is not the president or a billionaire or a doctor. Rather the one with greatest power is a father. Together with his wife he cooperates with God in bringing a new human life into the world. There is no power greater than that.

Fathers are at the heart of God's plan. As I said in the beginning Jesus has a word today for fathers. In fact he says it three times, "Be not afraid." Those words cut to the quick. Young fathers sometimes back away from their responsibility. Why? So often it is fear. Fear of other people, fear of the child's mom, fear of their own self. Maybe a father is afraid he will not be able to provide adequately for his child, that he won't be able get him the things he needs or the right education.

But Jesus says to not be afraid because you have something vital to give to your child--what he really needs and wants. G.K. Chesterton said it: "We give our children everything except the one thing they really want." We can discover what young people want by listening to their songs. Have you ever heard one that places a limit on love? "I will love you for a year--and then do an evaluation!" Or "I will love you if you fulfill these requirements." Never! Young people want a love that is beautiful, without conditions or limits. In a word they want fidelity.

A father should not be afraid he cannot give his child a lot of material advantages. Those things are secondary. What the child most wants is fidelity. True fidelity is based on God's love not human pride. Even if you have fallen fifty times, now is the moment to stand up, be a man. Do not be afraid. God knows your weaknesses, your past failures. With Him there is always a new opportunity. If we rely not on our own power but his faithfulness, he can renew our fidelity just like he brings back the morning dew.

The great reason to not be afraid is because it is not a matter of our own stength. Jesus wants fathers to be like a mirror--to capture a bit of the sunlight and reflect it to our children.

Jesus taught this in a paradoxical way. He said, "call no man father." He also said to call no man teacher or doctor. Why? Because there is only one Teacher, the Messiah. Only one Doctor, Jesus himself. And there is only one Father, God Himself.* But that does not mean he cannot chose someone to share in his fatherhood. St. Paul told the Corinthians, "Though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15)

For me as a priest my greatest challenge--and greatest joy--is to be a spiritual father. I remember once a young woman who was sharing with me a terrible situation she was in. I was listening and praying in my heart. All of a sudden, she stopped, looked at me and said, "Usted es mi padre. You are my father." There was a silence and I said to her, "Sí, soy tu padre. Yes, I am your father."

There is no greater joy than being a spiritual father. That's part of the challenge before our young men. What counts is not making a million dollars or being famous, but becoming a good father. In recent years there have been a lot of studies on the differences between boys and girls. To almost no ones surprise the studies showed that from a very early age girls tend to be more nurturing and to enjoy collaborative activities, whereas boys are more aggressive and competitive. People sometimes lament that boys are often attracted to violent games. But God put that aggressivity in a boy for a good reason. He is called to one day protect, defend and provide for a family--to be a father.

Now it's easy to be a physical father. Not so for the mother, but for the father that part is a breeze. But what counts is becoming a spiritual father. That is what really separates the men from the boys. To all those who undertake that challenge, Jesus has a word: "Do not be afraid."

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