Father Gervan Menezes - June 21

St. Philip Catholic Church: Child once was asked, What is a father? The child thought for a moment and replied, A father is someone who makes you feel safe. That simple answer captures something beautiful. When children in frightening they look for their father. When they fall, they run to him. When they are uncertain, they seek his reassurance. Today on Father's Day, the gospel invites us to discover that same sense of security in our relationship with God. Three times Jesus telling the His disciples, do not be afraid. Their command comes at a surprising moment. Jesus is sending them into the difficult world. He knows they will face oppositions, rejections, misunderstanding. He does not Promised then an easy life. Instead, he promised this something better. The loving care of the Father. Jesus said, Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet, none, not one of them falls into the ground without your father's knowledge. The point here is not about the spirits, it's about the Father. Jesus wanted his disciples to know that. That they are not forgotten, unnoticed, or abandoned. That Father knows then intimately, even all the hairs of your head are counted. Sorry, Jeff. He still loves you. In a world where many people feel invisible, insignificant, or disposable, this is extraordinary needs. We matter to God, not because of our achievements, not because of our success, simply because we are his children. This Father Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on what Fatherhood reveal reveals about God. The best fathers are not perfect. Every father knows his limitations, yet good fathers reflect something of God's heart. They protect, they provide, they guide, encourage, forgive, and sacrifice. Most fathers spend their lives doing countless things that nobody notice. They worry silently. They carry burdens quietly. They make sacrifice without seeking recognition. Much of fatherhood is hidden. In a similar way, God's care is often hidden. We do not always see his hand. We do not always understand his plans. Yet he is constantly at work. Jeremiah in the first reading certain certainly did not feel secure. He was mocked and persecuted. Friends turned against him, fear surround him. Yet Jeremiah arrives at a remarkable conclusion. The Lord is with me like a mighty champion. Notice what change. His circumstances did not change, his enemies did not disappear. What change is his awareness of God's presence. That is often the journey of faith. We pray for God to remove every problem. Sometimes He does, but often He gives us something deeper. The confidence that we do not face those problems alone. Every father knows his less this lesson. There comes a point when a father cannot solve every problem for his children. He cannot walk every path for them, but he can help them know that they are loved, supported, and never alone. God does the same thing for us. The second reading from the Romans goes even farther. Saint Paul contrasts Adam and Christ. Adam brought sin into the word, but Christ brings grace. Human weakness is real, but God's mercy is greater. That means fear never gets the last word. Not fear of failure, not fear of suffering, not fear of the future, not even fear of death. The last word always belong to Christ. Perhaps the greatest gift a father can give to his children is not money, educational success. Important as those are, the greatest gift is faith. The conviction that God is real, that God is good, and that God can be trusted. Children who learn that lesson. possess something not economic a crisis, not illness or not disappointment can take away. Today we thank God for all the fathers, fathers who are living, fathers who have gone before us, grandfathers, adopted fathers, godfathers, priests, teachers and mentors who have reveal reflected God fatherless care for us. We also remember those for whom Father's Day is difficult, those who mourn a father. Those who experience a fatherhood has been painful, and those who long to be fathers, may they discover a special way today the healing love of the Father who never fails his children. As we gather around this altar, Jesus speaks again to each one of us. Do not be afraid. You are known, you are loved. And you are worth more than many spares. And your Heavenly Father is watching over you. Today we also is a