Sunday, June 18, 2017

2017 Father's Day Prayer

“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
and he who begets a wise child will delight in him.” (Proverbs 23:24)
The book of Proverbs presents fathers as teachers of wisdom.
May all fathers be able to transmit hard-won or inspired wisdom.

May the ears of children, no matter their age,
Be attuned to the wisdom of fathers.
“I believe that what we become depends
on what our fathers teach us at odd moments,
when they aren't trying to teach us.
We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.” ― Umberto Eco,
May those bits of wisdom
Reach beyond the grave,
If it need be so.

We certainly need wisdom
As we rewrite the role of fathers.
May we forgive the errors of fathers.
May we  cherish favored memories.
May we gain the maturity to learn
What to accept from fathers,
What to adjust,
And what to reject in our own lives.
May we see fathers in full,
As complete human beings beyond a role.

May fathers grow into becoming grandfathers,
To see legacies move to another generation.
May they look through the ties and clumsy cards
To the deep sentiment that runs beneath them.

Jesus called God Father in John’s gospel.
Jesus taught us to pray, Our Father.
On this day, may we
Celebrate the fatherhood of the Holy One.
His love was not divided, nor should ours be.
May we all have hearts spacious enough

To contain multitudes of loves.

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