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Paul writes in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: "Blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NAS).
Just as our Heavenly Father comforts us, we learn this same comfort from our earthly fathers. You may be able to relate to the early childhood memory of your dad teaching you to ride a bike. First it took some courage to get on the bike, cheered on by your dad. Then he walked alongside you or even held you steady as you gained your balance on the wobbly two wheels. It was then, in his proudest moment, when he let go. You peddled down the street with a new sense of independence and excitement, all while your dad proudly cheered you on.
As you soared along, there may have been a turn taken too hard, and with one swift move, you fell. A scraped knee and some tears were no match for your dad. He picked you up in comfort, wiped away the tears, placed a Band-aid on that knee, and encouraged you to get right back on that bike.
Much like your dad and your first bike ride, our Heavenly Father does the same thing to us every day. Our God desires a relationship with us; He does not force it but just encourages us to get started. We have the choice to jump into a relationship with our God. When we do, He cheers us on in what we do. God walks alongside us in prayer, watching out for our every need and giving us what we need. We run to him with our needs, our desires, and our prayers. He gives us all that is good and even weeps with us when things go wrong. He holds us steady and secure in this life.
Sometimes, we make Him let go, and we may go astray. Yet, He still loves us. We may fall in this life into sin. Yet, God the Father picks us up in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through us seeking forgiveness, God patches up our Soul and helps us to get right back to where we started. No matter how many times we fall in this life, God will continue to love us unconditionally.
As we celebrate our fathers this weekend, our grandfathers, our father-like figures, our priests and pastors, may we not forget to spend time with our Heavenly Father. Run to Him with a childlike faith. It is there that we will find an undeniable love, no matter how many times we may fall or fail. It is in His comfort that we are able to get back up.
Makenzie Connor, member, St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Williamsport