Denver Catholic

8 JUNE 9-22, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC T he universal word "father" points to a fundamental relationship that is as old as human history. Yet, Pope Francis says we have reached a point in history in which many would claim our society is a "society without fathers," characterized not so much by the hostile presence of the father, but by his "absence" and "inaction." In the hope of fi ghting the many negative consequences in children and society that a negligence of this responsibility causes, the pope has often preached on the importance of being holy fathers and husbands, helping men strive for the type of holiness they are called to live out. These are some of the key elements the Holy Father has highlighted. In-Depth YOU'RE INVITED Saturday, August 4th, 2018 8:00 a.m. shotgun start 29 T H A NN UAL T I G E R G O L F C L A SS I C B e ne fi ti n g t he Sr . A li ne D a lt o n S c ho l ar s h i p F und Foursomes and Sponsorship opportunities available, visit www.hfgolfclassic.org or call 720.476.7518 – LOCATION – Colorado National Golf Club 2700 Vista Pkwy, Erie, CO 80516 hfgolfclassic.org BY VLADIMIR MAURICIO-PEREZ vladimir.mauricio-perez@archden.org What Pope Francis wants fathers to know BE PRESENT Pope Francis insists that being present in the family doesn't simply mean being or living in the same place. Rather, it means that a father must "share everything " with his wife and children: joy and sorrow, hope and hardship. He must be close to his children in the di§ erent stages of life: "when they play and when they strive, when they are carefree and when they are distressed, when they are talkative and when they are silent, when they are daring and when they are afraid, when they take a wrong step and when they fi nd their path again." HAND DOWN WHAT REALLY MATTERS What really matters is that a father hand down a wise heart to his son, the pope says. The Father should not say to his child, "I am proud of you because you are the same as me, because you repeat the things I say and do." Instead, he should say, "I will be happy every time I see you act with wisdom, and I will be moved every time that I hear you speak with rectitude." A father should teach his children the attitude to feel, act, speak and judge with wisdom and rectitude, the pope says. YOUR EXAMPLE IS A PRIORITY In order to hand down what really matters, the pope assures that the father must be just that which he is trying to convey to his children. A wise and mature father should be able to say to his child: "I gave you a testimony of rigor and steadfastness that perhaps you didn't understand, when you would have liked only complicity and protection. I had fi rst to test myself in the wisdom of my heart, be vigilant of my excesses of sentiment and resentment, in order to carry the weight of the inevitable misunderstandings, to fi nd the right words to make myself understood." This will make it possible for his children to pass down the message to the following generation. It's a legacy that his children will honor and that will bring abundant joy and consolation to a father, Pope Francis says.

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