As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the father figures who shaped our lives. These experiences are diverse—some filled with warmth and guidance, others marked by struggle and distance. My own journey with my earthly father was a mix of discipline and love. Growing up, corporal punishment was part of the upbringing, and I often felt a fear that made it hard to approach him freely. Yet, looking back, I recognize the protection and desire he had to raise us in the knowledge of God.

Fear is a complex emotion. There is an unhealthy fear that creates barriers, but there is also a healthy fear—the reverence that motivates us to honor and respect our parents and, ultimately, our Heavenly Father. This healthy fear is what God desires for us: a fear born out of love that keeps us aligned with Him and sustains our relationship.

Today, as we reflect on our spiritual Father, we are reminded that God calls us, “Fear no one.” Our Heavenly Father is a protector, one who shields us from the eternal harm of living apart from Him. The prophet Jeremiah assures us that God stands by us in times of trial and rejection, like a mighty champion who rescues us from evil. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds us not to fear those who can harm the body but to place our fear in God alone—the One who holds both body and soul in His care.

Life may bring us moments of pain, ridicule, or suffering. Yet God promises grace to endure these hardships when we anchor ourselves in His love. It is this divine love that shields us against the forces of darkness and sustains us.

Our Heavenly Father desires only love from us, not fear. Through our relationship with Him, we become living witnesses to the world of the loving Father who calls us His sons and daughters—a relationship that is life-giving and ever deepening.

On this Father’s Day, we honor all fathers—earthly and spiritual—and especially our One True Father, whose love knows no bounds and whose desire is to unite us in love forever.

Happy Father’s Day to all who have embraced this calling of fatherhood with love and faithfulness.

In Christ,
Dcn. Jeff