"If We Could Constantly Live in this Realization..."

Fr. Ciszek, Mother Lucille’s spiritual director, once wrote:

“If we could constantly live in the realization that we are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father, that we are always in His sight and play in His creation, then all our thoughts and every action would be a prayer.”

It’s a profound insight into the freedom that living in the Father’s gaze brings us as His sons and daughters. It sounds so simple, yet it’s the simple truths that can be the hardest to fully live. On Father’s Day we honor and pray for our own fathers, living and deceased. As Father’s Day is upon us, I would like to propose two ways that we can deepen our relationship with God the Father: living in His gaze and cultivating gratitude. It’s easy to remember – the 2 “Gs”!

My dad once shared with me that the first thing he noticed when I was born was that my left ear was slightly folded at the top. It is something that most people would never notice, but it was my dad’s special way of recognizing me. What some people would look at as a defect, he delighted in with joy. As my father, he was especially attuned to what made me, me! Is this not true to the fullest sense with my Heavenly Father who “formed my inmost being…and knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) and says to me “you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you” (Isaiah 43:4)? Our Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves, and He loves us! That one thing we find unlovable about ourselves, He loves us even there! That one fault we struggle with and constantly beat ourselves up about, He looks upon with gentleness and compassion. In the moments that we are overwhelmed and anxious, He desires for us to know that He is with us. The Lord tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). The Father’s gaze is always one of gentleness, compassion, and love.

It isn’t always easy to live from this place, because our experience of fatherhood has been wounded by sin and brokenness. The experiences of our earthly father can distort our image of who the Heavenly Father is. However, Pope Francis wrote that regardless of what our experience is of our earthly father,

“What I can tell you with absolute certainty, is that you can find security in the embrace of your Heavenly Father, the God who first gave you life and continues to give it to you at every moment. He will be your firm support.”

Rooted in this truth, we are free to live as children of God. We are free to explore, create, make mistakes, learn and so much more, because we know we are loved and safe. Think of the priceless joy and freedom a child has playing on the swings while knowing his parents are watching from the bench. This is the childlike freedom and joy we are all called to have as children of God! We are all on a journey towards living more from this place of truth and freedom. Remember, “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). The Father wants you to live in His gaze more than you do! Some worthy questions to ponder are: Am I living in the Father’s gaze? Do I believe that I have a Father that sees, knows, and loves me? What are the signs that I am not living in the Father’s gaze? What parts of my heart can I invite Jesus into to show me the truth of who the Father is?

The second “G” is gratitude. To cultivate gratitude in our hearts opens our eyes to see all the Father has given us and to become more firmly rooted in the truth of His goodness. Gratitude also takes us out of ourselves and turns our gaze to the other. To say, “thank you” acknowledges that I have received something from someone else. God has given us everything, without Him we are nothing! It is all a gift to be received. St. Paul says, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). In God’s providence, all things are used for our salvation and the salvation of others. Mysteriously He works even suffering for good. So, in all things, we should strive to say to God, “Thank You.” Bl. Solanus Casey would say, “Thank God ahead of time,” because we can be confident that His plans are good before we know what they are. It isn’t always easy to say thank you in the midst of a challenge or suffering – it can feel almost impossible. But I invite you to ask for the grace to be able to say, “thank you,” in all things, because it will help cultivate in your heart a deeper knowledge of the Father’s goodness. A way of praying I learned as a novice is a “Gratitude Rosary.” On each bead of the rosary, you thank God for something. It can be as simple as, “Thank you for waking up this morning,” or “Thank you for going on a walk with my sister.” If you get to the point of thinking, “What else can I say, ‘thank you’ for?” I challenge you to dig deep and ask for the grace to see what God has given you this day. I promise you there is always something to thank God for, and He is always full of surprises and wanting to lavish His children with love.

On this Father’s Day may you encounter our Heavenly Father’s unconditional love and His tender embrace in a new and profound way. As you strive to live more fully in His gaze and cultivate gratitude for His many gifts to you, may you experience “the glorious freedom of the children of God!” (Romans 8:21) I’ll leave you with a simple prayer that I say every day that helps me to draw near to the Father’s heart: Jesus help me to see myself as the Father sees me.