by Fr. Justin Fulton
Many times when I pray at the casket of a deceased child of God, I look intently at the hands of the deceased. I meditate deeply about what those hands have done.
This is especially true of deceased who are fathers. Think of all of the miles travelled, lessons given, lessons learned, and lives touched by those hands. A father’s hands fix things. Those hands sacrifice. They feed. They help give hugs. They show love. They show trust, make deals, and build relationships. They mend. They serve. They steady us so we can learn how to ride bikes.
They correct us and discipline us. They steer us and navigate us. They do so down a snowy hill as well. They teach us how to play catch, and then they play catch with us. They teach us how to live. They fold together in prayer. They show us how to die.
A father’s hands do some world-shakin’ while they are in this world... and they also pray for us from up above.
Yet, we know a dad’s love for his children is only a shadow of the Heavenly Father’s love for all of His children.
To all of our fathers and grandfathers, both living and Eternally Living, and to our Heavenly Father—words cannot do justice for all that you have done for us. So we simply say two words:
Thank you.
God bless and keep all of our fathers and may our Heavenly Father’s love bring all of them home to Heaven. Amen.
Thank you for your support of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska!
Friends, I’ll leave you with the lyrics from a darn good George Strait song, written by Aaron Gayle Barker, “Love Without End, Amen.”
I got sent home from school one day with a shiner on my eye
Fightin’ was against the rules and it didn’t matter why
When dad got home I told that story just like I’d rehearsed
Then stood there on those tremblin’ knees and waitin’ for the worst
And he said
Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then
It’s a love without end, Amen
It’s a love without end, Amen
When I became a father in the spring of ‘81
There was no doubt that stubborn boy was just like my father’s son
And when I thought my patience had been tested to the end
I took my daddy’s secret and passed it on to him
I said
Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then
It’s a love without end, Amen
It’s a love without end, Amen
Last night I dreamed I’d died and stood outside those pearly gates
When suddenly I realized there must be some mistake
If they know half the things I’ve done, they’ll never let me in
Then somewhere from the other side, I heard these words again
And they said
Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then
It’s a love without end, Amen
It’s a love without end, Amen.
