What a Father Can Give His Son
By Fr. Ryan O'Neill
Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven. (Baltimore Catechism, No. 1, First Lesson: On the End of Man, Question 6)
I think that this is also true in a child’s relationship with their father. Children want to know and love their dad. These desires to know and love one’s father may fluctuate during different periods throughout a child’s life, but the basic desire to know and to love remains. As human beings, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas remind us, we must first know something before we can love it. Father-love is a very important aspect of knowing, loving and serving God as well. So, in order for our children to love us and God better they must first know who we are as their fathers. To love and be loved by a father helps a child to reach their full potential.
