Fr. Jacobi's Homily Message

The prophet Jeremiah courageously confronts the religious and political leaders of his day. These leaders are not concerned with what is best for the people they govern – they are looking out only for their own selfish interests.

Jeremiah the prophet sees the suffering of the people he has been called to shepherd and also sees how they are being led astray by such greedy leaders, so Jeremiah cries out in protest. As spiritual father to the people of Jerusalem, Jeremiah cannot be silent – he must speak. Thus, he gives voice to God the Father’s concern for His people.

But Jeremiah’s message is not well-received. Not only do the religious and political leaders try to silence him, even those he thought were his friends watch him carefully, hoping Jeremiah will stumble so they can pounce on him, too.

With his life in jeopardy and without friends to support him, Jeremiah relies on God alone to be his strength. He remains committed to his vocation, to his calling to bring the leaders and the people back to God. Confident that God will intervene, confident that God will act, the prophet Jeremiah remains steadfast in the face of bitter persecution.

This kind of faith-filled perseverance, especially during difficult times, is required of all followers of the Crucified Christ. We must not be afraid to stand up and be counted, to speak up and not be silent. We must not fear to stand firm in promoting the values of Christ. In a society that promotesand encourages selfishness, dishonesty, and disrespect, we live out Christian values and challenge those who lead others astray.

Christian fathers who are willing to stand up and be counted are especially needed today. Needed more than ever are fathers who follow Christ and who desire to bring the light of the Gospel to every dark corner of their world. What the world needs now are men who courageously take up the mantle of fatherhood, who are willing to set boundaries for their children and to discipline their children when those boundaries are broken. Children do not need their father to be their friend – they need their father to be a father. Often, this means a father will endure persecution at the hands of his own children as he does what is right and best for them. A father who follows in the way of Christ, who expects his children to live by Christian values, will face opposition, ridicule, and even hatred from his own children. What father has not heard the words, “I hate you,” erupt forth from a child he disciplines. Even though these words can sting a father’s heart, fathers must stand firm in their duty. Fathers who are formed by the teachings of Christ are involved in the lives of their children. They make it their responsibility to especially know what their teenage children are doing: where their teens are, who they are with, when they will return home.

Fathers are called to instill the virtues of respect, honesty, and unselfishness in their children. They know their children’s peers will make fun of unselfish behavior, telling their children to look out for #1 and forget about others. Fathers who demand honesty from their children know that their sons and daughters will face ridicule for being honest, for cheating by students and adults is more and more the norm in today’s world. In a culture that promotes selfish behavior, respect for others is a long-lost virtue, and so as fathers teach their children how to be respectful and kind toward others, they know their children will be walking the path less traveled, the road less trod.

The best gift a father can give to his children is a living example of faith, a life lived in love of Christ and of others. On this year’s Medical Mission trip to Bolivia, I was impressed by the fact that 3 members of the same family went on this trip – a father and his two adult children. The children had grown up watching their father serve others in need, even seeing him make trips to the poorest corners of the world to do so. Thus, they followed in his footsteps, giving of themselves in service to others.

More than ever before, fathers are needed who are in love with Christ and who live according to Christ’s commands. What the world needs now are fathers who are courageous, unafraid to teach their children the way of Christ.

There definitely is a price to pay for being a disciple of Christ, for living as Christ commands. How can fathers or any of us who desire to follow Christ stand firm in the face of difficulty and even persecution?

The source of our strength is our heavenly Father’s faithful love for us. Our Father in heaven knows us so intimately he even knows the exact number of hairs on our head. Our Father, who is attentive to the plight of sparrows, will certainly watch over and care for us, who are of much greater value than the birds of the sky.

So, fear need not paralyze us – we are worth more than a flock of sparrows. Though it sometimes appears as if God our Father has abandoned us, the reality of our faith tells us that God our Father never abandons his children. We look to the cross of Christ and know this to be true – when it appeared to all the world as if the Father had abandoned his Son,

at that darkest, death-dealing moment, the Father reaches out and raises Jesus up to new life.