I can relate to this quote since I’m strictly of English descent, and I’m not one to cry easily. However, according to author Bryant McGill, perhaps I should. He said:
“Crying is like a thundershower for the soul. The air feels so wonderful after the rain. Don’t think too much. Breathe. Don’t be harsh or demanding on yourself. Just experience your feelings and know that your tears are announcing change in your life. Change is coming; like a summer rain — to wash away your pain. Have faith that things are getting better.” So, we all should shed more tears.
Today’s first reading from the prophet Zechariah is about tears. We know this because we read about mourning and grieving. The prophet says, “They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.” The mood is dark and gloomy. There is great sadness.
And there’s a good reason for it. Zechariah spoke around 520 BC and his audience was those who returned from exile in Babylon many years after the destruction of the all-important temple. He spoke of their tears and later went on to offer encouragement – in effect trying to dry the tears of the desperate and homeless Jews.
In a way, the second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians is about drying tears. We followers of Jesus must be handkerchiefs to wipe away those tears, or better yet – we are to prevent the crying. How do we do that?
St. Paul tells us: “…there is neither slave nor free person; there is not male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus…” In other words, we are not to look for differences in people with the intent to put them in categories with one being better than the other such as men being better than women or servants being some sort of underclass. We are all one in Christ with the same worth and dignity. No one should be made to cry because of how we treat them. This is especially true for all of us men.
Today is Fathers Day, and our readings, especially our Gospel, help us understand what we must do for our children, or for our grandchildren, or for the children in our lives who may look to us as father-figures. The Gospel reads: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” So we fathers ask ourselves, “Do we lose our lives for our children by giving them all they need: love and attention – our time?” We must.
Then we have this quote from the Gospel with Jesus saying to his disciples: “But who do you say that I am?” Today on this Fathers Day, who do our children say we are? Regardless of their age, do they simply say, “You’re my Dad, my grandfather, my uncle, my good friend, and I love you.”
I end with this story. Jonathan's mother died when he was very young, and his father brought him up. Both of them shared a very special relationship. Jonathan loved to play baseball, and his father made sure he was always there to cheer his son at every game, even if Jonathan wasn’t playing.
Jonathan was small sized, and he wasn't allowed to play on the varsity team. However, seeing his hard work and dedication, the coach decided to keep him on the roster.
One day during practice, the coach gave him a message. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to his coach, "My father died this morning.” His coach sent him home.
On the day of the game, Jonathan's team was losing badly to its rival. The coach and the players had all lost hope, but then they saw Jonathan coming towards them. He ran up to the coach and pleaded to allow him to play. The coach gave in.
No sooner had Jonathan joined the team on the field, the score started to improve, and before long both the teams were tied. However, the real cheer came at the bottom of the ninth inning when Jonathan struck the ball hard, and it flew into the center bleachers for a home run. The crowd went wild with excitement.
After the game, the coach went up to Jonathan, who was seated alone in the corner of the locker room and asked, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"
He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard, forced a smile, and replied, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!"
On this beautiful day let’s rejoice and be thankful that God, our Father, continues to watch over all us – his children, big or small – never turning a blind eye. Our Father is always there to wipe away our tears, especially when we take up his cross daily and follow him.
Deacon David Pierce
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