Good, Good Father

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100925.cfm

I think that parenting is an amazing groundwork for understanding God and what He has been doing with humanity since creation. As parents, we can begin to see the challenges and travails of trying to raise another human being whom we cannot force to love us or do anything else, honestly. We have to influence them, hopefully through love to do what they ought to do, which for us human dads is often different than what we have done. (hence the saying 'do as I say, not as I do).

In today's bit of Good News, Jesus uses our experience as parents (or children of parents if this is our only experience with it) to help us understand God's perspective on our needs. He starts our with an example of a neighbor, but then goes quickly to the example of fathers. I think the fatherhood example brings in the element of desiring goodness for the petitioner in prayer. If we are praying for things that are harmful to us, then God will likely not grant those prayers.

Jesus uses 'needs' and 'good gifts' to describe what it is that the Father in heaven will give as a response to prayer. Fathers, when we are being our best selves, are meeting needs and giving good gifts. Providing consolation to an injured child, fixing a broken toy, teaching a new skill or even sharing wisdom - these are all ways in which we can be fatherly (or motherly - parently is not really a word). But we are imperfect in this. I have let my kids play with stuff they shouldn't. I have given bad advice. I certainly have provided some bad examples from time to time. Our Father in heaven does not do this. He may allow some things to happen which are a result of choices in a sinful world, but He never brings about evil. He will turn it to good purposes if we let him.

We can also put ourselves in the child's position. Sometimes, as kids, we can ask for things that are not good for us (ice cream for breakfast comes to mind). When we ask and don't get it, we can sometimes amend our request (maybe after lunch??). A negative response, or no response makes us think about how we can ask differently or consider why the response was not positive. When we pray, we can do the same thing - purify our prayer or our intention. I certainly have prayed for something for someone else so that my own heartbreak over it might end. Maybe I should prayer for patience or calm or consolation while a situation resolves. Perhaps I realize that what I am praying for (new job, change in relationship, etc.) is not actually what I need, but what appears to be the best solution - what I WANT.

One thing that I can recommend is to ask for our Mother Mary's help. Unlike us, she is not clouded with all of the effects of sin and so can see what might be needed in a purer way. We can ask her to help us see the defect in our prayer, or purify it for us before it goes to The Father, taking away any parts that are selfish or marred by sin.

Lastly, since we know God does all things for our good, we can be sure of this: when we pray fervently, over time, for good things and find that our prayer is not answered, we know that it is one of two things: either God has something BETTER in mind, or the timing is not right for our prayer to be answered. Either way we can know that He is a GOOD, GOOD FATHER.

Give this song by Chris Tomlin a listen: Good, Good Father