This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. Psalm 118:24.
Chapter 12.
Your Heavenly Father.
12.1 "Abba.
“Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons and it makes us cry out, 'Abba, Father!'" (1) Your Highness, because you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, it is fitting for you to live with your heavenly Father and to love Him as His child. You will love Him as He loves you, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. (2)
12.2 Loving money more than loving our heavenly Father.
Once I was a faithful purchaser of lottery tickets. Every week, with much excitement, Florence and I anxiously awaited for news of the winning numbers, and every week we would be disappointed. Yet, I expended no energy in thanking my heavenly Father for His love that He personally and intimately shares with me hour after hour, day after day after day. I expressed no words of thanksgiving or of appreciation or of gratitude for my life, for creation, for my loved one, for my children, for my work with its many challenges, for my friends, for our nest and so on.
He was giving me His Love personally and without condition, day after day after day, sustaining me and helping me to grow and to blossom. During this time, all I was doing was taking everything with both hands, without saying even once, "Thank You Father."
Then one day (shortly after my conversion) I realized how much hope and anticipation, how many of my dreams, ambitions and expectations depended on winning that weekly draw. I was spending large amounts of emotional energy on the luck of the draw and on the chance that I would win lots of money, because then, I would be happy.
When I realized what I was doing, I was ashamed and very sad. I returned His love with heartbreaks and disappointments. He was doing everything for me and getting nothing in return. The lottery was doing nothing for me and getting everything in return. How many times have I hurt His most loving Heart, always taking and taking and never saying,
"Thank You Father."
"Thanks Dad."
"Gee Dad, you're really some Father."
"Dad, you've done it again."
"What a wonderful Father we have."
How many times have I repeatedly disappointed Him because of my selfishness and ungratefulness? If I cannot receive His blessings in thanksgiving where the essentials of my life are concerned (and use them for his greater glory) how can I possibly expect Him to bless me with abundance? Most unreasonable.
Our King tells us, " . . . use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?" (3)
That was when I stopped putting my heart into the hope of the next draw. I stopped wasting and gambling away the precious gift of love, thanksgiving and money that could have been used for my family or in helping others.
As an aside, one day when I was giving the homily in a local parish, I shared this experience with the congregation, adding: "why should I be satisfied with a few million (lottery prizes) when my Father owns the bank?" After the homily, I returned to the celebrant's side for the continuation of the mass. Not catching the drift of the story, using the microphone he asked, "What branch does your dad own, Ray?"
Completely taken by his unexpected question, I replied, "No branch, Father, head office."
12.3 Our Father's countless gifts.
I then began embracing my heavenly Father for His countless loving gifts, gifts He gives me day after day after day. I embrace Him for His gift of opening my eyes in the morning, to see a new day. I embrace Him for His gift of seeing the eyes of that loving heart next to me. I embrace Him for His gift of morning prayers. I embrace Him for His gift of a glass of orange juice. I embrace Him for His gift of hearing the birds sing. I embrace Him for His warm sun and for the countless ways He is with me through His gifts and surprises. I try to appreciate and use them to the fullest.
I try to live with our heavenly Father as His son in His home (not mine). I sit at His table (not mine). I wash His dishes (not mine). I preoccupy myself with His concerns in His creation (not mine). I work and play with His children (my brothers and sisters) in His family. If I drive, I drive His car, if I fish I use His rod, if I have a cold beer it's from His refrigerator and when I speak, let it forever be His Word. I sleep at night in His bed on His pillows under His blankets and in His Love. "Ah, how goodness and kindness pursues me, every day of my life; my home, the house of Yahweh, as long as I live." (4)
In gratitude I try to live in response to His love for me. I try to use His things with care and appreciation, to share with others and enjoy the peace a child has who lives with a loving Parent. I never know what exciting surprises He has in store for me, for surprising us is what He delights in doing the most.
12.4 We must be as generous as He is.
Your heavenly Father has so much to give. As His son or daughter you must learn to be as generous as He is, for the happiness of a Father is in seeing His child doing the things he does. Jesus tells us, "I tell you most solemnly, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too." (5)
12.5 Being proud of your heavenly Father.
After my ordination as permanent deacon (October 3, 1975), there was a procession of the clergy who took part in the celebration. Leaving the sanctuary, the procession went down the center aisle of the basilica, then to the church basement to remove vestments and to meet guests. As the procession made its way, a newspaper reporter stepped out of his pew and asked, "Mr. Poulin, why did you become a deacon?"
I remember our eyes locking. This was not just a reporter asking a question. This was the community, the world who wanted to know- "Raymond, why did you do what you did?" In a nanosecond, several suitable answers crossed my mind. Ah, which was going to be the appropriate one?
Because there is a shortage of priests?
Because I wanted to help?
Because I had spare time on my hands?
Happily, the answer I gave was none of these.
"Because God asked me," I replied.
I was ordained a few minutes ago, and now- for the first time in my adult life, I publicly affirmed the presence of God as a real Person. The next day, the story appeared on the front page of the newspaper. The last sentence read, "When questioned about why he became a permanent deacon, Mr. Poulin said, 'It was because God asked me.' "
I knew then and there, that my heavenly Father had already entrusted me to witness and confirm His presence and His Love in this world. I could have given the reporter an answer that would have done the job, but I would have also denied my heavenly Father as the cause of this incredibly wonderful event. I was not embarrassed or ashamed to tell the truth and, in so doing, giving our heavenly Father the credit that is His. It must really break His heart when He sees His children ashamed or embarrassed of being associated with Him. How would you feel if your own children were ashamed or embarrassed of you as their parent?
Whether it was because I was proud to be His son or because of the ordination (probably both), He gave me two gifts in this ministry, the gift to speak with simplicity and to speak with authority on matters where the Kingdom of God is concerned.
I often dine with associates while we discussed business. On these occasions, I was always uncomfortable with the matter of grace before meals. On the one hand I did not want to embarrass my guests or have them feel uncomfortable with a formal, solemn prayer of grace. On the other hand, I did not want to be ashamed of saying thank you to our heavenly Father for those wonderful meals and delightful occasions we have together. I eventually resolved this when just before eating I would raise my hands a little, look up and say, "Way to go Dad!" With smiles of approval, my fellow diners agreed.
12.6 Your royal responsibilities.
Your Highness, it behooves you with all the happiness and pride you are capable of, to give praise and glory to our heavenly Father in all things.
You must:
seek to do His will, (6)
carry out His works, (7 )
thank Him for His blessings, (8)
do only those things He does, (9)
honor Him, (10)
worship Him in Spirit and Truth, (11)
act in His name, (12)
believe in His Son, (13)
know Him in Christ Jesus, (14)
preach what the His Son has taught, (15)
speak of what you have seen with Him, (16)
faithfully keep His word, (17)
lay down your life for Him, (18)
be one with the Father, (19)
speak what the Father tells you, (20)
ask Him anything in Jesus' name, (21)
receive His Spirit, (22)
bear much fruit, (23) and
make His name known to mankind (24) as Jesus has taught us and continues to teach us how.
On this point, our dear mother Mary counsels Venerable Mary of Agreda, saying,
" . . . I wish that thou write this advice into thy heart. Whenever thou must perform any interior or exterior work, consider beforehand whether what thou art going to say or do corresponds with the doings of thy Lord, and whether thou hast the intention thereby to honour thy Lord and benefit thy neighbour. As soon as thou art sure that this is thy motive, execute thy undertaking in union with Him and in imitation of Him; but if thou findest not this motive let the undertaking rest." (25)
As I read and listened to her counsel, as I look and see how I live, it is abundantly clear that I am aggressively hostile to God's great commandment and to His children who have chosen to live by it. I must change, for His sake, for my sake and for your sake.
"Then they said to him, 'What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?' Jesus gave them this answer, ''This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.'" (26) Our blessed vocation as God's children, as His ministers, is to believe in the one he has sent and to reign in the name of Jesus our King.
12.7 The bottom-line.
If you were asked, "What is the most important word in the Bible?" would you reply, "Jesus?" What would Jesus say? "Father!"
If you and your spouse are to live in the fullness of peace and contentment, which is your lot as God's Child, with all your heart, with joy and delight, you will live and breath the word "Father" as Jesus our Brother teaches you and me how.
Footnotes.
1 Romans 8.:14-15
2 Matthew 22:37.
3 Luke 16:9-12.
4 Psalm 23:6.
5 John 5:19.
6 John 4:34.
7 John 5:36.
8 John 6:11.
9 John 5:19.
10 John 5:23.
11 John 4:23.
12 John 5:43.
13 John 6:23.
14 John 8:19.
15 John 8:28.
16 John 8:38.
17 John 8:55.
18 John 10:18.
19 John 10:30.
20 John 12:50.
21 John 14:13.
22 John 14:26.
23 John 15:8
24 John 17:26.
25 The Mystical City of God, A Popular Abridgement, Chapter V, Reprinted with specific permission; copyrighted 1971 by AMI Press, Washington, N.J. 07882.
26 John 6:28-29.