Our Holy Father a few days ago gave a talk to a convention for the Diocese of Rome. In his message, he spoke of his concern that the younger generation of people are growing up orphans. He wasn’t speaking of fathers who abandon their families, but rather of parents who, because of the demands of society and economics, are absent from their children’s lives… they go to work before the kids are up and they return home exhausted and unable to play with their children. The Holy Father said these children are in effect orphans and will not have memories of family life. He calls the demands of society and the economy that create these conditions as inhuman.
Jesus, in today’s Gospel, tells us we will never be spiritual orphans. Never. He reveals to us that God is our Father! We cannot really imagine today what that revelation was like to the hearers of his preaching 2000 years ago. God as Fathe, Abba. Jesus tells us we will never be orphans, that God, our Father, is perfectly present to us always. Jesus promises that we will never be orphans, never alone, for all we need to do is call out to our Father who is near to us whenever we need him. Not only that, but he has given us the very words we can use to pray to our Father, words we call “the Lord’s Prayer.”
Yes, God is Father. God is perfectly present to us, even when we may feel him absent. All we need to do is call out. He will not leave us orphans. We are his family, you might say.
Let us call out to our Father frequently throughout the day, using the words or Lord has taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgiven those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen!
