Have you claimed your birth right as God’s own child? Do so now - Daily Reflections December 14, 2013

TURN BACK THE HEARTS OF FATHERS

TO THEIR SONS

 

David Blankenhorn saw it coming 19 years ago: America — and the world, for that matter — ran the risk of fostering “fatherless generations.” We saw its effects unfold. Repeatedly. From unprecedented riots of young men in London, burning buildings and wreaking havoc to life, limb and property of innocent people, to drug-crazed youth on the local scene, killing people for no apparent reason other than unalloyed, pure and reckless anger.

       Social psychologists and sociologists were tripping all over themselves trying to find a clue to this bizarre behavior. Last year, we just couldn’t make sense of several deaths of young women, raped and ravaged savagely by otherwise gentle-looking young men. We were shocked when a remote place like Bacolod in Negros also made it to national news on account of a doctor butchered by a gang, while the whole dastardly deed was being filmed for the whole world to see.

       We all can have our own theories about the phenomenon, but one of those that seem to stand out is precisely this: We have produced a spate of fatherless generations in the world. That was a common feature in these cases — absentee fathers, or fathers who were physically present but emotionally absent from the lives of their sons.

       Today is a good day to re-appropriate what is our birth right — the right to be born in a complete, physically and psychologically whole family. While some of us, through no fault of our own, could not and did not have a complete family, it is now ours to claim, by God’s own word and initiative.

       This is what Sirach indirectly tells us: He was sent “to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.” Jesus later built on this, and revealed His Father as our very own Father in heaven. To Him, we now turn in earnest prayer: “Lord, make us turn to You, let us see Your face and we shall be saved.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you claimed your birth right as God’s own child? Do so now.

 

Father God, help me to be secure in the love You have for me — now and until the end of my days.