Father's Day

Having celebrated Mother’s Day last month, fathers in the U.S. get their special recognition on the third Sunday of June, this Sunday, the 20th.

The Church can be uncomfortable when incorporating secular celebration into holy ritual. But Father’s Day actually can trace its beginning to the Catholic countries of Europe, where honoring fathers has been celebrated on March 19 as Saint Joseph's Day since the Middle Ages.

In the United States, Father's Day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd, and celebrated on the third Sunday of June for the first time in 1910. The day is held on various dates across the world and different regions maintain their own traditions of honoring fatherhood. 

Here’s a special prayer for the day from Center for Peace and Spirituality”:

We give our thanks, Creator God, for the fathers in our lives. Fatherhood does not come with a manual, and reality teaches us that some fathers excel while others fail. We ask for Your blessings for them all – and forgiveness where it is needed. This Father’s Day we remember the many sacrifices fathers make for their children and families, and the ways – both big and small – they lift children to achieve dreams thought beyond reach. 

So too, we remember all those who have helped fill the void when fathers pass early or are absent – grandfathers and uncles, brothers and cousins, teachers, pastors and coaches – all the men who reveal your love one day at a time, best as they are able. For those who are fathers, we ask for wisdom and humility in the face of the task of parenting. Give them the strength to do well by their children and by You, day by day. In Your Holy name, O God, we pray. Amen.