Episode Details

In this episode, Father Wolf examines fatherhood from both theological and cultural perspectives.

The title "Father" for God has become controversial in contemporary religious discourse. Yet when Jesus exclusively addressed God as Father, he wasn't attributing maleness to the divine but invoking a specific understanding of love that illuminates our relationship with God. The distinction between maternal and paternal love reveals something profound: a mother's connection to her child is visible, physical, and undeniable, while a father's love fundamentally involves choice and faith. Before modern DNA testing, no man could prove his paternity beyond doubt. When a father claims a child as his own, he makes an existential choice—a deliberate act of commitment that mirrors God's chosen love for humanity.

Our society increasingly treats commitments as disposable rather than binding. Previous generations understood that when a man said "I do," he shouldered lifelong responsibilities regardless of personal fulfillment. As Father Richard Rohr discovered in conversation with his father, earlier generations didn't question whether they liked their work; they simply performed their duty to provide for those they loved. In this context, true "godly leadership" isn't about dominance but self-sacrifice—saying yes as God does, with forbearance and determination despite obstacles.

Faithfulness remains largely invisible until absent, like oxygen we only notice when it's gone. This Father's Day, we celebrate those men who silently carry their families through life's confusions and anxieties, often without recognition. Their willingness to sustain loved ones at personal cost reflects divine fatherhood—a living testimony to God's enduring presence in our lives and the true meaning of paternal love. Join us as we explore this profound spiritual dimension that remains at the heart of our faith.

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Father Don Wolf is a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Living Catholic also broadcasts on Oklahoma Catholic Radio several times per week, with new episodes airing every Sunday.