First off, let me admit that I am still fairly new to this whole parenthood thing. Nonetheless, I have experienced in my personal life this insight and have shared a little about it before.
This past Sunday at Mass, I found myself behind the fingerprint-smeared glass of the “crying room” struggling to hear the words of the priest through what seemed to me to be the world’s smallest speaker which was almost inaudible over the screams and cries of the children on the pew in front of us.
I didn’t feel at all like a participant in the sacred mystery, but just after holy communion as I made my way back to that room, the voices of the choir were softly emanating a powerful spiritual truth that was exactly what I needed to be reminded of. “Oh, how he love us!”
That moment I was immediately moved to look down into the eyes of my five-month-old son and was dumbfounded by the gaze that he seemed to return to me. I saw in him an image of myself in the arms of God. I saw in his big, round eyes a comfort that only a parent could give. I saw in his slouched posture the complete trust he has in me to love him, care for him, and protect him. It was an extremely powerful, emotional, and spiritual moment between me and my son, but also between me and God. It was God speaking to my heart, reminding me how much He loves me.
A strong sense of gratitude came over me as I thanked God with my words for the awesome gift of parenthood and the blessings that being a father have awarded me. As a father I am able to love—not just in the emotional sense of the word, but to give of myself for the good of my child. I am able to fulfill the need of my child to be loved by saying or doing whatever it takes to make sure that he is loved. I am able to step outside of myself, setting aside my selfish wants and foolish desires, so that I can be fully available to him.
God has revealed Himself to us as “Abba, Father!” for a reason. He could’ve chosen another analogy, but He chose fatherhood, parenthood. And in doing so He has gifted us with a special, unique insight into His love, creating us in His image and likeness, and modeling our parenthood after His own. Oh, how He loves us!