Day 2 - Expectant Fathers

Intercession

May expectant fathers lovingly support the mothers of their children in welcoming new life.

Prayers

Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be

Reflection

Fatherhood has its origins in God, who chose to reveal Himself to us as Our Father, sending his only Son for the sake of our salvation. Fathers therefore have a special role “in revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God” (Familiaris consortio 25). Fathers are called to exhibit “generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother” (FC 25). They are uniquely entrusted with the protection and defence of both mother and child and, in this way, in safeguarding the sanctity of human life.

As evidenced in our world today, the role of the father “is of unique and irreplaceable importance” (FC 25). Often women choose abortion because they do not have the support of the child’s father, or — even worse — the father of the child pressures her to make the decision to abort. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge with compassion that men can also be overwhelmed by an unexpected pregnancy and that society increasingly tells them that they should have no say in their children’s lives. In the face of these false messages, we pray that expectant fathers will find courage in the example of Saint Joseph — who embraced the role of father amid difficult circumstances — and offer loving, life-affirming support to the mothers of their children.

Acts of Reparation (Choose one.)

• Pray a decade of the Rosary for all expectant fathers, that through her intercession, Our Lady may inspire in them the virtues of Saint Joseph.
• Consider making a pilgrimage to Lough Derg this summer www.loughderg.org  
• Abstain from meat today.

One Step Further

To mark the opening of the Year of St Joseph in 2020, Pope Francis wrote a beautiful apostolic letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart). In it the Holy Father tells us that “fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child.” Read this article St Joseph: Dads Make a Difference by Joe McKeown from the March 2022 Issue of Intercom Magazine, on how to be a ‘creatively courageous father’ – and consider sharing it.

Familiaris Consortio is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II and promulgated on 22 November 1981.