A major qualification for a bishop or deacon in the early church was for a man to be a "good manager" of his children (1 Tm 3:4, 12). He had to keep "his children under control without sacrificing his dignity" (1 Tm 3:4).
We fathers imitate God our heavenly Father in the way we raise our children. Like God the Father, we fathers must:
Fathers, ask God the Father to show you the other ways He keeps us, His children, "under control without sacrificing His dignity" (1 Tm 3:4). "Then go and do the same" (Lk 10:37).
| PRAYER: | Father, may godly fatherhood be honored and practiced always. Turn the hearts of fathers to their children (Mal 3:24). |
| PROMISE: | "God has visited His people." –Lk 7:16 |
| PRAISE: | St. John spiritually fathered his flock through his example of moderate living and through his powerful proclamation of the Word. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College