Being a dad is not a job for the faint of heart. It can oftentimes be spiritually and physically draining and in some cases a thankless job. As the father of two girls, I know that both of my daughters have worked hard to increase the number of gray hairs on my head! There are many times when I become frustrated with something that my daughters do or do not do when I ask them a seemingly endless number of times. In those instances when my patience is running thin, I try to remind myself of how God sees us. We are his children and unfortunately there are numerous instances when we choose to listen to someone other than our Heavenly Father. Yet, His patience, love and mercy never run thin or become exhausted. His love and forgiveness always patiently wait for us.
 
As dads, we also have one of the Church’s greatest saints to look to for help - Saint Joseph. God’s plan for Joseph’s life probably was not what Joseph had envisioned. From finding out about Mary’s unexpected pregnancy, to fleeing to Egypt, to the daily stresses of life as a carpenter, there were probably many times when he felt overwhelmed. Despite this, his trust in God never wavered and he fully embraced the enormous job of serving as the foster father of our Savior and spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph, like many of us dads out there, may have often felt unqualified for what God was calling him to do. However, God doesn’t choose the qualified, He qualifies the chosen. On this Father’s Day may you find renewed strength as a dad in the abundant grace and love of our Heavenly Father and a blueprint for fatherhood in St. Joseph.