The Heart of the Father

June 1, 2026

Through the Eucharist, Christ teaches that authentic fatherhood begins with receiving and sharing the sacrificial love of God

By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

June 1, 2026

Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly (Photo by Michael Collopy)

As we celebrate Corpus Christi Sunday (June 7), the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 12) and Father’s Day (June 21), we are invited to meditate more deeply on the love of Christ revealed in the Eucharist and reflected in the vocation of fatherhood.

This year, in a special way, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11 — as part of the broader observance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The formal act of consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart is a way of entrusting our country to the love and guidance of Christ. According to the U.S. bishops, the consecration is meant “to remind everyone of our task to serve our nation by perfecting the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel.”

That idea — “perfecting the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel” — is a tall order. When contemplating something so big, I find it helpful to think of something a little closer to home. St. John Paul II reminded us that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family” (Familiaris Consortio, 86).

What does devotion to the Sacred Heart have to do with the family? How can this devotion help us become better husbands and fathers? I believe the answer lies in meeting Christ in and through the Eucharist. The Mass teaches us four lessons essential to understanding what it means to be a father.

In revealing the Father’s love, Christ is our best guide for what it means to be a father, and he shows us that being a good father begins with being a good son.

First, the Mass connects us to the heart of Christ and gives us the true heart of a father. In revealing the Father’s love, Christ is our best guide for what it means to be a father, and he shows us that being a good father begins with being a good son. Jesus said: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me” (Jn 6:38). The better we understand who we are as God’s sons, the better fathers we will be to our own children.

Second, in the sacred liturgy we hear the Father’s voice, and he teaches us. Through the readings, we hear our heavenly Father encouraging, correcting and instructing us. We see Jesus modeling how we should act and think. We learn about forgiveness and mercy. The Mass, then, reveals the meaning of a father’s love in all its dimensions — a love we are called to make our own and pass on to our children.

The third lesson the Mass teaches is sacrificial love. This is the very essence of the Eucharist. Our heavenly Father made the ultimate sacrifice — his only Son — out of love for us. It was an act in which Jesus himself fully shared. Christ shows us that giving one’s life for others is the greatest gift one person can give another.

As fathers, we are called to make a similar sacrifice — to give all that we are and all that we have for the sake of our wives and children. Every family needs a man willing to love sacrificially in this way. We learn that love through the sacrifice of Christ that we encounter in the liturgy.

Finally, the Mass teaches us that Jesus entrusts us with a mission and sends us forth. Yes, modern life is complex, but God works through his creation — and he works through us. He is greater than the forces shaping our world, and he gives us the capacity to achieve great things if we rely on him.

The most important difference we can make in shaping the world is in shaping our children. The Eucharist gives us the strength to fulfill this calling and to form our families — especially our children — as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is not complicated. At its core, it means having a personal relationship with Christ. And the best way to deepen that relationship is through the Eucharist, where Christ teaches us to love with his own heart.

Vivat Jesus!

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, an Italian who loved mountain climbing, is seen in an undated photo.

The Heart of the Father

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