Being a father... what would God the Father be like? Nine traits of Jesus' divine and human education.
1. "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." These are the first two indications of divine fatherhood to be imitated: affection and recognition of paternity. Like a coach, the father observes, stimulates, encourages, sometimes consoles, but does not exaggerate with praise, and never replaces his pupil.
2. The father introduces the son to values. Tempted by the devil in the desert, with the help of the Father, the Son understands and matures the human capacity not to be deceived by the devil's flattery (Mt 4, 1-3). Children need someone to show them the way to follow and to reflect on what is most important.
3. God the Father chose His own Son to be the Savior for mankind. Be positive in the transmission of the faith. Some parents unwittingly emphasize the negative aspect of everything. This becomes a bad testimony.
4. The Son does what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19). Example and deeds are more effective than words. Children are not so much convinced by speeches on principles as by the concrete experience they have living with us... This does not require that a parent be perfect; what is really important is that he be a credible parent.
5. To "send" and accompany the son to find his vocation. Just as in the preaching of the adolescent Jesus in the Temple, the father must focus on the future of his son. Only when the son finds and fulfills his vocation with total freedom will the father be happy, with the happiness of his son.
6. The son needs to feel that his father believes in him. In the Transfiguration on Tabor, God the Father tells us of Jesus: "Listen to him." Often, we still think that we know life better than they do. The children end up perceiving, convincing themselves that they do not have sufficient credit. To give credit is to trust that they will know how to interpret the future, to be proud of them, and to make them feel that trust.
7. Time together: the father is the guardian of "strong family times." Similar to the time Jesus dedicated to God the Father when he got up early in the morning and began to pray, the father must find time to devote to caring for the children and keeping the relationship alive. Strong family times are the Sunday meal, remembering to bless, with productive conversations, no cell phones, and no tension.
8. The Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). Children need to feel listened to. Excessive position-taking, arrogant assertions, and contradictory arguments get the opposite result. It does not mean that they are right, but they have some reasons that deserve to be heard.
9. The son needs to count on the respectful tenderness of his father (John 3:35). This balances justice, allowing children to be corrected firmly but without mortifying them.
Torreciudad: The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of the 1st Sorrowful Mystery: Sorrow for Sin. Accepting the will of God.
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