The Valiant Calling of Spiritual Fatherhood

I was having a particularly busy and overwhelming day. By 9 PM I closed my laptop, having just completed the last thing on my to-do list, and looked around the empty cafeteria room where I snuck away to get my last bit of work done. At that moment I felt the burdens of the day and the stresses of tomorrow on my shoulders. It was also at that moment when a priest walked into the room.

I felt like God sent him into the room just for me. He migrated right over to my direction, sat down at my table and asked about my day. He looked at me with kind eyes. I felt that he was someone trustworthy to share a bit of my burden with. He asked if he could pray over me. As he approached and placed the palm of his hand against my forehead in blessing, I felt as though at that moment I was claimed as one of his daughters. This brought enormous peace and joy to my heart.

We have a grave misunderstanding about the reality of spiritual fatherhood in our culture. The common belief remains, you are not a father unless you have produced biological children. The role of a spiritual father is so often laughed at, scorned, or seen as second best. In my own encounters with people they will utter out of ignorance, “Oh, he’s so handsome, why did he become a priest? He could have met some great woman and had a beautiful family!” The majority of this culture is missing out on the rich depth that a spiritual father can have in one’s life. I’ve seen first-hand how the Lord has allowed me to feel seen, known, loved, and treasured through a few spiritual fathers of my own.

God has actually allowed me to feel a great need and desire for strong fatherhood. This isn’t to discredit the love and guidance of my own biological father. But, sometimes when I get this sense that a strong man of virtue and faith is present in a crowded room, I will feel in my own heart this desire to be sought out, seen, and delighted in by them. This will naturally happen and it makes sense that it does because strong fathers are not ashamed or afraid of their ability to protect, provide, and lead. All of us are made to desire the leadership of a strong father, and I do believe especially as a woman, this longing is often buried under the wounds and hurts that men in the culture might have inflicted upon us.

Strong spiritual fathers provide a deep healing and restore the image of what all man was created to be, for the women in his life and for the world. To all of the spiritual fathers out there, thank you for loving in a way that is desperately needed by this culture! Your strength, tenderness, and leadership are powerful! Be not afraid to be the men you are created to be. Be not afraid of love!