Dear Parishioners:

Murphy’s Law seems to be operative in my life again. You know; the one that says “if something can go wrong, it will”? Every once in a while it rears its ugly head.

Not long ago, I hopped in my car and was heading out to relax on my day off, when all of a sudden a warning light came on in my new car. It was the tire pressure warning light. I couldn't fathom why there would be any problem with my tires since the car is so new. Frustratingly, I turned around, went to the gas station, and checked the air pressure. I decided to look at the tread of one of the tires. Sure enough, there was a screw stuck in the tire. So much for relaxation!

On another occasion, I was trying to get out a couple of e-mails from my laptop and as I clicked "send", the computer bogged down on me to the slowest possible pace at the worst possible moment. Fortunately, I had other means of getting the e-mails out, but I sure felt like banging my fists on the keyboard!

The little things that go wrong are sometimes the worst. For instance, there have been times recently when I have left the house, gotten halfway to the church and suddenly realized that I forgot something. Or there are the times that I, in my clumsiness, accidentally bump into things as I am walking or drop things like my phone as I am getting out of the car.

It's amazing how sometimes things just don't work out quite right. Despite that fact, I've noticed that I am still here and alive and well!

As I reflect on Father's Day, it seems to me that, our Father's are often people who take things that go wrong in life, and make them go right. When I was growing up, my father was always fixing things. A problem that developed around the house was always addressed by Dad. In the eyes of a little kid like me, it seemed there was nothing that he couldn't do. He could fix radios, un-stick a sticking door, patch up a piece of furniture, or repair a toy that had become marred by abuse.

Fathers somehow seem to be able to take care of lots of things that aren't working quite right. Today we say "thanks to all of our fathers for the many ways that they provide for us and generally just make life better! Happy Father's Day!

Fr. Paul