The Visible Fatherhood of God

"His vocation was to be the visible fatherhood of God on earth."  This was said about St. Joseph. But I thought: Isn't that my vocation as well? Isn't that the call of every man...in some or other mysterious and unique manner? The male role is always to REPRESENT something or someone greater than himself: God, the Church, the country, tradition, authority, the military, the union or the company, the law...and so forth. By contrast, a woman is always herself...she has an inviolate, inherent integrity and she represents only herself, as God's highest creation. Already by the age of 14 or so, a young woman who has been loved is a temple of beauty, of goodness, of compassion. Without effort on her part, she is endowed with compassion, emotional intelligence, integrity of mind and heart and soul. A woman, a mother, is always herself and never needs to be anything more. Not so with a man. A man at the age of 14 and long afterwards is a collection of disparate pieces and chaotic, explosive energies that need focus, purpose and mission. This is why boys of all ages love uniforms: a man needs to be a knight, a warrior, a Jedi! A man needs to serve something and really Someone greater than himself. At the end of the day, a man must make visible the Fatherhood of God in a specific, concrete manner. And so, the fundamental and primary virtue for a man, as representative of another, as a St. John the Baptist who prepares the way for another, is humility! Humility! And Humility! This is not insecurity, indecision, weakness. This is humility as devotion to Someone greater. This is humility as truthfulness about one's strengths and weaknesses. This is humility as obedience to a higher voice. If humility is the essential masculine virtue, than pride is the quintessential vice. The male ego must be deflated for a man to be true to his mission. Ironically, the flip side of humility is magnanimity or "greatness of spirit" since the man who is free of self-concern can think and dream and plan big. The second constitutive masculine virtue is gentle, courageous strength. A man must be strong and courageous, but it must be gentle...protective and tender to the fragile and vulnerable. The third essential virtue is chastity as purity of heart in all arenas but especially regarding sexuality where disordered desire, even in small measure, can entirely destroy the paternal relationship of protective, tender, reverent care. Lastly, the man must serve truth...raw, harsh truth...even when feelings are hurt...the man must be truthful. Here we see that these four virtues serve and indwell each other...the proud, cowardly or unchaste man is unable to apprehend or testify to the truth. Only the humble, strong, chaste and truthful man will be a witness to truth and a representative of the Fatherhood of God...in the manner of St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and all the martyrs, fathers, doctors and saints.