Every day we read or hear about a poll of one kind or another. Pollsters talk to a “representative sample” of the general population, and then they report back to the rest of us what we, as a group, think about various topics.  We learn what percentage of the people like the congress, and what percentage feels differently. We sometimes learn how intensely people feel about various topics. There are polls where people are asked if they strongly agree, mildly agree, agree, mildly disagree or strongly disagree with a question or statement. For politicians, polls provide feedback about what they’ve done, or what they’re thinking about doing. 

In a sense, today’s gospel reading is a record of a poll being taken by Jesus. He wants the disciples to tell him what they’ve heard from the people. “Who do the crowds say that I am?” There is an interesting variety of answers, and all of them show that people knew that Jesus was not “ordinary” in any sense. They didn’t know he was the Son of God, but they knew he was among that unique, small group of people that come into the world only rarely. That’s what the disciples told Jesus they heard. Those were the poll results. 

So, what did Jesus do with the poll results? I think he basically ignored them. Jesus knew, as all of us should, that polls express opinions but they don’t necessarily reveal truth. Opinions and truth can be miles apart. To reveal the truth about himself Jesus asked his disciples to answer the critical question: “But who do you say that I am?” These were Jesus most intimate friends, so he challenged them to get personal about what they believed. Like “the crowds,” they knew that Jesus was not ordinary. But which of the disciples would choose the right words to answer Jesus question? The disciples had traveled with him and witnessed his miracles, but now they were at the moment of truth. I envision them looking at each other, hoping that someone else would answer the question. And as usual, in stepped Peter who replied, “The Christ of God.” Reporting what “the crowds” said was easy; the crowds expressed opinions. Peter revealed the truth. 

Speaking the truth can be challenging and difficult in the modern world. It’s a lot easier to go with the flow than it is to challenge the prevailing opinion. This weekend as we celebrate Father’s Day, I think we need to address the truth about fathers and how important they are in the world. 

A while back my wife Julie forwarded to me an article by Archbishop Thomas Rodi of the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama. Archbishop Rodi pointed out how TV sit-coms have painted a very unflattering picture of the modern father. They call it “the doofus Dad”. From Ricky on “I Love Lucy” to Archie Bunker on “All in the Family”, from Al Bundy on “Married with Children” to Homer Simpson, fathers have generally come to be portrayed as bumbling, unintelligent and often lazy men, who are just not  important in the real world. In fact, the incidence of unwed parenthood speaks clearly to that idea. Where it was once scandalous to have a child outside of marriage, shows like Murphy Brown told us that having a husband to help support and raise a child was really not that important. 

Now, I want to be very clear about one thing. There are many, many single moms in our community, who are doing a marvelous job of raising their children alone. And I would hope and ask that we always keep these heroic women in our prayers as they work countless hours to bring up their children in an increasingly hostile world.

However, one cannot ignore the sad statistics about children who are raised without a father or father figure in their lives. Archbishop Rodi’s article said, “Children raised without fathers are more likely to drop out of school, go to prison, smoke, use drugs, own a weapon, assault a teacher, get pregnant as teens, suffer from depression, and commit suicide.” These are pretty ugly results, but there is even more. He quoted a 1996 Swiss study saying, “The father’s impact reaches even into church attendance.” Here are some of the study’s findings: 

If both Mom & Dad attend church regularly, 33% of their children will also regularly attend church as adults. 

If only Mom is regular in attending church, and Dad attends irregularly, then only 3% of their adult children will attend church regularly.

If Dad never attends church, even if Mom attends regularly, only 2% of their adult children will attend church. 

Now, here is the other side of the coin that shows how dad’s attendance affects the church going behavior of their adult children: <

If Dad attends church regularly, and Mom attends irregularly, then 38% of their adult children will be regular churchgoers. 

If Dad attends regularly and Mom never attends church, then 44% of their adult children will be regular churchgoers!

Again quoting Archbishop Rodi, “This Swiss study concluded that adult children pattern their church-going behavior upon the father and, very noteworthy, the more the mother’s and father’s example differ, the stronger will their adult children follow the example of the father.” While the influence of both parents is important, the study concluded that the father’s religious practices have a huge impact on the faith lives of their children, even as adults. As fathers we need to practice what we preach, because our children, it seems, will practice what we practice!  

So today is a day to celebrate and honor our fathers. It’s a day to remember how important they are in our lives and in our world. They work hard, and they love us dearly, beyond what words can describe. When we were children, they picked us up when we fell and wiped away our tears. In our elementary school years, they were our tutors, coaches, and chauffeurs. They supported us as they endured our teenage years, the years that gave them gray hair. And when we were finally able to stand on our own two feet and start our own families, no one was more supportive or proud of us than Dad. So for all those things and so much more, we thank our Dads today.  

But most of all, on this Father’s Day, let’s give a special thanks to our fathers for the gift of faith they have passed on to us. At least in part, it is their example that has led us from opinions to truth. When Jesus asks each of us, “But who do you say that I am?” let’s join Peter in saying, “You are the Christ of God”. And then let’s add, “Thank you, Dad, for pointing the way!” God Bless You and Happy Father’s Day!