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Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.\u00a0<\/em>(Matthew 10:16)<\/p>\n We’ve been contemplating this concept of the mystery of parenthood for years – the idea of living parenthood with a heightened sacramental sense. \u00a0We’ve attempted to be outward, visible signs to our children of the invisible God – signs of His love, of His mercy, of His justice, of His protection, of His provision, of His patience, of His compassion, of His order. \u00a0In attempting to live this out, God has, in ever-deepening ways, awakened our faith.<\/p>\n While it hasn’t been easy and while we’ve certainly failed many times to be accurate reflections of this God who, through the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, asks us to strive to be a sign of Him, we do not believe that we have yet experienced what we are about to experience today. \u00a0We haven’t, until today, been asked to be signs of His vulnerability – the vulnerability that comes from sending one’s son into the world. \u00a0Today, maybe for the first time ever, God’s vulnerability becomes tangible for us. \u00a0Yet, it makes sense. \u00a0That’s exactly what God did when He sent the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, when He sent Jesus, when He sent His<\/em><\/strong> Only Begotten Son<\/em><\/strong> into this world.<\/p>\n He wants us to share in this sending out. \u00a0God sent His only Son. \u00a0Jesus sent out His disciples. \u00a0As outward signs, as parents, we are called to send out our sons and daughters as well. \u00a0However, if we’re honest with ourselves, this is one of those invisible realities that we’d like to pass on. \u00a0 As parents, we have felt comfortable being in control. \u00a0We set the limits. \u00a0We establish the order. \u00a0We show love. \u00a0We administer justice. \u00a0We grant mercy. We have the power. \u00a0We are in charge. \u00a0In other words, in a sacramental sense, we, in the mystery of our parenthood, share in God’s power.<\/p>\n Today, we experience something that runs counter to this. \u00a0Something that makes us uncomfortable. \u00a0God makes Himself vulnerable. \u00a0In sending His Son into the world, He placed Himself into our hands. \u00a0He sent His Son into a world that would provide opportunities of great joy. \u00a0At the same time, that same world would inflict great pain and suffering. \u00a0Certainly, God remained and still remains in control. \u00a0Yet, He allowed the One whom He sent, He entrusted the one He sent, into the hands of others – Mary His Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, the Pharisees, and yes, even, Pilate. \u00a0How amazing! \u00a0The all-Powerful, all-Knowing God entrusted His only Son to His creatures. \u00a0He allows Himself to become vulnerable.<\/p>\n Today, as parents, we share in this invisible reality of God in a tangible way. \u00a0Today, our son leaves for college. \u00a0Today, we send our son out into that same world into which God sent His Son – a world that will provide great joy and unfortunately cause great sorrow. \u00a0We send him out as a sheep amidst wolves. \u00a0It’s uncomfortable. \u00a0We are not going to be there to ask him if he’s done his homework. \u00a0We will not be there to hug him just because we love him. \u00a0We will not be there to tell him to turn the TV off and go to sleep. \u00a0We will be vulnerable. \u00a0We will be visible signs of this invisible reality of God’s vulnerability.<\/p>\n Eighteen years have come and gone so quickly. \u00a0The same God who gave us this Jesus also gave us the gift of this life, the gift of our son. \u00a0That same God asks us today to share in this experience – to share in this vulnerability. \u00a0Today, He asks us to trust Him, to have faith. \u00a0He asks us to entrust our son back into His loving arms with a deeper faith. \u00a0God has been there through it all – through the illnesses, through the birthday parties, through the emergency room visits, through the baseball games. \u00a0He asks us today to have faith that He will continue to be there in our absence. \u00a0He lives in our son. \u00a0He will lead him through whatever this world has for him. \u00a0Oh, we’ll still be around. \u00a0We’ll still do our best to be visible signs of God’s love when he comes home to visit or when we visit him, but, from today forward, it will be forever different. \u00a0He has grown up. \u00a0This world needs him. \u00a0So, we send him into this world to accomplish whatever You have for him to accomplish. \u00a0We are excited to see what You will do through Him. \u00a0So, today, we entrust him to you, Lord. \u00a0Today, we accept the opportunity, the call, to share in Your vulnerability, to live out the mystery of our parenthood. \u00a0Today, we trust you more than ever. \u00a0Today, we have faith. \u00a0We believe. \u00a0Please help our unbelief!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.\u00a0(Matthew 10:16) We’ve been contemplating this concept of the mystery of parenthood for years – the idea of living parenthood with a heightened sacramental sense. \u00a0We’ve attempted to be outward, visible signs… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[671],"tags":[55,452,50,2890,1708,720,165],"class_list":["post-41357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-column","tag-catholic-2","tag-christian","tag-faith","tag-family","tag-mystery","tag-parenthood","tag-parenting","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t