Father’s Day… & Father’s Rug is Missing

For some boys, some of their fond memories of their dad revolve around their dad's chair, or his room in the house. I think for my boys, it'll either be my office in the house or my arm chair in the living room, where I'll often read - or read to them - at night.

Our pastor for the last 8 years - our parish's Father - was a husband & father years ago in his first vocation. When his wife passed away, he pursued the priesthood as a second vocation.

For the last 8 years at our parish, he had used the rug from under his family's old dining room table to protect the floor behind the altar in our church. Whenever he offered the Eucharist at our church, he did so standing on the same rug on which he had fathered his blood family at dinners as a dad.

A few weeks ago, he left our parish. It's been a rough few weeks in the parish, but we're coming around well and are ready for our new pastor.

Today at Mass, though, I was struck by something I hadn't noticed before: The absence of Father's Rug behind the altar. No more rug - just the natural granite floor of the sanctuary. I don't know if it had still been there last weekend or the weekend before, or if it had been gone all these weeks since he left. But it was today - Father's Day - that I noticed the conspicuous absence of Father's Rug in our church.

I missed the rug, much like I'll miss my dad's chair some day. And like my boys will miss my chair some day.

Right now, our parish is a church without a pastor. And the absence of Father's Rug drove that home for me today.

Tonight I'll pray that I remain faithful to my responsibilities as a father in my own home, and that my boys don't perceive the rug, or the chair, or my office, missing - or empty - until long after I've passed on.

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