Called to Mercy: Notes from Our Fathers of Saint Joseph Meeting

Fathers of Saint Joseph – Meeting Notes

Date: Saturday, 6th September 2025

Location: St Joseph’s SMA Church, Blackrock, Cork

Circle of Mauricio García. The Virgin of Mercy with Three Saints, mid–18th century. Oil on canvas, 37 5/8 x 26 5/8 in. (95.6 x 67.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund, 41.1275.181. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Context

We continue to gather at the SMA Church. Although the church is closed for work, it remains a fitting place to meet. Afterward, the 8:15am Mass at St Mary’s is an option for those who wish to attend, as it is less than ten minutes away.

Reflection Reading

Book: LEAD: The Four Marks of Fatherly Greatness by Devin Schadt

Pillar IV: Discover the Disciple [Embracing the Child]

Reading 171: Magnetic Mercy, Part I

The reading focused on mercy. The author begins with a striking question: Would you like your children to be like you? He acknowledges that it can be difficult for us to answer “yes” because we are so aware of our own faults. Yet, he urges us to cultivate at least one trait worth imitating: mercy.

Our children watch us closely, and if they learn mercy from us, it will bless their lives. Mercy is vital because most of us have been hurt by others. Forgiving those who wrong us is how we personally embrace God the Father’s forgiveness. Resentment, the author says, is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. A proven way to begin forgiving is to pray that the person who hurt us may be drawn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Call to Action: Reflect on whether there is something we have done—or failed to do—that may have harmed our relationship with our children. Instead of assuming we are right, we should be willing to speak openly with them.

Further Reflection (p.451): Identify the Child as a temple of God (key questions).

• Do I believe that my child is a living temple of God?

• When disciplining, do I focus only on what was wrong, or do I also explain, from God’s perspective, why certain actions are good or evil?

Shared Thoughts from the Group

• We returned briefly to Reading 159, The Gaze of the Father, which reminds us that the father is the link between heaven and earth for his children. He is, in a sense, the face and touch of the Heavenly Father. This is both a gift and a responsibility.

• We noted that people of faith are often observed, so we must act carefully, striving to represent God’s grace rather than misrepresent it.

• Two testimonies were shared on how prayer can empower us to forgive. Both showed how mercy and prayer are closely linked.

• One father highlighted humility as central to mercy. Humility also helps resist the anxiety of “missing out” (a common pressure in today’s social media world).

Personal Reflections & Final Thought

I feel deeply the need for God’s mercy in my own life. There were times I was far from faith, but God, with patience and grace, called me back. That call became clearer when I became a father. Holding a newborn in your arms makes you want nothing more than their good. As children grow, they need our presence, guidance, and correction—but above all, they need our mercy.

Looking back on my life, I see how God has repeatedly forgiven and restored me, not without correction, but always with love. Each confession and penance lifts a burden and restores peace. In today’s restless world, I see mercy not only as a father’s duty but as something needed by everyone.

Reproduction of an illustration from LEAD: The Four Marks of Fatherly Greatness by Devin Schadt, Pillar IV: Discover the Disciple [Embracing the Child], Reading 159: The Gaze of the Father, p. 371.