To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Catholic Men's Devotionals, Week 8 – Sins of the Fathers and Loving Legacies

And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy and faithfulness, keeping merciful love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:5–7

As men, one of our biggest concerns is whether we will leave a lasting legacy upon this earth. We spend our lives learning, growing, achieving, and striving to be more, and we wonder if what we do really matters. As Catholic men, we also ask ourselves if we are living as God desires. Are we being the best husband, father, Christian brother, and Catholic man we can be? If we are honest with ourselves, we know that many times we fall short.

God’s love has the power to turn our failures into lasting legacies. By his grace we can become the men we are meant to be. We can pass on his love and strength to others: our children, our Church, and our community. We cannot take this awesome responsibility lightly because, just as we pass on the good given to us in Christ, so too can we pass on sinful habits, bitterness and pain, and the inner resistance to God that we hold on to in our lives.

How can we pass on grace and glory, rather than guilt and godlessness? This week we will consider the following truths:

1.         While sin can touch several generations, God’s love extends into eternity.

Some focus so much on God’s justice that they cannot move past the pain and sorrow from their past to become the men God calls them to be. This can be especially difficult for men who may have received a legacy of sin and pain from their own earthly fathers. But God’s love can break into our lives and lead us to the path of love. His mercy can undo the damage of generational sin, freeing us to pass on a legacy of love to those who come after us.

2.         God’s mercy is tied to the slowness of his anger.

If God treated us as our sins deserved, we would not survive. But he is a loving Father who is eternally patient with his children, giving us time to repent and return to him. He has given us the Church and the sacraments to provide us with grace and to draw us back to him when we fall. Our patient God loves us enough to move at our pace and wait for us as we mature.

3.         Ultimately God does not punish us for the sins of our fathers.

In the Old Testament, the law stated that children should not suffer for the sins of their parents, but only for their own sins (cf. Dt 24:16). The cycle of pain can give way to a heritage of grace, if we allow God to work in our lives. When we accept the mercy of God, we can find forgiveness and new life in Christ.

4.         The Lord of the universe loved us enough to come down to meet us.

God chooses to enter our lives through the powerful love of Christ. No matter what our past might hold, God wants to be part of our journey and to transform us into men after his own heart. It is an awesome thing to stand before our God and let his great love overshadow us in order to transform us into saints.

5.         Our legacy begins with love, continues with teaching, and ends with integration.

If we love God with all our hearts, it will spill out into our whole life, healing our past and setting the course for the future. As God’s love transforms us, it becomes a part of who we are, integrated into our words and actions, shaping how we pass on that love to future generations through our teaching and our example.

A Call to Action

Spend time this week considering the legacy you received from your parents, especially your father, and what kind of legacy you wish to leave for future generations. Then take concrete steps to implement that legacy. How can you receive the love of Christ and show it to your family, your Church, and your world? Take care to make every word and deed a true reflection of the love Jesus has shown you. Let all you say and do leave a lasting impact on everyone you encounter.

Our Catholic legacy should be an enduring one. As we love with the tender, obedient, and sacrificial love of Christ, we bear eternal fruit in the world. We can leave no better legacy to our children, our Church, and our world than to be living examples of that same love that led Jesus to bleed and die on the cross so we can have a lasting legacy in heaven.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE