A Reflection for Father’s Day 2026
“There is a great line in the movie Gladiator, when Russell Crowe’s character Maximus is being given the keys to the gladiators’ cells by Proximo, the gladiator master. As Proximo hands them over Maximus says to him, ‘Are you in danger of becoming a good man?’
Is this not the question for our times?
We need good men and we know exactly what they look like and how they act. They are our brothers, fathers and husbands, sons and students, men from all walks of life who believe in service for others, in integrity and truth, in dignity and justice. They are the men who stand up and are counted; the men who are not afraid to show their emotions, men whose hearts can be soft and strong, men who love and respect the women in their lives.
There have been great men who have not been good men – those who have cared more for status and reputation and how these gild their way in the world. There have also been good men who have been great because they worked indefatigably for the common good, putting their talents into service for the betterment of others.
For too many years some young men have been subjected to a masculinity that is not so good. They have been taught from an early age to compete, not to show emotion, to compress themselves into a shape determined by cultural conditioning. They have battled each other to become the alpha male, the dominant leader, the one with influence and command. They have been told to harden up, and that part of surviving bullying is to become a bully. They have been aided and abetted by the misogynistic manosphere.
Fortunately, we are now seeing change. We know that boys need fathers or father figures or male teachers or uncles or coaches who will show them how to be a good man. They need role models, men who inspire them to an independence of personhood that blooms in its balanced and healthy masculinity.
We cannot go past Jesus of Nazareth if we are to look at a manhood that did not need power and bluster and big biceps. Jesus loved his mother Mary, was not afraid to pray or weep, spoke words of power gently, led with quiet authority, and moved comfortably among people from all walks of life. His preaching was about love and forgiveness and faithfulness to God. His message was one of inclusion, in which each person had an inalienable dignity. He spoke out over the rigidity and hypocrisy upsetting the religious hierarchy. He knew righteous anger in the Temple when he saw it desecrated as a marketplace. He wined and dined with his friends and healed men and women alike. He was not afraid to be vulnerable, and he knew the cost of fulfilling his destiny.
I look at the good men in my life; my husband, my son-in-law, my rock’n’rollin’ brother who is generous and welcoming, my quieter brother who is always on call to help, my old school friends who can still make me laugh at the silliest things, my newer friends who open my eyes to the world. And of course, my father, the first man in my life, with his deep anchor of faith and his love of jazz and liquorice.
And we have seen the best of men over these past months; the first responders at Bondi, the CFA volunteers, the friends and neighbours and strangers helping each other in flood and fire. I witness grace and gentleness when I see male carers at the local pool immersing wheelchair-bound youngsters into the water. Good men are not afraid to be kind.”
Robbie Williams sums things up in his song, ‘Better Man’: “As my soul heals the shame I will grow through this pain Lord, I'm doing all I can To be a better man.”
Ann Rennie: Australian Catholics Magazine July 2026
A Blessing Prayer for Father’s Day
God of kindness and compassion,
We give honour and thanks to those who reflect your example:
those who are dads and grandads;
stepdads, foster dads, godfathers and fathers-in-law;
those who are coaches, leaders and mentors;
and those who are elders and wisdom-men of our communities.
We look to these men for strength of body and strength of character.
We look to them to pass on skills and pass on stories.
We look to them to protect and provide.
We look to them for care and compassion.
We look to them to be co-creators and stewards of the world.
For all those who embrace their role as father, we give thanks.
For those who struggle with being fathers, give them strength.
For those who are distanced from their children, give them comfort.
For those who have passed from this world, give them peace.
Bless these men that we call father.
Bless them in their strength and in their weakness.
Bless them in their joy and in their sorrow.
Bless them in their work and in their play.
And bless them for being fathers.
We make this prayer through the one who taught us all how to love.
Your son, our friend, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Source: Liturgy Help.com