Time for Reflection
Good afternoon. Our first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader this afternoon is Father Eamonn Sweeney, the parish priest at St Patrick’s church, Coatbridge.
Father Eamonn Sweeney (St Patrick’s Church, Coatbridge)
Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, from the moment we open our eyes to a new day until we find our way to the end of that day, we are confronted with many decisions, challenges and opportunities. I do not believe for a moment that the day of a politician—or anyone else for that matter—is any different from mine in that regard. During the course of a day, we can experience pleasant and unpleasant, good and bad, happy and sad circumstances of life. I can experience all of those within the same hour, depending on where my work takes me.
One of the really happy areas of my ministry is the baptism of children. We spend valuable time preparing parents for a significant event in their child’s life—entry into the Christian community through baptism. Having requested baptism, the parents undertake serious responsibilities in relation to the child’s spiritual development. They must provide the environment for their child to grow in faith. Above all material considerations, a child needs a parent’s love, concern and time. Parental influence is vital, it is important and it cannot be overestimated.
Not all parents provide the spiritual and material support that their child needs and deserves so, to help us to reflect, I wish to conclude by reading the lyrics from a song by the late Harry Chapin called “Cat’s in the Cradle”. If this song is true, it is a very sad song. It is told by a father who is too busy to spend time with his son. The final verse is a reverse of the roles, where the father asks his grown-up son to visit, but the son responds that he is now too busy to find the time. The father then reflects that they are both alike, saying:
“My boy was just like me.”
The first verse of the song goes:
“My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say ‘I’m gonna be like you dad
You know I’m gonna be like you’”
This trend of being busy continues over the next couple of verses, throughout the child’s valuable adolescent years until he graduates. The song continues:
“Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
‘Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while?’
He shook his head and said with a smile
‘What I’d really like Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?’”
The last verse goes:
“I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, ‘I’d like to see you if you don’t mind’
He said, ‘I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad.
It’s been sure nice talking to you.’
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me.”
Thank you.