 |
||||||
Jesus'
parents used to go every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the
Passover, and when he was twelve they went up for the celebration as
was their custom. As they returned at the end of the feast, the
child Jesus remained behind unknown to his parents. Thinking he was in
the party, they continued their journey for a day, looking for him
among their relatives and acquaintances. Not finding him, they returned
to Jerusalem in search of him. On the third day they came upon him in
the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and
asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at his
intelligence and his answers. When his parents saw him they were
astonished, and his mother said to him: "Son, why have you done this to
us? You see that your father and I have been searching for you in
sorrow." He said to them: "Why did you search for me? Did you not know
I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not grasp what he said
to them.
|
||||||
"I
just saw Hailey’s comet, she waved, said, why you
always running in place? Even the man in
the moon disappeared somewhere in the stratosphere. Tell
my mother,
tell my father, I’ve done the best I can to make
them realize this is my life. I hope
they understand: I’m not angry, I’m just saying: sometimes
goodbye is a second
chance. Please don’t cry one tear for
me. I’m not afraid of what I have to
say. This is my one and only voice, so
listen close: it’s only for today. Here’s
my chance; this is my
chance."
|
||||||
|
As
a man, Jesus realized that leaving home was eventually a possibility,
and given the work that he was to accomplish, it was part of
his plan for the future. So, when he was young, and left his mother
and father in order to be in his heavenly Father's house for a while,
it could very
well have been a preparation for his future. He realized that he would
have to leave home, but it would be the only chance he had to do what
his Father wanted him to do.
The person in Shinedown's song obviously was not thinking about salvation for the world. He was thinking of his own involvement in that world: he was ready to start over, probably headed to some other place. He knows that he must leave his home, his father and mother, but he does not want to hurt them. He only wants a second chance to live his life, this time without the help of his family, to find his way on his own. The departure of people who have been part of the family is always difficult, both for the parents, as well as the people who are departing. But, generally speaking, young people must leave the family home in order to begin their own lives. Both the children and the parents have something to learn from this. The children leave to form their own adult lives; the parents learn to let them go. Parents have given them the "first chance" at life, so to speak, now children must have their "second chance." The children will always realize that they can never forget their homes and how they were brought up, but they must become independent in their lives. There may be a more general application with the song as well. At times it will become evident that we have the opportunity of a second chance in life. Perhaps something has not worked out, perhaps there has been an irreversible set back in our lives, perhaps we finally come to the understanding that we must begin again after not living well. To accept the future from the point of view of "receiving a second chance to get things right" can easily lead us to become the type of people we should be. |
||||||
|
THOUGHT
Good
and gracious
God, your Son left home to accomplish our redemption. At times in our
own lives, we have to leave home, both literally and figuratively, to
become the people that we should be. Help us work well with the second
chances that we are given. Be with
us,
we pray. If you were given a
second chance to begin your life again right now, what one thing would
you do before anything else?
PRAYER |
||||||
©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |