Who is rocking the cradle of your children right now? To whom are you more at home with — a person or a screen? - Daily Reflections December 22,2014

WHOSE HAND ROCKS YOUR CHILDREN’S CRADLE?

 

A physician told this story about her then four-year-old daughter. On the way to preschool, the doctor had left her stethoscope on the car seat, and her little girl picked it up and began playing with it. She immediately saw visions of her child in a physician’s garb just like her. “Be still, my heart,” thought the doctor, “my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps!” Then the child spoke into the instrument: “Welcome to Jollibee. May I take your order?” So much for following in her footsteps…

       It’s the law of nature that a mango tree bears only a mango fruit. A guava tree bears only guava fruit. It’s automatic. It happens naturally. The challenge is, this principle goes beyond the automatic laws of nature. Good and well-formed children do not just fall from the sky. Every parent reading this knows that raising good children for the Kingdom of God can be one of the most, if not the most challenging, aspect of parenting.

       Today’s First Reading strikes a very intimate picture of Hannah, mothering her child Samuel beyond biology. Hannah understood that

motherhood continues well beyond giving birth. She makes sure Samuel grows into spiritual maturity as well. She brings Samuel to the Temple and introduces him to Eli who is to become Samuel’s spiritual mentor. In this day and age of technological advancement, the challenge of parenthood has become all the more daunting. I remember reading the story of a boy in Switzerland who watched television for 72 straight hours. He made it to the Guinness Book of World Records. Children in the Philippines are said to be spending their time before the TV at an average of eight to 10 hours a day. That’s more than one third of a day! If they are not in front of the TV, they are in front of the computer screen or the iPad or the iPhone. These technological gadgets have become virtual babysitters.

       It is said that the hand that rocks the cradle is the most powerful hand in the world. But now, it is no longer a hand but a screen. It is no longer a person but a pixel. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Who is rocking the cradle of your children right now? To whom are you more at home with — a person or a screen?

 

Lord, we thank You for the wonders of technology. Help us to use them well. Help us to realize that technology was made for the service of man, not vice versa.