Friday, July 26, 2024
26/07/2024 – On the day of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, we greet our beloved grandparents. Might the years traveled depart traces of knowledge and love.
“However blessed are your eyes, as a result of they see; blessed are your ears, as a result of they hear. Really, I say to you, many prophets and righteous males longed to see what you see and didn’t see it, and to listen to what you hear and didn’t hear it.” Matthew 13:16-17
The present problematic situation of the aged
Because of advances in medication, life has been extended: however society has not “extended” life!
The variety of aged individuals has multiplied, however our societies haven’t been sufficiently organised to make room for them, with due respect and concrete consideration for his or her fragility and dignity. Whereas we’re younger, we are inclined to ignore previous age, as if it had been an sickness, an sickness to be stored at a distance; then after we turn out to be previous, particularly if we’re poor, sick or alone, we expertise the shortcomings of a society programmed to be environment friendly, which consequently ignores the aged. And the aged are a treasure, they can’t be ignored.
Benedict XVI, visiting a house for the aged, used clear and prophetic phrases: “The standard of a society, I’d say of a civilization, can also be judged by how the aged are handled and by the place reserved for them in frequent life” (November 12, 2012).
It’s true that take care of the aged makes the distinction in a civilization. Is there take care of the aged in a civilization? Is there a spot for the aged? This civilization will proceed to maneuver ahead as a result of it is aware of how one can respect knowledge, the knowledge of the aged. A civilization the place there isn’t a place for the aged, the place they’re discarded as a result of they create issues… is a society that carries with it the virus of dying.
Within the West, students current the current century because the century of ageing: the variety of kids is lowering, the variety of previous individuals is growing. This imbalance challenges us, certainly, it’s a nice problem for modern society. Nevertheless, a sure tradition of revenue insists on making the aged appear to be a weight, a “burden”. Not solely do they not produce, they’re a burden. In brief, what’s the results of considering like this? They should be discarded. It’s ugly to see the aged discarded, it’s an unsightly factor, it’s a sin! We don’t dare to say it brazenly, however it’s carried out! There’s something vile on this getting used to the tradition of discarding. However we’re used to discarding individuals.
We need to take away our heightened concern of weak spot and vulnerability, however in doing so we enhance the aged’s anguish at being poorly supported and deserted.
These aged individuals needs to be, for the entire of society, the reserve of knowledge for our individuals. The aged are the reserve of knowledge for our individuals! How simply, when there isn’t a love, conscience falls asleep! (Solely love can save us, Vatican Metropolis 2013, p. 83). And this occurs. I keep in mind once I visited the properties for the aged, I spoke to every one among them and lots of occasions I heard this: “Oh, how are you? And your kids?” – “Effectively, nicely.” – “What number of do you might have?” – “Rather a lot.” – “And do they arrive to go to you?” – “Sure, sure, at all times. They arrive, they arrive.” – “And when was the final time they got here?” And so the aged girl, I particularly keep in mind one who stated: “For Christmas.” And it was August! Eight months with out being visited by her kids, eight months deserted! That is referred to as mortal sin, do you perceive?
As soon as, after we had been kids, our grandmother instructed us a narrative about an aged grandfather who, when he ate, made a multitude as a result of he couldn’t correctly elevate the spoon to his mouth with the soup. And the son, that’s, the daddy of the household, determined to maneuver him from the frequent desk to a small desk within the kitchen, out of sight, in order that he might eat alone. A number of days later, he got here house and located his youngest son taking part in with wooden, hammer and nails, and making one thing there. Then he requested him: “However what are you making?” “I’m making a desk, dad.” “A desk for what?” “In order that once you turn out to be previous, you may eat there.” Youngsters are extra conscious than we’re!
Within the custom of the Church there’s a wealth of knowledge that has at all times supported a tradition of closeness to the aged, a willingness to supply affectionate and supportive accompaniment on this ultimate stage of life. This custom is rooted in Sacred Scripture, as proven, for instance, by these expressions from the Guide of Sirach: “Don’t flip away from the dialog of the aged, for they themselves had been taught by their fathers; and from them you’ll study to be sensible and to offer a solution on the proper time” (Eccl 8:9).
The Church can’t and doesn’t need to adapt to a mentality of intolerance, and even much less of indifference and contempt for the aged. We should awaken a collective sense of gratitude, appreciation and acceptance, which makes the aged really feel a dwelling a part of their neighborhood.
The aged are women and men, fathers and moms who’ve preceded us on our personal streets, in our personal properties, in our day by day battle for a dignified life. They’re women and men from whom we have now obtained a lot. The aged aren’t an alien. The aged are us: quickly, lengthy after, inevitably anyway, even when we don’t give it some thought. And if we don’t study to deal with the aged nicely, that’s how they may deal with us.
Fragile, all previous individuals are just a little bit. Some, nonetheless, are notably weak, many are alone, and marked by sickness. Some depend upon indispensable care and a focus from others. Will we due to this fact take a step again? Will we abandon them to their destiny? A society with out proximity, the place gratuitousness and affection with out compensation – even between strangers – are disappearing, is a perverse society.
The Church, trustworthy to the Phrase of God, can’t tolerate these degenerations. A Christian neighborhood during which proximity and gratuitousness are not thought-about indispensable would lose its soul with them. The place there isn’t a honor for the aged, there isn’t a future for the younger.
The vocation contained within the aged
It’s true that society tends to discard the aged, however actually not the Lord. The Lord by no means discards them. He calls us to observe him at all ages of life, and previous age additionally incorporates a grace and a mission, a real vocation from the Lord.
Previous age is a vocation. It isn’t but time to “throw the oars into the boat”. This era of life is completely different from the previous ones, our societies aren’t prepared, spiritually and morally, to offer it, at this second, its full worth.
As soon as upon a time, it was not so regular to have time at one’s disposal, however right now it’s much more so. Christian spirituality has additionally been stunned a bit, and there’s a want to stipulate a spirituality for the aged. However thank God, there isn’t a scarcity of testimonies from saints!
Pope Francis stated: I used to be very impressed by the “Day of the Aged” that we held right here in St. Peter’s Sq. final 12 months. The sq. was full: I heard tales of aged individuals who give themselves for others. And in addition tales of {couples}, of married {couples}, who come and say: “however right now we have now been married for 50 years”, “right now we have now been married for 60 years”… I say, however: make the younger individuals see it as a result of they get drained rapidly!
The testimony of the aged in constancy. That is the picture of Simeon and Anna, of whom we’re instructed within the Gospel of Jesus’ infancy, composed by Saint Luke. They had been actually aged, the “previous man” and the “prophetess” Anna, who was 84 years previous. This girl didn’t cover her age.
The Gospel says that they’d been ready for God’s coming day by day, with nice constancy, for a few years. They wished to see him that day, to know the indicators, to sense the start. Maybe they had been already just a little resigned to dying sooner: however that lengthy wait continued to occupy their complete life, they’d no extra essential commitments than this: to attend for the Lord and to hope.
And so, when Mary and Joseph arrived on the temple to satisfy the necessities of the Legislation, Simeon and Anna leapt up, impressed by the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 2:27). The burden of age and ready disappeared instantly. They acknowledged the Baby and found a brand new energy for a brand new activity: to offer thanks and bear witness to this Signal of God. Simeon improvised a fantastic hymn of pleasure (cf. Lk 2:29-32) – he was a poet on the time – and Anna grew to become the primary preacher of Jesus: “She spoke of the Baby to all who had been awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38).
Pricey grandparents, expensive aged, allow us to observe within the footsteps of those extraordinary previous individuals! Allow us to additionally turn out to be a bit like ‘poets of prayer’: allow us to take the pleasure of searching for out our personal phrases, allow us to rediscover people who the Phrase of God teaches us. The prayer of grandparents and the aged is a superb present for the Church!
The prayer of the aged and grandparents is a present for the Church, it’s a treasure! A fantastic injection of knowledge additionally for the entire of human society: above all for individuals who are too busy, too absorbed, too distracted. Somebody has to sing, additionally for them; sing the indicators of God, proclaim the indicators of God, pray for them! Allow us to take a look at Benedict XVI, who has chosen to spend the final a part of his life in prayer and listening to God. That is stunning!
A fantastic believer of the final century, of the Orthodox custom, Olivier Clément, stated: “A civilization during which we not pray is a civilization during which previous age has no which means. And that is horrifying; we want previous individuals who pray as a result of previous age is given to us for this.” We want previous individuals who pray as a result of previous age is given to us exactly for this. The prayer of the aged is a fantastic factor.
We are able to thank the Lord for the advantages we have now obtained, and fill the void of ingratitude that surrounds him. We are able to intercede for the expectations of the brand new generations and provides dignity to the reminiscence and sacrifices of these previous.
We are able to remind bold younger individuals {that a} life with out love is barren. We are able to inform fearful younger those that the nervousness of the longer term could be overcome. We are able to educate younger people who find themselves too enamored of themselves that there’s extra pleasure in giving than in receiving.
Grandfathers and grandmothers type the everlasting “choir” of an excellent religious sanctuary, the place the prayer of supplication and the tune of reward maintain the neighborhood that works and struggles within the subject of life.
Prayer, lastly, unceasingly purifies the center. Reward and supplication to God stop the center from hardening into resentment and selfishness. How ugly is the cynicism of an previous man who has misplaced the which means of his witness, who despises the younger and doesn’t talk the knowledge of life!
How stunning is the encouragement that the aged are capable of transmit to the younger of their seek for the which means of religion and life! It’s actually the mission of grandparents, the vocation of the aged. The phrases of grandparents have one thing particular for younger individuals. And so they realize it. The phrases that my grandmother gave me in writing on the day of my priestly ordination, I nonetheless carry with me, at all times in my breviary, and I learn them usually, they usually do me good.
How I would really like a Church that challenges the throwaway tradition with the overflowing pleasure of a brand new embrace between younger and previous! And that is what I ask of the Lord right now: this embrace!
Supply: – March 4, 2015. Pope Francis’ catechesis on the aged – March 11, 2015. Second catechesis of Pope Francis on the aged
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