Pope Leo greets an elderly woman during Mass in St Peter's Square (@Vatican Media)
Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age
In his Message for the World Day for Grandparents and the
Elderly—celebrated each year on the Sunday nearest the feast of Jesus’
grandparents, Sts Anne and Joachim—Pope Leo reflects on hope and old age.
By Christopher Wells
Ahead of the Jubilee Year celebration of World Day for
Grandparents and the Elderly—which this year falls on July 27—Pope Leo writes
that “hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age”, adding, “when that
hope has also been tempered by fire over the course of a long life, it proves a
source of deep happiness.”
In his Message for the Day, Pope Leo offers a
scriptural meditation on old age, beginning with biblical figures such as
Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, as well as Moses, all of whom were
called in old age to be part of God’s saving plan.
“The Jubilee we are now celebrating helps us to realize
that hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age. When that hope has
also been tempered by fire over the course of a long life, it proves a source
of deep happiness.”
The elderly, signs of hope
The history of salvation recounted in Scripture shows that,
in God’s eyes, “old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly
are… the first witnesses of hope.” Seeing the life of the Church and the world
as the passing of generations, Pope Leo says the elderly, even if they need the
support of the young, can serve as a witness to the inexperience of youth,
helping them “to build the future with wisdom”.
The “precious legacy” of the elderly as examples of faith,
devotion, civic virtue, social commitment, and more, the Pope says, will always
be “a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance.”
“God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time
of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses
of hope.”
Hope for the elderly
At the same time, Pope Leo says the elderly also need hope.
Recalling that the Jubilee is traditionally understood as a time of liberation,
he says all are called to help the elderly “experience liberation, especially
from loneliness and abandonment”.
Too often in modern society, the Pope says, the elderly can
become marginalized and forgotten. “Given this situation,” he explains, “a
change of pace is needed that would be readily seen in an assumption of
responsibility on the part of the whole Church.
Every parish, he insists is called to support the elderly,
“forging relationships that restore hope and dignity to those who feel
forgotten”. Especially with regard to the elderly, Christian hope “urges us to
work for a change that can restore the esteem and affection to which [they] are
entitled”.
In particular, he recalls Pope Francis’ desire for elderly
persons living alone to be sought out, and the opportunity created by him for
those unable to come to Rome to obtain an indulgence for visiting the elderly
during the Jubilee Year.
Reasons for hope
Pope Leo goes on to encourage the elderly to hope, affirming
that even in old age, everyone is able to love and to pray. “Our affection for
our loved ones… does not fade when our strength wanes” but instead “revives our
energy and brings us hope and comfort.”
“We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of:
it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray.”
These “signs of hope”, he explains, “give us courage” and
remind us that despite old age, “our inner self” is continually renewed.
“Especially as we grow older,” the Pope says, “let us press
forward with confidence in the Lord”, renewed through prayer and daily Mass;
and “let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years”, while
continuously praising God and fostering union among people.
“In this way,” Pope Leo concludes, “we will be signs of
hope, whatever our age.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét