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Dear Brothers
and Sisters!
1. Each year, the Lenten Season is set before us
as a good opportunity for the intensification of prayer
and penance, opening hearts to the docile welcoming of
the divine will. During Lent, a spiritual journey is
outlined for us that prepares us to relive the Great
Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ. This is
done primarily by listening to the Word of God more
devoutly and by practising mortification more
generously, thanks to which it is possible to render
greater assistance to those in need.
This year, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to
bring to your attention a theme which is rather current,
well-illustrated by the following verse from
Deuteronomy: "Loving the Lord…means life to you, and
length of days…" (30:20). These are the words that
Moses directs to the people, inviting them to embrace
the Covenant with Yahweh in the country of Moab,
"that you and your descendants may live, loving the
Lord, your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to
him." (30:19-20). The fidelity to this divine
Covenant is for Israel a guarantee of the future:
"that you may dwell in the land which the Lord
swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, to give to them." (30:20). According to the
Biblical understanding, reaching old age is a sign of
the Most High's gracious benevolence. Longevity appears,
therefore, as a special divine gift.
It is upon this theme that I would like to ask
you to reflect during this Lent, in order to deepen the
awareness of the role that the elderly are called to
play in society and in the Church, and thus to prepare
your hearts for the loving welcome that should always be
reserved for them. Thanks to the contribution of science
and medicine, one sees in society today a lengthening of
the human life span and a subsequent increase in the
number of elderly. This demands a more specific
attention to the world of so-called "old" age, in order
to help its members to live their full potential by
placing them at the service of the entire community. The
care of the elderly, above all when they pass through
difficult moments, must be of great concern to all the
faithful, especially in the ecclesial communities of
Western societies, where the problem is particularly
present.
2. Human life is a precious gift to be loved and
defended in each of its stages. The Commandment, "You
shall not kill!", always requires respecting and
promoting human life, from its beginning to its natural
end. It is a command that applies even in the presence
of illness and when physical weakness reduces the
person's ability to be self-reliant. If growing old,
with its inevitable conditions, is accepted serenely in
the light of faith, it can become an invaluable
opportunity for better comprehending the Mystery of the
Cross, which gives full sense to human
existence.
The elderly need to be understood and helped in
this perspective. I wish, here, to express my
appreciation to those who dedicate themselves to
fulfilling these needs, and I also call upon other
people of good will to take advantage of Lent for making
their own personal contribution. This will allow many
elderly not to think of themselves as a burden to the
community, and sometimes even to their own families,
living in a situation of loneliness that leads to the
temptation of isolating themselves or becoming
discouraged.
It is necessary to raise the awareness in public
opinion that the elderly represent, in any case, a
resource to be valued. For this reason, economic support
and legislative initiatives, which allow them not to be
excluded from social life, must be strengthened. In
truth, during the last decade, society has become more
attentive to their needs, and medicine has developed
palliative cures that, along with an integral approach
to the sick person, are particularly beneficial for
long-term patients.
3. The greater amount of free time in this stage
of life offers the elderly the opportunity to face the
primary issues that perhaps had been previously set
aside, due to concerns that were pressing or considered
a priority nonetheless. Knowledge of the nearness of the
final goal leads the elderly person to focus on that
which is essential, giving importance to those things
that the passing of years do not destroy.
Precisely because of this condition, the elderly
person can carry out his or her role in society. If it
is true that man lives upon the heritage of those who
preceded him, and that his future depends definitively
on how the cultural values of his own people are
transmitted to him, then the wisdom and experience of
the elderly can illuminate his path on the way of
progress toward an ever more complete form of
civilisation.
How important it is to rediscover this mutual
enrichment between different generations! The Lenten
Season, with its strong call to conversion and
solidarity, leads us this year to focus on these
important themes which concern everyone. What would
happen if the People of God yielded to a certain current
mentality that considers these people, our brothers and
sisters, as almost useless when they are reduced in
their capacities due to the difficulties of age or
sickness? Instead, how different the community would be,
if, beginning with the family, it tries always to remain
open and welcoming towards them.
4. Dear brothers and sisters, during Lent, aided
by the Word of God, let us reflect upon how important it
is that each community accompany with loving
understanding those who grow old. Moreover, one must
become accustomed to thinking confidently about the
mystery of death, so that the definitive encounter with
God occur in a climate of interior peace, in the
awareness that He "who knit me in my mother's womb”
(cf. Psalm 139:13b) and who willed us "in his
image and likeness" (cf. Gen. 1:26) will receive
us.
Mary, our guide on the Lenten journey, leads all
believers, especially the elderly, to an ever more
profound knowledge of Christ dead and risen, who is the
ultimate reason for our existence. May she, the faithful
servant of her divine Son, together with Saints Ann and
Joachim, intercede for each one of us "now and at the
hour of our death".
My Blessing to All!
From the
Vatican, September 8, 2004. |
