The Dignity and Wisdom of Old Age
This episode emphasizes the biblical and papal teachings on the dignity and wisdom of old age, contrasting societal values that prioritize youth and marginalize the elderly. It calls for a reevaluation of how society views and treats the elderly, citing wisdom from scripture, Saint Augustine, and recent popes, who have all underscored the importance of cherishing and learning from the elderly as a vital part of our community and spiritual life.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to Episode 70 of the Saint Coleman Catholic Parish Podcast. Well, we're winding down October, and this weekend, we're starting a brand new month. Of course, All Saints Day on November 1 is always a holy day of obligation, except when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday. And this year, of course, it's falling on Saturday, so it is not a holy day of obligation. Our Vigil Mass on Saturday evening is, as always, counts for your Sunday obligation.
Hey, our men's club has something really fun coming up. The Veterans Car Show. It's gonna be November 8 from 10AM to 2PM. That's gonna be at 2250 Southeast Twelfth Street. Now it's open to all vehicles, and there's gonna be some awards.
You wanna know more? Check out our bulletin. There'll be some information there for you. Saint Columba Catholic School is gonna begin accepting applications for the twenty twenty six twenty twenty seven school year starting December 1. If you're a family thinking about this and you want to learn more about our faith filled academic community and the opportunities we offer students from pre k to eighth grade, visit the school website, stcoleman.org.
Look for the Admissions tab. Well, it's hard to believe, but we're less than sixty days away from Christmas. 2025 has gone by very fast. In fact, every year seems to go by fast. And as you get older, they seem to go faster and faster and faster.
Many people wake up one day and wonder, where did the time go? I'm 50 or 60 or 80. And it seems like just yesterday, I was 20. Aging can be one of the hardest things in life, especially because of the culture we live in. You know, ever since the middle of the twentieth century, America has been obsessed with youth.
Think of the advent of rock and roll and Elvis Presley. But it's so often the case. What the world, what our culture focuses on often is sort of the opposite of what we should do if we are trying to grow our spiritual lives. Our society elevates youth over the aged, And this ignores the Bible, which calls us to honor our elders. Our culture ties human worth to good looks, strength, and success.
Consumer markets chase youthful tastes. They want to sell to the young. And it's all wrapped up in this newer is better mentality, believing that fresh ideas will change the world while undervaluing the wisdom of tradition and the elderly. Scripture says, Gray hair is the crown of glory. It is gained in a righteous life.
And as we look at our Christian tradition, and what many of our wonderful popes have taught over the ages, it's to look at age as a sacred gift. You know, our three most recent popes, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, all had something to say about embracing the season of life known as Old Age. It's a season rich with dignity, overflowing with wisdom, and alive with mission in the Catholic church. This directly challenges our culture, which worships youth and forgets the timeless value of experience. So in scripture, we look at the book of Job.
In chapter 12, it declares, Wisdom is with the aged, an understanding and length of days. This isn't just some dusty old proverb. It's actually divine truth. Building on this scriptural foundation, Pope John Paul the second echoed it in an Angelus address more than twenty five years ago, saying, The Bible teaches us to venerate old age, rejecting the desire to avoid its burdens, as it is a phase of just living and divine blessing. One of Pope John Paul the second's most famous documents was called Evangelium Vitae or the Gospel of Life.
In that, he said respect for the elderly is part of the gospel of life, countering cultures that marginalize them in a culture of death that values youthful looks and achievement. His successor was Benedict the sixteenth. He went a little deeper saying, Amid life's challenges, remember that the ultimate authority is the Lord, who sustains us in old age. Pope Francis also talked a lot about the elderly, saying that as our lifespans get longer, it gives us more time to reflect on the dignity of this season of life. You know, there's a famous quote from Saint Augustine, Let your old age be childlike, and your childhood like old age.
That is, so that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your humility without wisdom. So, as we live in the twenty first century, in an era where youth and health is idolized, and the elderly and the sick are pushed to the margins, we need to all remind ourselves of the great treasure for our society that the elderly have, their wisdom. We must cherish the elderly, even in their frailty. And remember, in the words of Pope Francis, they are a blessing for society.