John Paul on growing old

His Holiness John Paul II will be 85 years old on May 18, 2005. His message for Lent is on the elderly. It is not an expression of his own personal thoughts about growing old. He concentrates on the service of the senior citizen to the rest of mankind.

His message is based on a verse in Deuteronomy: "Loving the Lord means life to you, and length of days". Among many other beautiful things, he says:

"According to the Biblical understanding, reaching old age is a sign of the Most High’s gracious benevolence. Longevity appears, therefore, as a divine gift.

"It is upon this that I would like you to reflect, in order to deepen your awareness of the role that the elderly are called to play in society and in the Church.

"Thanks to the contribution of science and medicine, one sees in society today a lengthening of the human life span and 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.

"Human life is a precious gift, to be loved and defended in all its stages. The Commandment, ‘You shall not kill!’ 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 comprehending the Mystery of the Cross, which gives full sense to human existence.

"The elderly need to be understood and helped. I wish to express my appreciation to those who dedicate themselves to fulfilling their needs. It allows many elderly not to think of themselves as a burden to the community, and sometimes even to their own families, living in a loneliness that leads to the temptation of isolating themselves or becoming discouraged.

"The elderly are a resource to be valued. Economic support and legislative initiatives, which allow them not to be excluded from social life, must be strengthened.

"The greater amount of free time in this stage of life offers the elderly the opportunity to face the primary issues that had been previously set aside, due to concerns that were pressing or considered a priority.

"Knowledge of the nearness of the final end leads the elderly person to focus on that which is essential, giving importance to those things that the passing of years do not destroy.

"Man lives on the heritage of those who preceded him. His future depends on how the cultural values of his own people are transmitted to him. The wisdom and experience of the elderly illuminate his path on the way toward a more complete form of civilization.

"How important it is to rediscover this mutual enrichment between different generations!

"What would happen if the People of God yielded to the current mentality that considers these people, our brothers and sisters, as useless when they are reduced in their capacities due to age or sickness?

"How important it is that each community accompany with loving understanding those who grow old!

"We must become accustomed to thinking confidently about the mystery of death, so that we may go home to God with deep interior peace, knowing that He ‘who formed us in our mother’s womb’ and who made us ‘in his image and likeness’ will receive us with love.

"Mary, our guide on the journey of life, leads all believers, especially the elderly, to a profound knowledge of Christ dead and risen.

"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!"

The Filipinos not only believe everything that John Paul says about the elderly – they are doing exactly what he is asking of the rest of the world!

Years ago, an American professor of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., a layman, who had been teaching moral theology for 30 years, came here to the Philippines in the entourage of John Paul II. He spoke to a group of priests, in Villa San Miguel.

He said:

"The Filipino family is so beautiful!. . . . . . .

You don’t have nursing homes!. . . . . .You don’t

have nursing homes!. . . . . Here, when a man grows

old, he is the natural leader of the family, the Lolo,

the decision maker. Everyone comes to him because

of his wisdom and experience. He is treated not only

with respect, but with reverence and love!

"Here, when a woman grows old, all the children love

her. They run to her, and hug her, and kiss her. She

is surrounded by love.

"The Filipino family is so beautiful!. . . . . . . .

Don’t lose it!. . . . . . Don’t lose it!"

I have a good friend who is a doctor. When she was young, when she had already passed the medical board and was practicing medicine, she was taking care of her mother, in a hospital. Her mother was dying of cancer. My friend, the Doctora, was living with her, in the hospital room. She was the "bantay."

One night her mother was in great pain, and could not sleep, the whole night through. The young doctor was watching over her the whole time, giving her medication, trying to make her comfortable, praying with her.

In the morning, the mother looked at her daughter and said, very softly, in compassion: "You. . . . .will get tired. . . . .taking care of me."

My friend, the Doctora, wept for the whole day, because her mother had said that. She said to me, "How could I get tired of taking care of her? She is my mother!. . . . .She is my mother!"

One of our young Bishops was traveling in the United States, begging for his destitute Diocese. An American asked him: "Do you have nursing homes in the Philippines?"

The Bishop smiled and said: "In my country, every home is a nursing home. When those we love grow old, we never let them go. We love them to the end."

And that was the message of John Paul II, in his letter for Lent.

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"The Filipino family is so beautiful!. . . . . . .

Don’t lose it!. . . . .Don’t lose it!"