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Vatican City February 9, 2005
May Lent be
this year a time to reject consumerism and focus on meditating on the
great mystery that is the death and resurrection of Christ; may it enable
us to reflect on what it means to be in the twilight of one's life, but
also a time in which one has still much to offer to one's family and
society. This is, in a
nutshell, what the Pope urges us to do in his Lent message: an invitation
to put aside the idea that because one is no longer 'productive', one
has become useless, on the margins of social life, often even within the
family. Man's future
rather depends on "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 . . . [Thus,] the wisdom and experience of the
elderly can illuminate his path on the way of progress toward an ever more
complete form of civilisation." Lest we
forget, Lent is a privileged journey of the spirit in which we listen to
the Word of God more devoutly and practice "mortification more
generously thanks to which it is possible to render greater assistance to
those in need." "Longevity,"
the Pope reminds us, "appears [. . .] as a special divine gift." And
it is upon this idea, he writes, that we must "reflect during this
[season], 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 [our]
hearts for the loving welcome that should always be reserved for them. Progress in
science and medicine has lengthened the human life span and increased the
number of the elderly. This demands greater care for the world of
so-called 'old' age, "especially in the ecclesial communities of
Western societies, where the problem is particularly present. In a passage
with strong personal overtones-given John Paul II's current stay in
hospital- the Pope writes that 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.". Having
reiterated his opposition what might harm human life, the Pontiff insists
that 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," he acknowledges, "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." What's more,
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." Finally,
"[p]recisely 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."
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