THE WISDOM OF GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

“The Book of Wisdom was written about fifty years before the coming of Christ. . . . Its author at times speaks in the person of Solomon, placing his teachings on the lips of the wise king of Hebrew tradition in order to emphasize their value. The author’s profound knowledge of the earlier Old Testament writings is reflected in almost every line of the book . . . The primary purpose of the author was the edification of his co-religionists in a time when they had experienced suffering and oppression, in part at least at the hands of apostate fellow Jews. To convey his message, he made use of the most popular religious themes of his time.”

The theme of these passages from Chapter One is “Exhortation to Righteousness, the Key to Life.”

 

Source:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/0

“Love righteousness, you who judge the earth;
think of the LORD in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who do not test him,
and manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
Do not court death^*by your erring way of life,
nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands.” Wisdom 1:1-2, 12

“God did not make death, (not physical, but spiritual death)
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
and there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the netherworld on earth,
for justice is undying.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who belong to his company experience it.” Wisdom 1: 1-2,12-15; 2:23-24

 Last January, Pope Francis announced the institution of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, to occur on the fourth Sunday in July, close to the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. This is to be a reminder that, in the pope’s words, “the Holy Spirit even today stirs up thoughts and words of wisdom in the elderly.” The voice of the elderly ‘is precious’, he said, ‘and we too often fail to call upon the wealth of their wisdom, preserving roots and passing on” what the elderly have received.’

So, as we get ready to begin the month of July, let us spend some time reflecting on the above reading from the perspective of honoring and learning from the wisdom in our Grandparents and in the Elderly.  Here, once again,Pope Francis asks us to turn our attention to a group of people often overlooked or pushed to the margins of society. (Whom do I push to the margins and why do I do this? These are questions that each of us should ponder. Be aware of God’s presence; then ponder and let the Spirit guide you to answers.)

GUIDANCE TO BE FOUND IN TODAY’S ELDERLY

Each of us tends to look at things, everyone and everything in our everyday life, from the perspective we have formed up until now, that is, where we are in our maturation process at this phase of our life.  How different is that perspective from what it would have been were we to have viewed today’s people and events from the perspective we had as a younger adult or as an adolescent or as a child? Hopefully, we have grown in wisdom as we have progressed through life.

Let’s use the month of July to prepare for this World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly by reflecting on the elderly and their wisdom. (See some suggestions below.) Then, let’s look for opportunities for the elderly to share some of their wisdom with us and our families.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WISDOM GAINED FROM PAST LIFE EXPERIENCES

The elderly often have a truer picture of themselves and of life’s meaning than they had when they were younger.  Reflecting on their past years, they see good things, like personal relationships, successes and accomplishments, but also mistakes and missed opportunities. During one’s senior years, a person often sees more clearly, what they could have seen at an earlier time, including that God was with them throughout their past life, that they could have turned to God for guidance, but they didn’t. They are wiser now. They also have regrets. Perhaps you should speak to the elderly in your life about how they now see the ups and downs of their past life and what they have learned. The sharing may bring blessings, insights and healing to both of you. And each of you can also be the healing Jesus to the wounded other.

And don’t forget the elderly priest and religious. We, too, see the good things and the mistakes and missed opportunities of our lives and the lives of our brother priests and sister and brother religious, too many of whom have been the subject of recent media news and commercials. You cannot imagine how devastating it is to one has thrown their entire life into supporting and furthering the mission of God’s Church and the sanctification of God’s people to see the damage done to both by us. We, too, need you to be the healing Jesus to us.

Sister Loretta

Click here for some suggestions.