“Old age is far more than white hair, wrinkles, the feeling that it is too late and the game finished, that the stage belongs to the rising generations. The true evil is not the weakening of the body, but the indifference of the soul.” ~ Andre Maurois
In today’s gospel, Jesus used the metaphor about putting new wine into new wine skins so that old skins and new wine may not be ruined as the old skins would most likely burst with new wine placed in them. Jesus was trying to tell the people that there is a wealth to be found in the old — ways as well as people — and that the new can and should exist side by side.
We have a real problem with age. We do all that we can to avoid it. However, avoiding it is not the answer. It will come whether we are ready or not. The key, then, is to be ready to accept and, indeed, to embrace it.
The older we get the closer we are to God calling us home. If we become jaded with age, we risk missing the call. The “indifference of the soul” is a real thing and a real danger. We cannot allow ourselves to become so indifferent that we fail to see the signs along the way that point us to God.
We need to learn to be happy and fulfilled at any age. Youth is wonderful. Young people are filled with energy and enthusiasm. They do not have a lot of experience, however.
As we mature, we gain experience, even as we lose our energy and drive. The elderly may not be able to get around as well as the young; but, they have a wealth — a lifetime worth — of experiences and knowledge to share with us.
All people have something to offer. We should not focus on what we do not have or what we have lost. Rather, we should be happy with the blessings that God gives to us this very day.
FAITH ACTION: Pray that the elderly will receive the respect that they deserve.