|
Growing
Old in Christ
June
29, 2003 Homily
Fr. George Smiga
John
21:15-19
Three
brothers who never married bought a house together and lived
together harmoniously until they began to grow older and their
minds began to slip. One day the older brother who was upstairs
in the bathroom called out, "Charlie! Charlie! I have
one foot in the bathtub and one on the floor. Am I getting
in or getting out?"
"Oh for heaven's sake," said Charlie, running up
the stairs to help his brother. But when he got to the landing
he stopped and said, "Am I going up the stairs or coming
down?"
The third brother who had watched all of these things shook
his head and said, "Thank God I'm not like those other
two. Knock on wood." And he did knock on the wooden table
in the hallway, but then he looked up and he said, "Is
that someone at the front door or the back door?"
It is not easy growing old. None of us look forward to the
time when our minds will begin to slip, when our health deteriorates,
and when we need to be more dependent on other people. Jesus
understands the process of aging because he describes it in
today's gospel. He says to Peter, "When you were younger
you used to fasten your belt around you and go wherever you
wished. But when you grow old, someone else will fasten a
belt around you and take you where you do not want to go."
What Jesus is pointing out is that as we grow older, we lose
our independence. We are no longer able as we once were to
fasten our belt around us and do whatever we wish. Less energy
and faltering health reduce our options. Old age will fasten
its belt around us and take us where we do not want to go.
And the older we become, the truer we recognize Jesus' words
to be. None of us look forward to what the last years of our
life might bring. We fear growing old.
This is why it is very important to realize that there is
more in today's gospel than simply a description of the aging
process. There is also the promise that in our elder years
we still have a mission, we will still be disciples.
Jesus assures Peter that even in his old age, he will still
glorify God. It is therefore appropriate on this feast of
Peter and Paul, two apostles who gave their entire life to
the gospel, for us to ask, "As we grow older, how do
we continue the mission that Christ gives us? How do we remain
effective disciples?"
I would suggest to you that there are three qualities of aging
disciples: wisdom, dependence, and clear priorities.
Older people have less energy, but they have more wisdom.
They have decades of experience from which all could benefit,
which everyone needs to hear. Older people have lived dreams
that we are still dreaming. They have recovered from mistakes
that we are about to make. Therefore it is the mission of
an elderly disciple to share wisdom. Aging disciples should
find opportunities to share the things they know with those
who are younger. Every time their wisdom is shared they are
following Christ's command to feed His sheep.
Older people also give witness to the value of dependence.
In our society we want to be free and not impose on anyone.
Yet the highest value in life is not independence but interconnectedness.
If love is to be given, there must be someone who accepts
it. When elderly people graciously accept their dependence,
they provide an opportunity for others to give. When they
admit that they need help and assistance with honesty and
humor, they provide an opportunity for love. Dependence can
be a real gift when it connects us to one another in service
and love.
Older people know the importance of clear priorities. Because
they know that time and energy is limited, they must choose
what is most important and bypass what is trivial. They know
that life is too short to hold grudges, to spend time feeling
sorry for themselves. They know that now is the time to enjoy
the beauty of nature, the love of their family, and to deepen
their relationship with God. When people in their senior years
testify to these important priorities, they remind us how
we should be living today.
Wisdom, dependence, clear priorities: three gifts that the
senior members among us can provide better than anyone else.
No matter how old we are, we still have a mission. No matter,
if on certain days we are not sure whether we are going up
or coming down, we can still be disciples. Jesus promised
Peter that in his old age he would glorify God. For Jesus
knew that all of us have value at any age. What Jesus said
to Peter he says to the oldest members here this morning:
"I need you. Follow me."
|
