“The vocation of the elderly is to bear witness to humanity and faith.” Entrust the fate of Europe and the world to the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora.
Vatican City () – “The alliance between the elderly and children will save the human family”, the Holy Father said this morning to nearly four thousand faithful gathered in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican for the general audience. “When the young talk to the old there is a future. If that does not happen, the future is not clear,” Francisco said.
Continuing with the catechesis on old age, the Pope focused his meditation today on the theme: “The Ancient of days. Old age brings tranquility about the destiny of life that never dies” (Reading: Dn 7,9-10) The The Holy Father started from the words of Daniel’s prophetic dream, which evokes “a vision of God that is mysterious and at the same time resplendent”. This vision is taken up at the beginning of the book of Revelation, in reference to the Risen Jesus who appears to the seer as Messiah, Priest and King, eternal, omniscient and immutable. He puts a hand on the seer’s shoulder and reassures him: “Fear not! I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but now I live forever” (vv. 17-18).
“The Living One reassures us. He was also dead, but now he occupies the place that is destined for him: that of the First and the Last,” Francis said. The vision conveys an impression of vigor and strength, nobility, beauty, and charm, but his hair is as white as an old man’s. “White hair is an ancient symbol of a very long time, of an immemorial past, of an eternal existence” and “it is not a banal symbol”, the Pope recalled.
“The figure that in the Apocalypse is among the golden candlesticks is superimposed on that of the Ancient of the days of Daniel’s prophecy -continued the pontiff- It is old and new like the eternity of God”. Indeed, God always renews himself and “comes to meet us in a way that is each time special to us.”
In the Eastern Churches, February 2 is the feast of the Meeting with the Lord. It is one of the twelve great feasts of the liturgical year, which celebrates the meeting of humanity, represented by the elderly Anna and Simeon, and Christ the Lord, the eternal Son of God made man. Simeon’s gesture is an example that shows the specific vocation of old age: “To present the children who come into the world as an uninterrupted gift from God, knowing that one of them is the Son begotten in the very intimacy of God, before all the times”. “Old age must bear witness to children of its blessing, which consists of a beautiful and difficult initiation into the mystery of a life destiny that no one can destroy. Not even death,” Francis said. The Pope insisted on this point: “Giving witness to humanity and faith is the vocation of the elderly.” The testimony of the elderly unites the ages of life and the very dimensions of time: past, present and future.
“It is painful and damaging to see that the ages of life are conceived as separate worlds, that compete with each other, that try to live at the expense of others.” Indeed, humanity is ancient if we look at the clock time, but “the Son of God, who was born of a woman, is the First and the Last of all time”. That is why the alliance of the old and the children is what will save the human family. The hope for humanity and the beauty of life will then be transmitted through the wisdom of the elderly, if they are able to pass the baton to the young. After the words of the Holy Father and the summary of the catechesis in the different languages, there was a moment full of tenderness: Pope Francis took a child in his arms, who remained by his side until the end of the audience. “We were talking precisely about the dialogue between the elderly and the young: this child has been very brave and how calm he has remained!”, commented the Pope.
“This time of summer, which for many is a vacation time, can be an opportunity for everyone to get closer to Jesus Christ,” said the Holy Father when he greeted the Portuguese-speaking pilgrims. He puts his hand on our shoulders, gives us strength and encourages us to look for him in the elderly and the poor”. Addressing the Polish pilgrims, he reminded once again all those who walk towards the Jasna Góra sanctuary these days, praying for peace and reconciliation in the world. “Among them there are many Ukrainians who have found a hospitable home in your country. We entrust the fate of Europe and the world to the Black Madonna,” Francis said. At the end, the Pope once again referred to the ongoing war: “My thoughts go to Ukraine as always: let us not forget that people who are suffering.”
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