Wanting eternal youth is delusional,
Pope Francis told his weekly general audience in the Vatican on
Wednesday.
"The presumption to stop time, to want eternal youth, unlimited
wellbeing, absolute power, is not only impossible but
delusional," said Francis who held the gathering in the Paul VI
room due to the heat outside.
"Old age is noble," the pontiff stressed, "and has no need to
wear make-up to show off its nobility.
"Perhaps cosmetics come nobility is lacking.
"Time passes, but that is not a threat, it is a promise".
The Pope noted that many people eventually pass through the
frailty and challenges of old age, but said it can also be a
time of "exciting blessings of faith," according to Vatican
News.
"In old age the works of faith, which bring us and others closer
to the Kingdom of God, are by now beyond the power of the
energy, words, and impulses of youth and maturity," he said.
Pope Francis pointed out that a temptation toward bitterness can
arise in the latter years of life, as the years pass and we
reflect on missed opportunities.
"Old age lived with gentleness and respect for real life
definitively dissolves the misconception of a Church that adapts
to the worldly condition, thinking that by so doing it can
definitively govern its perfection and fulfilment."
He added that old age itself is a blessing which God bestows,
since it teaches us that our life is destined to go beyond the
passage of death into eternal life.
"Our stable place, our destination is not here," said the Pope.
"It is beside the Lord, where He dwells forever."
Our earthly life, said the Pope, could be considered a
"novitiate" or apprenticeship, during which difficulties teach
us to appreciate the gift of God and share it with others.
"Our existence on earth is the time of the initiation of
life, which finds fulfilment only in God. We are imperfect from
the very beginning, and we remain imperfect up to the end."
Pope Francis noted that old age helps us understand the meaning
of time and the limitations we face as we near the end of our
time of "initiation".
Old age, he said, helps deepen the "gaze of faith" which reminds
us that Jesus spoke of Paradise in parables about festive
banquets, something the Pope said we can look forward to.
In conclusion, Pope Francis said the elderly have the privilege
to bear witness to their hope and faith in Christ for those
around them, noting that old age "renders Jesus' promise
transparent.
"Old age is the phase in life most suited to spreading the
joyful news that life is the initiation to a final fulfilment.
And the best is yet to come."
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