By: Fr. Innocent Ike Nwachukwu, Ph.D.
Old age is a precious part of our life, as well as God’s plan for our everlasting joy. It is considered in Sacred Scripture a blessing, a favor, a gift of God, “a privilege: not simply because not everyone has the good fortune to reach this stage in life, but also, and above all, because this period provides real possibilities for better evaluating the past, for knowing and living more deeply the Paschal mystery, for becoming an example in the Church for the whole People of God” (Saint John Paul II, Christifideles Laici, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, December 30, 1988, n. 48).
Similarly, the Scripture delights in presenting the older person as the symbol of someone rich in wisdom and fear of the Lord: “How appropriate is sound judgment in the gray-haired, and good counsel in the elderly! How appropriate is wisdom in the aged, understanding and counsel in the venerable! The crown of the elderly is wide experience; their glory is the fear of the Lord” (Sirach 25:4-6). In this sense the “gift of older people can be specifically that of being the witness to tradition in the faith both in the Church and in society (cf. Psalm 44:2), the teacher of the lessons of life (cf. Sirach 6:34), and the worker of charity.”
The blessings of old age are invaluable. They cannot be measured or enumerated. These blessings should be seen as gifts and privileges and be appreciated as well. Hence, Pope Leo XIV says, “The elderly are a gift, a blessing to be welcomed, and a longer life is something positive; indeed, it is one of the signs of hope in our time, everywhere in the world. Of course, it is also a challenge, because the growing number of elderly people is an unprecedented historical phenomenon that calls us to discern and understand the reality in new ways” (Pope Leo XIV, Address to Participants in the Second International Congress on the Pastoral Care of the Elderly, Holy See Press Office, Vatican City, October 3, 2025).
The undeniable truth is that “the elders in a society are its living history, its balladeers who tell the history of a people and the lessons of growth that come with them,” and God has promised to bless and sustain the elderly: “Even to your old age I am he, even when your hair is gray I will carry you; I have done this, and I will lift you, I will carry you to safety” (Isaiah 46:4). In other words, “the blessings of old age are important, deep, and real.” In old age, we see life as a whole. “We are able to identify a genuine priority of goals. We gain a sense of history, which the young also need to receive from us. We can help people identify what is truly important. In short, the years can bring a wisdom, a grasp on the meaning of life that will be a blessing for the young and the middle-aged as well.”
Aging is not a curse or burden, but a blessing. We should not be afraid of getting old. Rather than looking upon the growing numbers of older persons as a burden, we should see them as a blessing for society. Though “at times, at a certain age, one turns to the past with regret for the loss of youth, its energy, and plans for the future. At times, our perspective is veiled with sadness, as we consider this phase to be the twilight of life. But it is good to be elderly! “Every generation can learn from the experience and wisdom of the generation that preceded it” (Pope Benedict XVI, Address at Saint Peter’s Residence, London Borough of Lambeth, September 1, 2010).
Unfortunately, today’s culture has some sort of allergic reaction to getting older. “We want to stay young, both in appearance and in spirit. We want to live free and act free. Growing older seems like some type of curse that we cannot avoid, but we try everything in our power to delay it until the last possible moment.” For example, some men and women get various types of plastic surgery or cosmetic treatments that turn their sixty-year-old bodies into something remotely resembling that of a secondary school girl or boy. But regardless of “vain attempts to change our looks or lessen our responsibilities, we still get older.”
In a world preoccupied with the body, old age saves us from the artificial myth of eternal youth. Pope Francis once praised the attitude of an Italian actress who was asked to remove her wrinkles. “No, don’t touch them!” the actress replied. “It took so many years to have them; don’t touch them!” The Pope went further to say, “This is what wrinkles are: a sign of experience, a sign of life, a sign of maturity, a sign of having made a journey. Do not touch them to become young, that your face might look young. What matters is the entire personality; it’s the heart that matters, and the heart remains with the youth of good wine—the more it ages, the better it is.” In other words, wrinkles are a sign of life, of having made a journey. Wrinkles are not signs of defeat or failure.
Undoubtedly, old age is a wake-up call to remember that we will one day become old. It challenges us to treat the elderly as we would wish to be treated in our old age. Aging goes with wisdom, and the elderly are “the memory of the family, the memory of humanity, and the memory of the country.” Old age has its own inherent meaning, and the wisest thing we can do when it arrives is to explore its meaning and adopt a general plan of action to profit from it. Though it can also bring a crisis of meaning because later in life, old people may begin to wonder if their lives had an influence on anyone, if they had meaning at all. At times, they engage in reminiscing or a life review; that is, they look back at the events and relationships in their lives, recognizing what is good and constructive and letting go of mistakes and failures. While they cannot change past events, they can ask God for forgiveness and to help them change their lives (cf. Statement of the United States Catholic Bishops Conference)
The truth is that old age affords us more time for quiet communion with God, for contemplation, and for reaching out to others to help provide for their spiritual needs. To embrace old age is to value the opportunity to strengthen ourselves on the road to eternity after a lifetime of sin and failures. Thus, Pope Francis affirms that “giving long life, God the Father gives time to deepen one’s awareness of him and to deepen intimacy with him, to draw closer to his heart and abandon oneself to him… It is a time to prepare to consign our spirit into his hands, definitively, with the trust of children. But it is also a time of renewed fruitfulness.”
In today’s world, it can be exceedingly difficult to meet the needs of the elderly whom we love and care for. Even more challenging is meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly when their children or caregivers do not know or understand what they want from them. For example, taking them to Mass or religious services on Sundays and confessions, especially during Lent for Easter and Advent for Christmas, respectively. These two important feasts make them feel spiritually and sacramentally connected to Christ and his Church. Though as they age, they may get to a point where it is impossible to go to Mass or Confession. At this point, their children or caregivers need to notify the Church so that a priest may visit them, hear their confessions, and anoint them with the Oil of the Sick, as well as give them Holy Communion.
Evidently, caring for the elderly is never easy. It can be very stressful and challenging and can bring a sense of sadness and loss, especially when we remember their earlier vitality and now see their physical and mental abilities decline. This is the reason we should step up to help them. Our government should be involved in this important ministry of caring for the elderly. “Seeing the elderly only as a burden is ugly. It is a sin.” In fact, “the quality of a society will be judged by how it treats the elderly and by the place it gives them in community life. Those who make room for the elderly make room for life. Those who welcome the elderly welcome life.” As Christians, we have a responsibility to show kindness and respect and to take care of the elderly. “We must reawaken our collective sense of gratitude, appreciation, and hospitality, helping the elderly know they are a living part of our communities and sources of wisdom for the younger generations.” “An elderly person is not an alien. The elderly person is us. Soon, or many years from now, inevitably anyway, we will be old, even if we do not think about it or accept it. Thus, the Golden Rule must be applied: “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” that is, “If we do not learn to treat the elderly well, we won’t be treated well either when the time comes.”
