Jennifer Rogers
Supporter
Do you feel afraid of old age? You must be like me, afraid of old age. So what does the bible say about old age? Is old age as scary as we think? Please read the article and find out with me.
I. First of all, let's look at the beauties and positives of old age
1. General concept of old age.
From time immemorial, in the Bible, we often take the 70 mark as the standard for life. The Bible says: "Calculating the life span inside and out is seventy, if strong, maybe eighty, But most of it is just hardship and misery, The life that escapes us is already dead." (Tv. 89, 10)
2. Old age is a blessing.
The Bible exalts old age because old age is a gift of God, a blessing from God (cf. Gen 11: 10-32), and the elderly are respected because "those with gray heads are wise" (Gen 4. , 7-15). The book of Proverbs says, "A silver head is a crown of honor" (Proverbs 16:31). Psalm 92 also praises: Old but still bearing fruit, full of life, green leaves and branches (Ps 92:15). Pope John Paul II also said: “It is a gift to live to old age. Not because everyone can live to this age, but because, first of all, old age gives us the ability to appreciate the past, to understand and live the Easter mystery more deeply, and to become treasured. valuable experience for the Church”.
3. Old age is virtuous.
Let's read a passage from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Pastoral Letters to Elder Catholics: "While all are called to holiness, to 'close intimate union with Christ' ', ethical concerns generally acknowledge that this invitation is more important to seniors. Many of you now have more time and circumstances to think more deeply and act with a more moral perspective. For many elderly people, daily Mass is the center of their spiritual life and an opportunity to meet and make friends with people of their own age. Many of them also know how to pray in the form of meditation, but words are no longer necessary, only quietly and calmly listening to God's voice. The decline in the senses that can also occur in old age is often considered a negative, but it is sometimes helpful for meditation. Many are interested in learning and joining Bible study groups, faith sharing groups, or faith training groups for adults.”
Indeed, people are born, live, and must grow old, that is common sense in human life, but old age must have something to leave behind, Therefore George Granville said: “Youth is the season of love, Old age is the season of MEDITATION. Old age can become the most precious period of life. Someone said: that God intended the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of old age are in spirituality.” Pope John Paul II, despite his age, is still an idol for both the young and the old. Thus, in The Dignity of Older People, it is written: “Pope John Paul II lived his old age with pleasant spontaneity. He does not hide anything but reveals it to everyone. With great sincerity, he said: 'I am an old priest'. People live their old age in faith. He never let himself be limited by age."
4. Old people are wise and fear God.
The book of Ecclesiastes likens the elderly to the branches of the tree of wisdom: The root of wisdom is the fear of God. The branches of wisdom are long life. (Hc. 1,20)
5. The elderly know how to manage, judge and have rich experience.
In this regard, in the book Sirach writes as follows: “As for children, they do not worry about saving, where will they get them when they are old? The wise judge, the old man instructs, how beautiful it is! How beautiful is the wisdom of the elders, the thoughts and opinions of the famous! experience is the crown of the elders, whose fear of the Lord is their pride” (Sir 25:3-6).
The Book of Proverbs also praises the elderly: A silver head is a crown of glory (Proverbs 16:31) The Book of Wisdom says: “Old age is honorable, not because of longevity, nor because of old age, but because of old age. silver-headed people are wise." The Book of Wisdom further adds: “The old are well-pleased with the Lord, beloved by the Lord” (Book of Wisdom 4:7).
II. Some negative points stand out
1. Old age is forgetful and dodgy.
The obvious experience in this regard is to start forgetting, to start mumbling. From personal experience, there are times when it is clear that when leaving the house, I have locked the door carefully, but when I have gone a long way, I suddenly forget to remember if I have locked it; so I'm forced to go back… I can think for a long time before I can remember a friend's name, forget something I was about to do, can't find what I just put down, can't remember if I've done it, but after a while, you can remember.
2. Old age is powerless.
There are legs, but the legs are not strong enough to move the body from place to place. There is that hand, but the hand is no longer able to hold something firmly. There is that ear, but sometimes people scream in the ear and can't hear anything. Having that eye, but can no longer identify the person or thing right in front of him. That is helplessness. Even in old age, body and spirit will fall into a state of impotence. But there is a psychic ability not to become impotent. It is the ability to pray and unite with God.
3. Old age or illness.
Old age is associated with the disease. Buddhism says that there are four kinds of suffering in the world: birth, sickness, old age, and death. It is true that there are young people, there is old age, and old people are of course Sickness and then Death. When faced with suffering, people try to find a way to avoid it, or there are religions that teach how to get rid of it. But ask that in the past, has anyone in the world eradicated Birth, Sickness, Aging, and Death?
1. General concept of old age.
From time immemorial, in the Bible, we often take the 70 mark as the standard for life. The Bible says: "Calculating the life span inside and out is seventy, if strong, maybe eighty, But most of it is just hardship and misery, The life that escapes us is already dead." (Tv. 89, 10)
2. Old age is a blessing.
The Bible exalts old age because old age is a gift of God, a blessing from God (cf. Gen 11: 10-32), and the elderly are respected because "those with gray heads are wise" (Gen 4. , 7-15). The book of Proverbs says, "A silver head is a crown of honor" (Proverbs 16:31). Psalm 92 also praises: Old but still bearing fruit, full of life, green leaves and branches (Ps 92:15). Pope John Paul II also said: “It is a gift to live to old age. Not because everyone can live to this age, but because, first of all, old age gives us the ability to appreciate the past, to understand and live the Easter mystery more deeply, and to become treasured. valuable experience for the Church”.
3. Old age is virtuous.
Let's read a passage from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Pastoral Letters to Elder Catholics: "While all are called to holiness, to 'close intimate union with Christ' ', ethical concerns generally acknowledge that this invitation is more important to seniors. Many of you now have more time and circumstances to think more deeply and act with a more moral perspective. For many elderly people, daily Mass is the center of their spiritual life and an opportunity to meet and make friends with people of their own age. Many of them also know how to pray in the form of meditation, but words are no longer necessary, only quietly and calmly listening to God's voice. The decline in the senses that can also occur in old age is often considered a negative, but it is sometimes helpful for meditation. Many are interested in learning and joining Bible study groups, faith sharing groups, or faith training groups for adults.”
Indeed, people are born, live, and must grow old, that is common sense in human life, but old age must have something to leave behind, Therefore George Granville said: “Youth is the season of love, Old age is the season of MEDITATION. Old age can become the most precious period of life. Someone said: that God intended the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of old age are in spirituality.” Pope John Paul II, despite his age, is still an idol for both the young and the old. Thus, in The Dignity of Older People, it is written: “Pope John Paul II lived his old age with pleasant spontaneity. He does not hide anything but reveals it to everyone. With great sincerity, he said: 'I am an old priest'. People live their old age in faith. He never let himself be limited by age."
4. Old people are wise and fear God.
The book of Ecclesiastes likens the elderly to the branches of the tree of wisdom: The root of wisdom is the fear of God. The branches of wisdom are long life. (Hc. 1,20)
5. The elderly know how to manage, judge and have rich experience.
In this regard, in the book Sirach writes as follows: “As for children, they do not worry about saving, where will they get them when they are old? The wise judge, the old man instructs, how beautiful it is! How beautiful is the wisdom of the elders, the thoughts and opinions of the famous! experience is the crown of the elders, whose fear of the Lord is their pride” (Sir 25:3-6).
The Book of Proverbs also praises the elderly: A silver head is a crown of glory (Proverbs 16:31) The Book of Wisdom says: “Old age is honorable, not because of longevity, nor because of old age, but because of old age. silver-headed people are wise." The Book of Wisdom further adds: “The old are well-pleased with the Lord, beloved by the Lord” (Book of Wisdom 4:7).
II. Some negative points stand out
1. Old age is forgetful and dodgy.
The obvious experience in this regard is to start forgetting, to start mumbling. From personal experience, there are times when it is clear that when leaving the house, I have locked the door carefully, but when I have gone a long way, I suddenly forget to remember if I have locked it; so I'm forced to go back… I can think for a long time before I can remember a friend's name, forget something I was about to do, can't find what I just put down, can't remember if I've done it, but after a while, you can remember.
2. Old age is powerless.
There are legs, but the legs are not strong enough to move the body from place to place. There is that hand, but the hand is no longer able to hold something firmly. There is that ear, but sometimes people scream in the ear and can't hear anything. Having that eye, but can no longer identify the person or thing right in front of him. That is helplessness. Even in old age, body and spirit will fall into a state of impotence. But there is a psychic ability not to become impotent. It is the ability to pray and unite with God.
3. Old age or illness.
Old age is associated with the disease. Buddhism says that there are four kinds of suffering in the world: birth, sickness, old age, and death. It is true that there are young people, there is old age, and old people are of course Sickness and then Death. When faced with suffering, people try to find a way to avoid it, or there are religions that teach how to get rid of it. But ask that in the past, has anyone in the world eradicated Birth, Sickness, Aging, and Death?
