20140927 BEING GRACEFUL IN OLD AGE IS DETERMINED BY HOW WE LIVE OUR YOUTH

20140927 BEING GRACEFUL IN OLD AGE IS DETERMINED BY HOW WE LIVE OUR YOUTH 

First reading

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8 ©

Rejoice in your youth, you who are young;

let your heart give you joy in your young days.

Follow the promptings of your heart

and the desires of your eyes.

But this you must know: for all these things God will bring you to judgement.

Cast worry from your heart,

shield your flesh from pain.

Yet youth, the age of dark hair, is vanity. And remember your creator in the days of your youth, before evil days come and the years approach when you say, ‘These give me no pleasure’, before sun and light and moon and stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;

the day when those who keep the house tremble

and strong men are bowed;

when the women grind no longer at the mill,

because day is darkening at the windows

and the street doors are shut;

when the sound of the mill is faint,

when the voice of the bird is silenced,

and song notes are stilled,

when to go uphill is an ordeal

and a walk is something to dread.

Yet the almond tree is in flower,

the grasshopper is heavy with food

and the caper bush bears its fruit,

while man goes to his everlasting home. And the mourners are already walking to and fro in the street

before the silver cord has snapped,

or the golden lamp been broken,

or the pitcher shattered at the spring,

or the pulley cracked at the well,

or before the dust returns to the earth as it once came from it, and the breath to God who gave it.

  Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. All is vanity.

Psalm

Psalm 89:3-6,12-14,17 ©

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You turn men back to dust

  and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’

To your eyes a thousand years

  are like yesterday, come and gone,

  no more than a watch in the night.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You sweep men away like a dream,

  like the grass which springs up in the morning.

In the morning it springs up and flowers:

  by evening it withers and fades.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Make us know the shortness of our life

  that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?

  Show pity to your servants.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

In the morning, fill us with your love;

  we shall exult and rejoice all our days.

Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:

  give success to the work of our hands.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Gospel Acclamation           cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or        cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel           Luke 9:43-45 ©

At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.’ But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.

BEING GRACEFUL IN OLD AGE IS DETERMINED BY HOW WE LIVE OUR YOUTH 

SCRIPTURE READINGS: ECCLESIASTES 11:9 – 12:8; LUKE 9:43 – 45
http://www.universalis.com/20140927/mass.htm

We all like to be young and active, or at least to look young!  We dread growing old, and so when we start looking our age, we go for a makeover so we can look young again.  But looking young does not make us young.   Of course, for some it might help to look young, as doing so may make them feel and live as if they are still young.  But whether we look young or act young, we cannot run from the fact that aging is part of the natural process of being creature.  Aging reminds us that we are not gods and that our life on this earth is passing, as the psalmist says, “You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades.”

It is not wrong to live with dynamism, even as we grow older, but we must not deceive ourselves into believing that we will not die.  In fact, all the more because we know that aging is an inevitable process of life, we must endeavour to live in such a way that we grow in grace as we approach the sunset of our lives.  We must not fall into the same mistake of the apostles who were not able to accept the fate of their master, namely, His passion and death.  They could not understand how their charismatic master could meet such a tragic end.  The evangelist noted “they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.”  Similarly, to deny the reality of aging, and with it suffering and death, would be like a sick person who senses that he is medically not well but chooses not to go for a medical checkup for fear that he might be diagnosed with an illness, or worse still, confront the prospect of a terminal illness.

So what we must do to live gracefully, not only when we are old but right now as we are becoming older, is to recognize the shortness of this life.  Three things that never return are the arrow that is shot, the lost opportunity and lost time!   If we want to be ready to face our future positively, and eternity, then we must face aging and death courageously and proactively. The first thing therefore is to ensure that whilst we are still youthful or energetic, we recognize that all these will one day pass away.  The evangelist recounts how, when everyone was awestruck by the greatness of God, Jesus told them not to cling to such moments of glory.  “At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men’.”  Yes, no matter how rich, healthy, influential, secure and powerful we are, we will eventually lose them.   One day whilst at the columbarium, I was looking at the photos of all those who had passed away, and wondering how they lived their lives, the struggles they went through and where they could be now, I came to realize that not many years from now, others will be looking at my photo on the niche the same way I did.  What would they then say or think of me and of themselves!

So do not live thinking that we are invincible, all powerful, feared or admired by many and that the status quo will not change.  Nay, a time will come when we will, just like every other man and woman, suffer neglect and the world will forget us as quickly as we fade out from public life.  Unfortunately, at the peak of our lives, we live as if our fortunes will never change, not realizing how vulnerable we are!  Listen to the wisdom of the psalmist, “You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.”

It behooves us therefore, that while we are still young and healthy, we must be conscious that we are determining the future state of what and who we will become.  The choices in daily life will eventually be impressed on our hearts and in our minds, which become fixated habits and shape our character, which is permanent. Indeed, we are molding our character by every decision and action we make here and now.  How we live our life now will determine our state of life and happiness in the future.  Whether we take care of our health, physical or spiritual; what we read and what we see; what vices or virtues we cultivate; how we treat our friends and foes, etc, will shape our happiness as we grow older.  If we live our life positively, then be glad that we are growing to be more graceful each day.  Otherwise we end up bitter, resentful and unlovable, even to our loved ones and those around us!

So beware!  Those of us who are young, middle-aged or still strong: you are carving your future.  A life well lived today is a tomorrow well taken care of.  More than that, it will determine not just our immediate future but even eternity!  Will you be ready to meet God just as Jesus was ready to meet His Father?  If we are not living holy and virtuous lives, how can we have the courage to face Him?  No wonder many of us, even so called believers, are so afraid of death, because we know we are not ready.

Indeed, as Qoheleth warns us, youth is a time to grow in grace so when we reach old age, we become really grace-full.  In a poignant poetical manner, he wrote, “Yet youth, the age of dark hair, is vanity. And remember your creator in the days of your youth, before evil days come and the years approach when you say, ‘These give me no pleasure’ … because day is darkening at the windows and the street doors are shut; when the sound of the mill is faint, when the voice of the bird is silenced, and song notes are stilled, when to go uphill is an ordeal and a walk is something to dread.”  Youth is a time for making our future.  Don’t waste the days of youth!  We will regret and it would then be too late! So seize the opportunity, seize the day while you still have time! Strike when the iron is still hot!

Truly the day of judgement will come.  “But this you must know: for all these things. God will bring you to judgement. Cast worry from your heart, shield your flesh from pain.”  Yes, let our prayer be thus, “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!”

And what wisdom should we seek if not to know what are those things that really matter in life.  Not power, not influence, not glory, not success, not wealth, not fame but love and relationships!  In vain would one have lived if one had lived only for all the transient things of this earth!  Foolish is one who has spent all his time and energy pursuing the things of this world.  But wise is the person who knows that only love lasts even beyond death.  “Love is stronger than death.” (Songs of songs 8:6)  Jesus knew the answer and that was why He lived only for His Father and for us, even unto death.  The riches and powers of this world did not motivate Him, but only love empowered Him to live and die for His Father and for us all.  Have you lived for love and put relationship with God and your loved ones above everything else?  If you have not loved, you have not yet lived! How poor you must be then! How lonely you are! How tragic that you have failed to become what God wants to share with you, namely, love and intimacy.

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH


ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE
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