Pope Francis’ Sermon on the Mount: A Contemplation Based on Psalm 71 on Aging.
Joey Cariveli, Vatican City
Pope Francis allowed the weekly public viewing as usual this Wednesday (01/06/22). Although the Archdiocese was gaining strength, the venue was the open courtyard of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. When Papa entered the square in a white open vehicle equipped with security arrangements visible to all, the applause and cheers of the pilgrims and visitors from various countries who were present there rose. Pope Benedict greeted everyone and drove through the vehicle between them, sitting in it and circling the crowd. In the meantime, Papa, as he had done last week, loaded a few girls into the vehicle and proceeded with them. Before arriving at the pulpit, the pope unloaded the children who were with him. The pope then proceeded to the pulpit in the same carriage, at about 9.00 am Rome time, and 12.30 pm Indian time, after which the public viewing of the Trinity began. Then the scriptures were recited in different languages. Pope Benedict XVI then continued his series of sermons on aging during public meetings. The Pope’s reflection is based on Psalm 71, an old man’s prayer to the Lord based on his own condition. In his Italian-language reflection, the pope said:
Prayer in Psalm 71
Dear brothers and sisters, good day!
The beautiful prayer of the old man in Psalm 71, which we have heard, inspires us to meditate on the intense stress of old age while undergoing trials of faith, hope, and remembrance of the sufferings and blessings received.
Weakness of old age and the elderly who are being exploited
This experiment manifests itself in the weakness that accompanies aging as it passes through weakness and agony. The psalmist – an old man who turns to the Lord – clearly refers to the fact that this process becomes an opportunity for abandonment, deceit, evasion, and authority, and, at times, anger toward the elderly. This is a kind of cowardice that we are gaining special skills in our society. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to take advantage of old age and deceive and intimidate them in many ways. We often read or hear in the newspapers about old people being deceived and robbed of their wealth without any remorse; Or they are left unprotected and neglected; Otherwise they are hurt by the humiliation and threatened to give up their rights. Such atrocities also occur in families. It is serious that this happens in families. Elderly people are thrown into old age homes and abandoned there. This is happening. We need to think about that.
Take care of the elderly
The whole community should be eager to take care of the elderly who are always in large numbers in the society and are often the most marginalized. When we hear about the elderly who have abandoned self-sufficiency, security and even home, we can understand that the neglect of the conflicting emotional attitudes of the elderly towards today’s society is not an isolated accidental problem, but rather a characteristic of the throwaway culture that is poisoning the world in which we live. The old man in Psalms reveals his uneasiness to God: “My enemies speak against me, and my spies gather themselves together, and they say: ‘God has forsaken him, and follow him, and there is none to save him!” (Psalms 71,10-11). The consequences are fatal. Aging not only loses its height, it even casts doubt on whether it deserves to continue. Thus, we are all tempted to hide our worries and hide our sickness, age, and old age because we fear that they are just the beginning of losing our height. Let us ask ourselves: Is it human to have this feeling? Why is modern civilization, so developed and efficient, so restless in the face of disease and old age? Why is politics committed to defining the boundaries of decent survival, while at the same time being indifferent to the dignity of loving co-operation with the elderly and the sick?
The old man who turns to God
The old man in the Psalms, who sees his old age as a failure, rediscovers his faith in the Lord. He realizes that he needs help. He turns to God. St. Augustine, in his commentary on this psalm, exhorts the old man: “Do not be afraid that in your old age you will be forsaken. PL 36, 881-882). The aged psalmist cries out: “Deliver me, save me, incline thine ear unto me, save me, and be my rock, and become a house everlasting: thou art my only refuge, and thou art my refuge and my fortress!” (Psalm 71: 2-3). Prayer testifies to God’s faithfulness and questions its ability to shake the conscience of those who have strayed from the parable of the mortal being to be preserved in its entirety. / Let those who accuse me be ashamed and destroyed, and let those who seek to harm me be covered with reproach and scorn ”(Psalm 71,12-13).
The power of prayer
Of course, those who take advantage of the weakness of disease and old age should be ashamed. Prayer renews the promise of God’s faithfulness and blessing in the heart of the aged. The old man rediscovers prayer and testifies to its power. The elderly, because of their weakness, can teach us that we should all surrender ourselves to the Lord and ask for His help. In this sense, we all need to learn from old age: Yes, it is a gift to know that aging is a gift from God to the care of others.
Aging: The stage of life that everyone must go through
There is a “theory of vulnerability” that aging is a condition that can be reliably remembered throughout human life. This theory opens up a crucial horizon for the modernization of our own civilization. This innovation is now essential for the co-operation of all. The marginalization of the elderly, ideologically and practically, is detrimental not only to old age but to all stages of life. Each of us can think about the adults in the family today: How do I relate to them, do I remember them, do I visit them? Looking for something they lack? Do I respect them? The elderly in my family: that is, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, friends … Have I erased them from my life? Or should I go to them to get wisdom and life wisdom? Remember that you too will grow old. Aging affects everyone. Treat the elderly today as you would like to be cared for, cared for in old age. They are the memory of the family, the memory of humanity, the memory of the country. Take care of wise adults. May the Lord grant the greatness of this prayer and this provocation to the old people who are part of the church. May this faith in the Lord infect us. May it be for the good of all, them, us and our children.
Concluding remarks
Following these words, a summary of the Pope’s speech in Italian was read in various languages, including English and Arabic, and at the end of each reading, the Pope greeted the speakers in Italian.
Do not use grain as a weapon
Pope Benedict expressed concern over the suspension of grain exports from Ukraine.
The pope also noted the fact that the lives of millions of people, especially in poor countries, depend on food grains from Ukraine.
The Pope wholeheartedly requested that all efforts be made to resolve this issue and to ensure the universal human right to food.
The pope said that wheat, the basic food, should not be used as a weapon.
Papa addresses the elderly, the sick, the young and the newlyweds
At the end of the public viewing, the pope greeted, as usual, the elderly, the sick, the young, and the newlyweds.
Mentioning the occasion of the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 5, the Pope wished that the Holy Spirit for the youth would be the wind and fire that would save them from freezing and inspire them to love the great ideals and commitment to the Church and society.
The pope said that the Holy Spirit should be a consolation to the sick, reassuring them of God’s love during their daily suffering.
For the newlyweds, the pope wished the Holy Spirit to be a source of “fellowship” that would help them grow in mutual love.
After the Lord’s Prayer, Heavenly Father, was sung in Latin, the Pope gave his Apostolic Blessing to all.