 Message
of His Holiness
John Paul II
For Lent 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Each year, the Lenten Season is set before us as a good opportunity for
the intensification of prayer and penance, opening hearts to the docile welcoming of the
divine will. During Lent, a spiritual journey is outlined for us that prepares us to relive
the Great Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ. This is done primarily by listening
to the Word of God more devoutly and by practicing mortification more generously, thanks to
which it is possible to render greater assistance to those in need.
This year, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to bring to your attention a theme which is
rather current, well-illustrated by the following verse from Deuteronomy: "Loving the Lord ...
means life to you, and length of days..." (30:20). These are the words that Moses directs to
the people, inviting them to embrace the Covenant with Yahweh in the country of Moab, "that
you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord, your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving
to him" (30:19-20). The fidelity to this divine Covenant is for Israel a guarantee of the
future: "that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them" (30:20). According to the biblical understanding,
reaching old age is a sign of the Most High's gracious benevolence. Longevity appears,
therefore, as a special divine gift.
It is upon this theme that I would like to ask you to reflect during this Lent, in order to
deepen the awareness of the role that the elderly are called to play in society and in the
Church, and thus to prepare your hearts for the loving welcome that should always be reserved
for them. Thanks to the contribution of science and medicine, one sees in society today a
lengthening of the human life span and a subsequent increase in the number of elderly. This
demands more specific attention to the world of so-called old age, in order to help its
members to live their full potential by placing them at the service of the entire community.
The care of the elderly, above all when they pass through difficult moments, must be of great
concern to all the faithful, especially in the ecclesial communities of Western societies,
where the problem is particularly present.
Human life is a precious gift to be loved and defended in each of its
stages. The Commandment "You shall not kill!" always requires respecting and promoting human
life, from its beginning to its natural end. It is a command that applies even in the presence
of illness and when physical weakness reduces the person's ability to be self-reliant. If
growing old, with its inevitable conditions, is accepted serenely in the light of faith, it
can become an invaluable opportunity for better comprehending the Mystery of the Cross, which
gives full sense to human existence.
The elderly need to be understood and helped in this perspective. I wish, here, to express my
appreciation to those who dedicate themselves to fulfilling these needs, and I also call upon
other people of good will to take advantage of Lent for making their own personal
contribution. This will allow many elderly not to think of themselves as a burden to the
community, and sometimes even to their own families, living in a situation of loneliness that
leads to the temptation of isolating themselves or becoming discouraged.
It is necessary to raise the awareness in public opinion that the elderly represent, in any
case, a resource to be valued. For this reason, economic support and legislative initiatives,
which allow them not to be excluded from social life, must be strengthened. In truth, during
the last decade, society has become more attentive to their needs, and medicine has developed
palliative cures that, along with an integral approach to the sick person, are particularly
beneficial for long-term patients.
The greater amount of free time in this stage of life offers the
elderly the opportunity to face the primary issues that perhaps had been previously set aside,
due to concerns that were pressing or considered a priority nonetheless. Knowledge of the
nearness of the final goal leads the elderly person to focus on that which is essential,
giving importance to those things that the passing of years do not destroy.
Precisely because of this condition, the elderly person can carry out his or her role in
society. If it is true that man lives upon the heritage of those who preceded him, and that
his future depends definitively on how the cultural values of his own people are transmitted
to him, then the wisdom and experience of the elderly can illuminate his path on the way of
progress toward an ever more complete form of civilization.
How important it is to rediscover this mutual enrichment between different generations! The
Lenten Season, with its strong call to conversion and solidarity, leads us this year to focus
on these important themes which concern everyone. What would happen if the People of God
yielded to a certain current mentality that considers these people, our brothers and sisters,
as almost useless when they are reduced in their capacities due to the difficulties of age or
sickness? Instead, how different the community would be, if, beginning with the family, it
tries always to remain open and welcoming towards them.
Dear brothers and sisters, during Lent, aided by the Word of God, let
us reflect upon how important it is that each community accompany with loving understanding
those who grow old. Moreover, one must become accustomed to thinking confidently about the
mystery of death, so that the definitive encounter with God occurs in a climate of interior
peace, in the awareness that He "who knit me in my mother's womb" (cf. Psalm 139:13b) and who
willed us "in his image and likeness" (cf. Genesis 1:26) will receive us.
Mary, our guide on the Lenten journey, leads all believers, especially the elderly, to an ever
more profound knowledge of Christ dead and risen, who is the ultimate reason for our
existence. May she, the faithful servant of her divine Son, together with Saints Ann and
Joachim, intercede for each one of us "now and at the hour of our death."
My Blessing to All!
From the Vatican, September 8, 2004
JOHN PAUL II
[Translation issued by the Vatican press office] cf.
Vatican
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