OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS NOT THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE. OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. IT IS OUR LIGHT, NOT OUR DARKNESS THAT MOST FRIGHTENS US. ...YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. YOUR PLAYING SMALL DOESN'T SERVE THE WORLD. THERE IS NOTHING ENLIGHTENING ABOUT SHRINKING SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE WON'T FEEL SECURE AROUND YOU. WE WERE BORN TO MAKE MANIFEST THE GLORY OF GOD THAT IS WITHIN US. IT'S NOT JUST IN SOME OF US; IT'S IN EVERYONE. AND AS WE LET OUR LIGHT SHINE, WE UNCONSCIOUSLY GIVE OTHER PEOPLE PERMISSION TO DO THE SAME. AS WE ARE LIBERATED FROM OUR OWN FEAR, OUR PRESENCE AUTOMATICALLY LIBERATED OTHERS.

SOUTH AFRICAN LEADER, NELSON MANDELA,
AT HIS INAUGURATION IN 1994.

IN THE ELDER PASSAGE, UNLIVED LIFE PRESSES IN ON US, AND ASKS, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ME?" IT IS UP TO US TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH OUR LIVES. IN THE WORDS OF THE POET MARKOVA'S THE GIFT:

I WILL NOT LIVE AN UNLIVED LIFE.
I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR
OF FALLING OR CATCHING FIRE.
I CHOOSE TO INHABIT MY DAYS.

WE ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE OUR OWN WAY IN THE PROCESS, THE JOURNEY OF CREATIVITY. EACH AGE OF LIFE IS NEW TO US; NO MATTER HOW OLD, WE ARE STILL TROUBLED BY INEXPERIENCE.

IN OUR ELDER PASSAGE, WHAT MATTERS IS TO LOCATE OURSELVES WITHIN THE JOURNEY OF MATURITY. THIS MEANS, IN THE WORDS OF DAG HAMMARSKJOLD: "AMONG OTHER THINGS NOT TO HIDE ONE'S STRENGTH OUT OF FEAR, AND IN CONSEQUENCE, TO LIVE BELOW ONE'S BEST."

WHAT MATTERS FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IN THESE YEARS, IS TO ALLOW THE UNDERDEVELOPED, OR HIDDEN PARTS OF THE SELF TO EMERGE. BY DOING SO, WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO GROW INTO OUR FULLER HUMANITY.

IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE AN IMAGE FOR WOMEN IN THE ELDER PASSAGE. THIS IS THE IMAGE OF THE CRONE. WHO IS THE WISE OLDER WOMAN IN THE VILLAGE. THE CRONE IS THE RESPECTED, TREASURED PERSON, THE WISDOM FIGURE.

ELDERSHIP, AT WHAT AGE? CRONESHIP, AT WHAT AGE?

AGING IS A NATURAL MONASTERY

WE LEARN TO PRACTICE SELF-DENIAL.

WELEARN TO GROW INTO SOLITUDE.

WE LEARN TO OUT ON

A CLOUD OF UNKNOWING:

TO KNOW BY NOT-KNOWING.
A LUMINOUS DARKNESS.

WE LEARN

A STEWARDSHIP OF SORROW:

ATTENDING TO IT,
TENDING TO IT,

UNDERGOING LOSSES,

GRIEVING
TO NOURISH SELF AND OTHERS.

LETTING GO OF AGENDAS, EXPECTATIONS,
ANALYSES.

LIVING INTO A SOLITUDE OF ONE'S OWN:

NOT "LIVING OUT:" BUT "LIVING IN" ONE'S LIFE!

FREE TO SPEND SELF:

TAKING ON THE MYSTERY OF THINGS.

LEARNING TO TRUST DEATH.

LEARNING TO TRUST GOD.

A DEEPER FORM OF LIVING LIFE.

GOING TO WHERE TIDES REPLACE TIME,

TRUSTING THE SEASONS OF LIFE,

GOING WITH CHANGES.

BECAUSE WE ARE MORE OURSELVES
THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE,
MORE POWERFUL,
BETTER ABLE TO USE OUR POWERS!

A NATURAL PREPARATION FOR A

MATURE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

IT WAS THE DANISH CHRISTIAN THINKER

SOREN KIERKEGAARD, WHO TELLS US,

"LIFE IS LIVED FORWARD,

BUT IT CAN ONLY

BE UNDERSTOOD

BACKWARDS."

THUS, THERE ARE TWO MOVEMENTS IN AGING:

RECAPITULATION

A SUMMING UP.

A CONCISE REVIEW.

A SUMMARY.

AN IMAGINATIVE SEARCH

FOR PERSONAL MEANING.

RELINQUISHMENT

A LETTING GO.

LEAVE.

ABANDON.

PUT ASIDE.

DESIST FROM.

RENOUNCE.
SURRENDER.

TO DEEPEN DEVOTION
TO WHAT
GOD HAS DONE
IN
JESUS CHRIST!
THIS IS CALLED
THE GLORY OF GOD!

YOU SEE,
IN THE WORDS OF
THE EARLY CHURCH FATHER,
IRENAEUS,

"THE GLORY OF GOD
IS MEN AND WOMEN
FULLY ALIVE!"

GOD MADE YOU.
GOD LOVES YOU.
GOD SENT HIS SON FOR YOU.
WHEN YOU DIE, YOU GO TO GOD.
WE COME FROM GOD.
WE BELONG TO GOD.
WE ARE DESTINED FOR GOD.

(D.T. NILES/IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA)

AMEN! AMEN!