The Healing Journey

November 13, 2024

“The sad part about getting old is that no one can see you’re still young on the inside.”
— Anonymous

When Lenny finally retired, he started going to daily Mass, and he was somewhat surprised at what he found. Many of the morning Mass-goers were in their 80s and 90s. They were actually an inspiration to him because they rarely missed a day and would arrive early to sit in silence in front of the tabernacle … and stay late to pray the rosary. He even met a fellow who had just turned 100 and still drove and played golf. He met a fair number of nonagenarians — people in their nineties — and even more in their 80s. Most of them were widows and widowers and had suffered their share of grief in their later years. Going to Mass and being with Jesus, he thought, was probably the high point of their day spiritually and socially.

After a few months, he realized that many of them were probably lonely and went home to an apartment or house with no one waiting for them.

The senior years come with their own set of challenges, and not having a spouse or a dwindling number of friends is often at the top of the list.

So Lenny started to do whatever he could to bring some joy into their lives, although he wasn’t quite sure he was successful. Whenever they met him, they didn’t hesitate to talk about their late husbands and wives. In fact, they wanted to. So Lenny adopted a new approach. He smiled more, he listened more, and he didn’t rush to get home. He also started praying for them and having Masses said for them because he began to realize how lonely life can be when you’re alone and elderly.

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Always look for an opportunity to spend a few minutes with someone else who may be alone and lonely. Then, remember them in your prayers.