When asked this question, ‘What is the most important thing in life?’, fewer and fewer people would probably answer: ‘Achieve eternal life.’ Talking about such things is no longer commonplace.

Even with the physical weakening of the elderly, if faith in the family is alive, hope for the most beautiful thing of all — life in eternal joy — is strengthened. Illustration image: Man and Faith/Klára Kalinová

Who knows how the worshipers of St. John Paul II currently react to him: ‘What life, such death; what death, such eternity’ or ‘Time is running away, eternity awaits’. This came true in his life. He reached heaven.

‘Young can, old must’ is a saying that is often ignored, and some consider it an unreasonable scare tactic. If the concept of eternal life is unclear, a lack of interest in it is certainly understandable.

When we mentioned the importance of communication between the generations in our previous reflections, it is worth noting that children have always been aware of the death of the elderly. Nowadays, people often choose not to take children to funerals so that they are not ‘stressed’.

Yet they are not stressed by the horror movies they usually watch on TV. So how can we properly educate people from a young age about this vital topic?

THE BITTER EXPERIENCE OF PRIESTS

 If we do not remember the words ‘our homeland is in heaven’ (Phil 3:20) and give them true meaning, we will not understand the words of Jesus: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (Jn 11:25). In short, without proper faith education, falsehood and chaos remain in a person.

Another real example is the experience of almost every priest who has been asked by survivors why they did not call him to visit a sick and often dying elderly man.

The answer was: ‘We didn’t expect him to die.’ He was already old. Or, ‘We didn’t want to scare him…’ But what if that’s why their relative ended up in purgatory for a long time, or even lost their place in heaven? Who could take responsibility for that?

Talking about preparing for eternity isn’t scary. After all, if someone called it a scare, they would also call the ban on running over the rails in front of the train a scare.

On the contrary, such a recommendation is sage. The best way to raise a child is by setting a good example. If a child is led from a young age to receive the sacraments regularly, they will lovingly receive the sacraments of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick when necessary.

Many sick and elderly people gladly receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick every year, which strengthens them, and they desire to receive it at the end of their lives, too.

Let’s teach children to understand.

Blessed are the children of the elderly who ensure that their loved ones do not lack a sacramental life when they can no longer come to God’s temple by themselves. Blessed are the priests who regularly visit the sick and bring them ‘the bread of life’ – the Eucharist.

If only more could be done, it would be good to have as many family members as possible present when the priest visits, especially children. Just as children understand a doctor’s visit as one that heals their elders, they can also learn to see a priest’s visit as one that strengthens the spiritual life of their loved ones.

They learn the meaning of the saying: ‘The doctor heals the body, but the priest heals the soul.’ A doctor’s efforts and every healing process will end someday, but the ‘bread of eternal life’ brought by the priest is assured by Jesus: ‘Who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day’ (Jn 6:54).

HOPE FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL

The life experiences of older people offer valuable lessons for all family members. It reminds us of all the good things they have done and experienced, and of how they have stayed together through thick and thin; their example is all the more inspiring. 

If such a family still has faith, then even with the elderly’s physical weakness, hope in the most beautiful thing can be strengthened. Jesus offers us a life of eternal joy, where there will be no more tears (cf. Rev 21:4). As it says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”.

Let us look forward to the day when we will be reunited with all our loved ones in heaven forever. Let’s do what we can to make it happen. Blessed are the elderly who taught us how to live to obtain eternal life.

Questions to think about:

Is obtaining eternal life the most essential thing in my life?

Do I have the courage to call a priest to visit a sick or dying relative?

Will the priest scare the ill person or help them?