growing old: learning from simeon and anna

It is said that in the past, people in the orient most especially the Chinese would lie about their age, like most of us do now. However there is one big difference. We lie about our age by lowering it as in you’re actually 40 and you say, I’m 24, as if people could not see the obvious. But in the past, it’s different. People in the orient would lie about their age by jacking it up, as in you’re actually 50 but they would insists, I am 65.
Nowadays we color our hair with whatever color we like, except gray. I attended a wedding once who had for their motif the color green. Everything is green, even the hair of one woman. Imagine a green hair, greenamo gid, I hope her mind was not as green as her hair!


Anyway, we color our hair with everything except gray. And if it is gray, we color it black. But in the past, in the orient, gray hair is a status symbol, a source of pride, as if to say, hey look I have gray hair, boy I’m so proud. In fact gray hair is considered a crown, a silver crown which grows on its own on one’s head. It was never hidden, it was not a source of shame. It was something that was bannered around.
I have been assigned in this 11 o’clock schedule for the past three years already. The first year I talked about the parents by using the image of the candle. The second year I reflected with you about the child, the presentation of the child. Today I would like to reflect with you the beauty of growing old, and not just growing old but growing old graciously which is what I am also trying to learn, or at the very least to prepare for.
In the gospel we see two old people who were not ashamed that they are old and I should say happy despite their old age.
The first one was an old man, who was about to die, who was so resolved with death he even asked for it and even reminded God that he had seen what needs to be seen. His name is Simeon.
The second one is an old woman. She did not keep secret her age, in fact she admitted that she was 85 years old. She was a very prayerful woman. Though a widow, she was not bitter but dedicated herself worshipping God day and night.
Both these old persons are teaching us about old age and about growing old gracefully. Here are some of the lessons they teach us.
First, my first assignment as a priest was with an old priest, quite old, though not really very old, but for me he somewhat epitomizes how it is to be growing old graciously. While we were busy preparing for an affair we saw him so relaxed entertaining other priest who came for a visit. I don’t really know what the question was but I overheard him say to another priest, pabay-i da ya ang mga bata sa pagpreparar sina, ila na ya obra. Sang bata-bata pa ako gawa akon man ina tanan obra, subong ila na man ina. Here is a priest who has accepted the limits of old age. Here is an old man reconciled with the fact that there are things in his life which he could do before but which he could not do now. Here is an old man who remained secure because he has learned to accept the fact that he must fade and others take his place. Here is an old man who has learned to relax and take it easy. You know in my stay in the parish I felt I was always supported. I was made to feel that despite my successes and failures he would always be there to encourage me no matter what. I was made to feel that despite the fact that I was doing everything and getting all the honors, I was not an object of jealousy, nor an object of envy. I have a secure old man with me. I believe that is one quality which we must learn to acquire. Simeon this old man. He was secure. He knew when to take a bow. He knew when he must fade away. He knew the things he can do and the things he cannot do anymore.
Some people think that old age is a time to take up some back subjects, things that they did not do when they were younger, they want to do it now. But that is impossible. So the technique for growing old graciously is to make your younger years fulfilling. Do what you can now, take every opportunity to carve whatever destiny you are destined for, do your best, give your best while you are at it. Then when you grow old, there will be no more back subjects to take up, you will learn to relax, you will learn to be secure and you will learn to fade away rather than die. As General McArthur once said, “generals do not die, they just fade away.” Lantawa bala pirme ang mga balati-an naton subong. Kay bal-an mo uribadon, bal-an mo nga tigulang ka na manadol ka pa, ti kundi nabali hawak mo. Ano abi kay sang bata-bata ka pa gawa waay ka nagbira-bira panadol kag. This can happen literally and symbolically.
Second, I also came to know of an old priest who has always kind words in whatever I do, bisan sa akon mga kapalpakan. He would always tell me whenever we meet, O ari na ang the best master of ceremonies, bisan damo sala akon pang-serve sa misa. He will always congratulate me in public saying very good, very good, congratulations. Here is a person who at an a very old age remains always hopeful, always optimistic about what is happening, always confident with the young, always inspiring to the young. Hay may iban ya nga marauton as they grow old. Tanan nga obra mo sala, tanan mo nga hulag sala, tanan mo nga desisyon sala. Marauton.
Here in our gospel we have Anna, 85 years old, a widow at that and yet she was hopeful, she was thankful, she spoke about him to those who are expectantly waiting for their time of deliverance. Please when we grow old let us be hopeful and happy for those who are to replace us. Let us be expectant of the good things they will bring instead of being too pessimistic about the young and everything that is happening in the world, “hay ambot waay waay na gid ang mga bata subong, hay ambot waay na gid pulos ang mga nagabulos sa aton nga henerasyon.” Kay man marauton! Remember age can take away the bloom and the strength of our bodies, but age can do worse. It can take away the life of our hearts until the hopes which we once cherished die, even ahead of our own deaths, and we become drearily content, forbiddingly astute, and grimly resigned to the things that are happening around us. As we grow old think rather that the best is yet to be, the best is yet to be – it will not be in our time but I believe that the best is yet to be. We can only say these if we pray like Anna, if we worship God like Anna. Only a prayerful person can grow old graciously without bitterness and resentment because only a prayerful person knows that God is intimately connected with life and with the things of this world and with the generation that follows us, even as God has followed us through during our years..
So that is one technique for growing old graciously – to rediscover prayer, to rediscover the presence of God not just in our lives but in the life of every man and woman of every generation. God is there, God will be there – that is how good the future is and that is the good the younger ones now will bring to this world. Rediscover hopefulness and you will live a happy old age.
There are still other lessons from these two old persons in our gospel today. I could only speak as much. This I would just like to say to end: even when you are old, even when we are growing old, let us do so graciously like Anna and Simeon. As we do so we become like the candles, the perdon that despite our melting wax and ever waning bodies, we continue to give light, we continue to shine and glow despite our age.
Let us not be afraid to grow old, the gray hairs are our crowns, the slow and unhurried gait is wisdom, the wrinkles of age are badges which we proudly wear, and the toothless smile is a sign that life is indeed, and had been indeed, beautiful.