Have you noticed that as people age, they frequently become more attached to God? Not everyone, but it has been my experience over the years of talking with people that age brings fidelity to God. Mind you, by age I am talking about 70+ years of age.
I have also seen many younger people speak more readily and faithfully of their faith in the religion to which they adhere when they find themselves afflicted by serious illness. A case in point for me is a patient of mine who suffers from a severe form of mental illness and incapacity, but who seems to be insistent on talking about his faith in God. (I think he is trying to convert me to his religion!)
I think for many of us, illness and age bring with them a degree of simplicity of heart, and clarity of vision as to what is real and what is not, that opens us to the presence of God as we have come to know him. If only all of us could get there, to that simplicity I mean, in the unfortunate complexity of daily living.
Today is Holy Saturday. We are to enter into a certain rest today. Jesus is in the tomb. He has brought us a new rest by his time in the tomb. Today is such a simple day. There is nothing to do but wait and pray. Wait and pray. Stay in communion with our Lord, and await his renewed presence. Today requires a certain age of heart, a certain wisdom that comes from maturity of spirit, a spirit of hope in what we have come to know is of real importance in our lives — living the Paschal Mystery each and every day.
