I was at the pool, heading to the snack bar, when I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. A football hit me squarely on the right shoulder and bounced off, and then a little boy loudly admonished his friend. “Don’t throw footballs at old ladies!”  

There were no other people in the vicinity who had just been pummeled by a football, so the conclusion was inescapable. Just like in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” a child had conveyed a truth no one else dared to utter. I am a lady, and I am old by any standards. Logic dictates the conclusion, but I had been dodging it for years.  

How easily we deceive ourselves! Yes, there are the obvious physical signs—wrinkled skin, diminished eyesight and hearing and gray hair. Still, we are bombarded by lies from advertisers who proclaim, “60 is the new 40!” The ads show silver-haired, well-tanned men and women, bicycling while laughing uproariously. No one has an aching knee or needs a hip replacement, because the “golden years” are apparently problem-free.  

Fortunately, Scripture assures us of God’s enduring love, despite our age. In Isaiah we read, “Even to your old age I am the same, and to your gray hairs I will carry you.” St. Paul encourages us: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”  

In the Gospels, we meet elderly people, whose lives are changed forever by God. The baby that Zechariah and Elizabeth have in old age will become John the Baptist, an important figure in Jesus’ life. Then there are the elderly people—Simeon and Anna—who are in the temple, when Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus inside. Simeon has awaited the moment of meeting the savior with such fervor that after holding Jesus in his arms, he is ready to die in peace.  

The prophetess Anna, 84 years old, has been widowed for decades. Despite her advanced years, she still has a purpose in life, which is praying and fasting. Once she meets Jesus, she goes to share the good news with others. All these people are focusing their remaining years on their spiritual health. Their lives are firmly rooted in prayer. 

For me, the mystery is why I often bemoan lacking time for prayer, while I make time to play word games and drive across town for pistachio ice cream. Since Jesus is in our hearts, we can turn to him anytime during the day and call his name. We can also sit with him quietly, since as Mother Teresa said, “In the silence of the heart, God speaks.” Sometimes God reaches us through images. Perhaps you imagine yourself baking brownies for a girl leaving home for college. Or you envision yourself helping a neighbor with home repairs.  

Some people say, “I’ll take a retreat sometime” and “I’d like to convert to Catholicism, but not now.” Jesus told us “You don’t know the day or the hour,” meaning we don’t know how much time we have left. The most important items on our “bucket list” could be prayer and frequent confession.  

Unfortunately, we often repeat the same sins based on ingrained habits, but despite the saying, an old dog can indeed learn new tricks. I have a penchant for watching detective shows, which often explore the most depraved aspects of human nature. I’m praying to break the addiction and return to reading in the evenings. So far, so good, although I dare not rest on my laurels, given my track record on dieting.  

We can serve God at any age. I take comfort in knowing Mother Teresa was still ministering to people in her 80s and Bishop Fulton Sheen at 75 was still writing. I’m grateful God shook me out of complacency and gave me a big dose of reality. For some folks, it might take a thunderbolt, but for me it was an ordinary football and a little boy who dared to speak the truth.