Intervention of Don José Grullón,
Bishop of San Juan de la Maguana
(Dominican Republic)
Conference on the spirituality of the elderly, Venezuela
Father Ramon Emilio and Sister Nayda spoke before me, the first, exposing the doctrine and the second one telling us about her experience. I will also tell you about my experience.
I'll start by telling you that I'm like a pigeon learning to fly at 78. Although I am retired and bishop emeritus in office, I am preparing. Although I am entering another stage of life, the mission is the same from birth to death: evangelize. That's my life.
What is evangelization? To evangelize is to do good, it is to serve. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, Mary's greetings filled Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit. At the Cana's wedding, Mary, attentive to the needs of her neighbor, worked on what she could solve and said to the servants, "Do what he will tell you."
Evangelization already through work, as Jesus as a child, in the carpenter's workshop of his father St. Joseph. Evangelize by doing good. If I can't do what I did in my youth, I'm going to do something else, but I'll continue with the same mission: Evangelize, do good. My spirituality has its foundations in baptism: renouncing Satan, loving God and improving the world. Put in practice the values of the Kingdom, do everything with love, simplicity and honesty.
I am 78 years old and I am continuing my commitment: to reject evil and do good. I would be 90, 100 or 105 years old that I should continue this same mission, with the same commitment.
There are three attitudes to carry out the work of evangelization:
- Keep me active and encourage the elder person to stay active,
- To be productive, even if I am in a nursing home, I have to prepare myself,
- Be participatory.
How can I stay active?
I never say I'm tired. This word is not part of my vocabulary. I'm a long distance runner athlete who never says he's tired, I'm still fit. Older people should always be fit and spread a mindset: If we want to ... We can do it!
I am like a cabbage with its many layers of leaves: The hard and slightly spoiled outer leaves, have lived many years and date back to childhood, but I am no longer a child. Then come the layers of leaves of adolescence and youth. Then appear the leaves of the layer of adulthood during which I fulfilled my mission as a married man or an active priest. I put these leaves aside and kept the bud, tender and active, hat active and dreamy me that no one can take away from me, my intimate and active self that no one can take away from me, my always thinking self.
How can I stay productive?
I have already produced a lot, and with my backpack, I walked a lot, I touched more than 160 communities. There has been a change, people have been baptized and have a more dynamic faith. As I get older, I have to be an actor of change, I have to be the productive one and not tell someone else what to do. With age, I have to change my approach, for that I think and my thinking is active: I love, if I love I serve, and if I serve, I serve, I was not born to be served. To him who is useless, living is useless.
Every year, we receive a visit from an American father accompanied by a group of elderly people. They come to collect, they come to serve. They volunteer and build. We seniors must volunteer by showing up wherever good can be done: schools, residences, assistance, etc. Always serve with the five senses: Read, hear, pray.
Prayer is active. Sometimes when a job was half finished,we prayed. The Lord came to our aid and we were able to finish it. Even if I'm crippled bedridden, I can pray, I can still be active.
How can I stay involved?
The answer is: not to be possessive, not to want to command. Let it be and know how to value. Participate by valuing others, appreciate all the positives of the person next to you.
When I was appointed bishop at 50, the emeritus bishop, who was 80 years old, let me know that the Church was the two of us, that we were a team that would work together.
Be an active, productive and participatory older person. Make the other person feel that he is part of the work you undertake together.