Spirituality and Ageing - A Reflective Workshop
SPIRITUALITY
"Spirituality is our way of living in relation to that which is beyond the self. . . Spirituality is a fundamental part of human personhood. Everyone has spirituality whether they think of themselves as spiritual or not."
"The quest for meaning and purpose, and to determine and achieve right action, form two important aspects of spiritual development".
Hughes, Julian C. "A Situated Embodied View of the Person with Dementia" in Spirituality and Personhood in Dementia, edited by Albert Jewell, 205. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2011.
About the ageing experience
AGEING
"Life changes is not the issue. Change will come whether we like it or not." "It is not change that will destroy us. It is the attitude we take to it that will make all the difference. The frame of mind we bring to it gives meaning to the end of one phase of life, of course. But more than that, it also determines the spiritual depth with which we start this new phase.
"It all comes down to whether we see our existence now as having meaning for others, as well as for ourselves, or simply as a kind of enforced pause between the end of the life that has already
happened and the end of the body which will surely happen soon."
"[Old age] . . . is the point of life in which everything we have learned up until this point can now be put to use."
Chithster, Joan, 2008. The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully. Katonah, NY: BlueBridge.
"How can we differentiate distinct phases of aging in later life? Theorizations of the third and fourth age posit that later life often involves a time of continued growth and increased opportunity (the "third age") as well as a time marked by growing cognitive, physical, and social losses (the "fourth age")."
Pothen, John, Dore, Emily C, Idler, Ellen. Social Characteristics of the Fourth Age. In Innovation in Aging, 2019 Nov. 3
(Suppl. 1): S696—S697. Published online 2019 Nov 8. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igz038.2564
From Australian Advices and Queries
"Live adventurously. When choices arise, do you take the way that offers the fullest opportunity the use of your gifts in the service of God and the community?Let your life speak. When decisions have to be made, are you ready to join with others in seeking clearness, asking for God's guidance and offering counsel to one another?"
30. "Every stage of our lives offers fresh opportunities. Responding to divine guidance, try to discern the right time to undertake or relinquish responsibilities without undue pride or guilt. Attend to what love requires of you, which may not be great busyness."
31. "Approach old age with courage and hope. As far as possible make arrangements for your care in good time, so that a undue burden does not fall on others. Although old age may bring increasing disability and loneliness, it can also bring serenity, detachment and wisdom. Pray that in your final years you may be enabled to find new ways of receiving and reflecting God's love."
From the Bible
AGE
Job 12:12 "Is not wisdom found among the aged?"
2 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting aw inwardly we are being renewed day by day."
WHAT ABOUT THESE?
LONELINESS Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself.
Carl Jung, quoted in the following article:
https://carl ju ngdepthpsychol ogysite.bl og12020/04/26Jcarl-i ung-on-silence-loneliness-a nd-being-alone-
anthology/#google vignette Accessed 21 April 2024
Loneliness generally relates to the quality of our relationships, rather than their quantity. Everyone has a different appetite for social connection, so it's not about how many friends you have, but how
close you feel to them.
https://toolkit,Iifeline.org.au/topics/loneliness/what-is-loneliness Accessed 7 May 2024
Wikipedia Accessed 27 June 2024
Some more references
Morrison, Mary, 1993. Without Nightfall Upon the Spirit. Pendle Hill Pamphlet #311.
MacKinlay, Elizabeth, 2017. The Spiritual Dimension of Ageing. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2nd edition.
MacKinlay, Elizabeth, 2006. Spiritual Growth and Care in the Fourth Age of Life. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Youngblut, John, 1990. On Hallowing One's Diminishments. Pendle Hill Pamphlet #292. Try some Google searches. For example:
· Courage and old age
· What is...? Serenity? Detachment? Wisdom?
