VATICAN CITY, SEP 17, 2000 (VIS) - In St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m. today, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the occasion of the Jubilee of the Elderly. He told the 40,000 elderly people present - including himself in the count - that "the Church and civil society need us."
"In such a world as the present," he said in his homily, "where strength and power are frequently mythicized, your mission is to bear witness to the values that are truly important, over and above appearances; those values that abide forever because they are written on the heart of all human beings and guaranteed by the Word of God."
John Paul II indicated that, as older people, they had "a specific contribution to offer towards the development of a true 'culture of life,' bearing witness that each moment of existence is a gift from God and each season of human life has its particular riches that must be made available to all."
"The Church regards you with great respect and trust. The Church needs you! What is more, society also needs you! Know how to use with generosity the time you have available and the gifts that God has given you, opening yourselves to the help and support of others. Contribute to announcing the Gospel as catechesists, animators of the liturgy and witnesses of Christian life. Dedicate time and energy to prayer and to reading and reflecting upon God's Word."
The Pope especially recalled all those elderly people who are "alone and sick, who have been unable to move from home but who are spiritually united to us and follow this celebration by radio and television. I assure those in precarious situations or in particular difficulties that I remain close to them and recall them in my prayers."
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