Bishop Earl Fernandes told senior citizens at the diocese’s annual celebration honoring them that they must recognize the gift they can present to their children and grandchildren through the life experience they have acquired.
“You may wonder, ‘What do I have to offer people as I become older?’” the bishop said at a Mass that started the event. “In fact, you have an abundance of things to offer, and these are things money can’t buy – the wisdom, the faith you’ve acquired as you’ve grown, and the knowledge you’ve gained on how to confront challenges younger people have yet to face.”
About 200 people attended the 43rd diocesan Senior Citizens Day celebration on Tuesday, June 7 at Reynoldsburg St. Pius X Church, sponsored by the diocesan Office for Social Concerns. Because of cancellations caused by COVID-19, this was the first such event since 2019 for the diocese. It also was one of the first diocesan activities for Bishop Fernandes, who was installed as bishop one week earlier.
The day’s Old Testament reading told of how the widow of Zarephath and her son survived a year of famine because they shared the little bit of flour and oil they had with the prophet Elijah.
“They trusted in God, and He provided for them so Elijah could carry out his ministry of conversion,” the bishop said. “She responded to the question, ‘What do I have to offer?’ with what she had, and the response was remarkable. It can be that way with all of us if we just respond.”
The Gospel reading for the day contained Jesus’ words on salt and light from the Sermon on the Mount. “Many people look to the elderly for the kind of advice which you can uniquely give through the light of your faith and which the Gospel light of Jesus reveals to us,” Bishop Fernandes said.
“People need the guidance you can provide as true and credible witnesses of the faith. You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As salt, you are able to add the flavor of the Gospel to our culture at a time when it has gone stale. As your new bishop, I have a simple message. I ask that you go out and let your light shine to give glory to God.”
The Mass was followed by a luncheon with talks by Steve Nasdeo, information technology director for the diocese, on elder fraud, and Loren Brown, president and chief executive officer of The Catholic Foundation, on the foundation’s work.
Meals were provided by Freedom a la Cart, which empowers survivors of human trafficking to build lives of freedom and self-sufficiency through work in the food service industry.