SENECTUS (Old Age)*
Timor mortis conturbat me (The fear of death disturbs me)
The creeping ivy of old age entwines and snakes its way
into every part of life;
as each day rushes past
just a little less can the body do.
until finally it can do no more but lie and doze,
like a river in extreme old age.
*In Roman mythologoy, Senectus personifies old age, being himself the son of Nox, the goddess of the night, (the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nyx, the primordial entity, who is said to have been the daughter of Chaos, who is said to have had several other offspring, including Erebus (Darkness), Tartarus, and Gaia (Earth). Nox was a powerful figure, associated with shadowy darkness and harmful forces – but also with rest and rejuvenation.
Aren’t we grateful that our lives and ‘fate’ is in the hands of the living Lord, and not some impersonal ancient deity!? In the light of the Lord’s warning to me towards the end of 2015, however, that I was about to become a very great deal weaker, and would have to become as good at letting go of things as I had always been at picking them up, I was surprised to discover that, rather than reminding myself to tie a knot in my handkerchief to remind me never to get old, (!) I had actually written a few lines on the theme of old age even before I went to college.
Though none of welcome the prospect of being dependent on others, and dread losing our faculties, Scripture speaks of death itself in a very different way, as being the gateway into Eternal life. May old age holds no ultimate fear for us, therefore, because He who calls us is faithful, and we know the strength of His grip upon our lives. As we progressively weaken, by no means does the Author of Life do so too!
Jesus is the Light of the world, but because He said, ‘Night cometh when no one can work,’ (John 9:4) it behoves us to quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us, while we yet have light and strength. For beyond the present darkness, to us who believe, lies not doom and chaos but light and life and all that is truly good.
Therefore we pray with St Paul; that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened, in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. For that power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 1:18-20)
Set to the beautiful music of Mahler and Torelli, this beautiful piece encourages us to dwell on the theme of Eternal Light.