01.16.2026 | Ordinary Friday

Lessons in the Last Light
 
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he. I am he who will sustain you.”
Isaiah 46:4
 
The sunsets of the past few days have been nothing short of glorious. They have felt like moments of grace amidst the chaos and horrors surrounding us these past few weeks. I feel the passing of each day a bit more acutely now. Growing older can be a gift if we learn to be comfortable with who we are today rather than mourn the loss of who we once were.
 
Saint John of the Cross once wrote, “In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human successes, but rather on how much we have loved.” He reminds us that our true obligation is to age well. Not in terms of monetary wealth, but in spiritual and emotional richness. It is all about loving and kindness, simple truths that are often hard to remember.
 
This incredible journey is about becoming more than we have been. E. M. Forster once wrote, “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” One of the blessings I am slowly embracing is the realization that it is the quality of what I think and say that shapes who I am, not how fast I move or how busy I stay.
 
The days go by so quickly now. Getting older is not the hard part. The hard part is the fear of getting older. Life does not stop until it stops. When we count aging only as a series of losses, we lose sight of the extraordinary gains.
 
The sunset teaches us not to fear the fear. Each day ends in glorious grace. Every sign of change can be a blessing. And perhaps the very things I fear losing are, in truth, invitations calling me toward a new beginning. A call to love. A call to kindness. A call to grace.