When the curtain closed on our reflections dedicated to Consecrated Life, during the G50 formation course taking place in Rome, it opened onto a new theme: old age. How to face it, understand it, and above all, value it, when one’s heart is turned toward the Mission?
By Giacomo Mazzotti*
Opening this series of meetings was Fr. Gian Franco Poli, a native of Turin and Episcopal Vicar for Consecrated Life in the Diocese of Albano. His résumé would make any career manager pale: besides various degrees in theology and pastoral studies, he is also a medical doctor and psychiatric specialist. In short, the perfect profile for dispensing advice to an audience he prefers – with exquisite and colourful euphemism – not to call “elderly,” but “rich in years.”
With an engaging, soft, and never professorial style, Fr. Gian Franco won over our audience (hanging on his every word!), blending necessary theory with a wealth of clinical and human anecdotes that fit so perfectly they seemed scripted by a director.
As has now become tradition, we’ve gathered his most original reflections: nuggets with a hint of ginger, in which priest and physician merge in a perfect and thoroughly convincing embrace.
No retirement for the soul
Old age is by no means the sunset stretch of life, but a season of fullness and fruitfulness of the spirit. Ceasing to run does not mean ceasing to bloom.
God’s promise doesn’t expire
There’s a beautiful biblical verse that serves as a compass: “Even to your old age I am he.” Our physical strength may diminish, but God’s faithfulness has no wrinkles.
From efficiency to trust
Moving from frantic action to contemplation, or from strength to frailty, is not impoverishment. It’s an advanced school of surrender to Grace, where one learns to truly trust in God and less in oneself.
Invisible fruitfulness
Even when practical results are no longer visible and health falters, the “rich in years” missionary remains a pillar. His silent prayer and store of wisdom are an irreplaceable treasure for the young people running the field today.
Longevity is a gift (not a statistic)
The lengthening lifespan of missionaries is not merely a demographic figure for graphs and tables, but a true event of the spirit. When efficiency slows down, mission continues to speak through the language of wisdom, memory, and a faith tested by time.
Fighting against the “myth of productivity”
The “rich in years” missionary is a splendid provocation against the modern mentality that wants us always young, quick, and high-performing. He shows the world that a person’s worth doesn’t depend on output, and that even frailty can become a powerful proclamation of the Gospel.
Aging is natural (resignation is not)
Time passes for everyone, and it’s useless to wage war against the mirror. Body and mind change: accepting this with realism, and putting away the myths of efficiency at all costs, is the first step toward living happily.
Worth isn’t measured in output
The Christian perspective overturns the world’s rules: the season of frailty is not a discard, but a time of maturation. A missionary’s worth isn’t calculated by how many miles he’s covered or how many projects he’s completed, but by how much memory and faith he holds in his heart.
In short, if you thought old age for a missionary meant hanging up the oars and boredom, Fr. Gian Franco proved just the opposite. True, the steps grow shorter and the bag of medicines heavier than the suitcase, but the horizon remains the same: to witness that Love never retires, and Mission keeps us forever young!
In the end, being “rich in years” simply means having more stories to tell, more Grace to share, and more time to look at the world through God’s eyes. So — shoulder your pack (while you still can!) and… full steam ahead! The mission continues.
*Father Giacomo Mazzotti, IMC, Communications Team of the G50 Course.
