A piece of sunshine

Wisdom of time

Humble Pope Francis is always concerned for the poor and the marginalized. He is committed to dialogue with others beyond barriers and to building bridges among people of all backgrounds and beliefs. 

 

Connecting the elderly with the young is one of his sincere goals to overcome the generation gap and to build a bridge of joyful love. His sincere intention to connect the elderly with the young generation was already expressed in "Christus vivit" the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation published in March 2019 after the synod on young people.

 

Calling for "an alliance between the young and the old" to help us counter the culture of waste, to make the world a better place, to look above the horizon, and to see the stars beyond, Pope Francis emphasizes that we must understand where we have been to see where we should go.

 

So he was willing to contribute and collaborate with the making a book on the wisdom of elders. Thus, "Sharing the Wisdom of Time" written by Pope Francis and his friends was published by Loyola Press in October 2018. In fact, this precious book came out of his constant prayer and thoughtful consideration.

 

Together with 10 Jesuit publishers from around the world, Loyola Press interviewed 259 elderly people over the course of two years and also collaborated with a nonprofit sponsorship community called "Unbound," the Christian foundation that helps old people and children living in poverty in 18 countries. Among those interviews, 84 stories were chosen to make a wonderful volume of "Sharing the Wisdom of Time."

 

This book as the reservoir of elders' inspiring wisdom is a collection of true testimonies of the elderly from over 30 countries in the world, intertwined with feedback and comments of Pope Francis.

 

As a result of their sincere efforts to make it more useful and effective, "Sharing the Wisdom of Time" won many awards: 2019 Best Book Awards for novelty, gift book, and photography; 2019 Illumination Book Awards for keepsake, gift, specialty bible; 2019 Living Now Book Awards of evergreen medal for spiritual leadership; 2019 Catholic Press Association Book Awards for design and production, family life, coffee table book and religious art, Pope Francis and spirituality; 2019 International Book Awards for Christianity; 2019 Association of Catholic Publishers; 2019 Independent Press Awards for coffee table book.

 

A colorful edition of the Korean version was created by the Ignatian Spirituality Study Center in 2019, translated by Fr. Jeong Jae-cheon, the present provincial superior of the Society of Jesuits.

 

As Pope Francis says, "To walk toward the future, the past is needed," elders' experiences and inspiring wisdom can guide our path and inspire our lives. Each story is introduced under five thematic topics such as work, struggle, love, death, and hope. As true and touching testimonies to the power of faith, perseverance, and love, each story lets us to look above the horizon and go on a journey.

 

In this book carved from various experiences of elders, a blind old person confesses that "I am a blind person but I see the beauty of my surroundings with the heart of soul."

 

Truly, as Pope Francis says, "the success of life is not glory but perseverance. Wise old persons have great patience. This is the wisdom that makes you dream."

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