What does ageing invite us to be – not just physically, but spiritually?
In a recent episode of The Spiritual Life podcast, Jesuit priest and podcast host Fr James Martin SJ spoke with spiritual writer and poet Sr Joyce Rupp OSM for an hour about the gifts and challenges of growing older, and how ageing can lead us toward freedom, trust and inner transformation.
Well known for books like Vessels of Love and Praying Our Goodbyes, Sr Joyce reflected on what it means to live from a place of being, not just doing, as we get older.
In NSW, people are considered seniors starting at age 60, or at age 50 for First Nations peoples. The NSW population continues to age, with 18.2% aged 65 years and over, 2.4% aged over 85 years, but just 5.8% aged 0-4 years (as at 2023). According to ABS and Western Sydney University research, projections indicate that by 2050, one in four residents in Western Sydney will be aged 65 or older.
Fr James, who recently turned 64 – said as he ages, he questions more about “how you are in the world” and “how you can continue to be hopeful, cheerful and loving, as we age.”
Sr Joyce explained that a spirituality of ageing means paying attention to “how the external part of my life influences the inner life” – and vice versa.
“We are filled with love,” she said. “As things begin to be taken from us – our successes and active life – we can allow more space to be an open vessel for love.”
She also spoke about the idea of “ripening” in later life.
“When we’re born, we’re filled with beautiful qualities. Then we grow, develop our ego, and aim for success – and many of those virtues get pushed aside. But in older age, we have more time to reflect and return home to those qualities.”
“It’s a time to ripen and harvest the goodness that’s within us.”
Their conversation touches on important themes for any age: self-acceptance, letting go of resentment, spiritual openness, and how our image of God can continue to evolve across our lifetime.
Sr Joyce also opened up about the personal experiences behind her writing in Praying Our Goodbyes, including grief following the drowning of her own brother. While she initially felt exposed sharing something so personal, the responses affirmed her courage.
“The deeper down we go,” she reflected, “the more alike we are than different.”
Prayer is a vital way to get closer to self-contemplation and God.
Fr James said, “if prayer gets stale, mix it up,” adding suggestions like Ignatian contemplation, centering prayer, lectio divina, spiritual reading, or try walking in nature.
On having a ‘dry’ prayer life, where prayer feels burdensome or dull, Fr James assured that feeling is “totally natural”.
Sr Joyce added that prayers is not about “good feelings” – it’s about a “good relationship”. She added that a rich prayer life “nourishes and feeds the spirit.”
You can watch the full conversation on YouTube or tune in to The Spiritual Life podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.
You can also read more about ageing gracefully in Catholic Outlook.
