Through prayer, education and service we strive for spiritual fulfillment during our maturing years.
Spiritual Transitions of Mature Adults
In
Spiritual Passages, Fr. Benedict Groeschel says there are four types of spiritual seekers—those who seek unity, truth, goodness, and beauty. One of the spiritual transitions of our maturing years is to gather up these four into a new integration. Yet this process is not easy; it requires that we remain ever open to the inner call of God, and it requires our patience as it moves forward at its own pace. The following steps propel us closer to God in our maturing years.
- Awakening: heightened awareness of things spiritual, openness to the Spirit, disengagement from purely worldly pursuits.
- Going inward: becoming more prayerful, contemplative, even meditative; experiencing a deepening God relationship.
- Reverencing: appreciating the sacred, being inspired, living mystery, and walking more by faith and less by sight.
- Going outward: active involvement in helping others.
- Caring: teaching, sharing, relationship building, and spiritual mentoring.
- Shock: walking the dark night of the soul; experiencing disappointment, alienation, turmoil, doubt, and struggle.
- Renewal: rebuilding; turning over to God; healthy detachment.
- Acceptance: letting-go and letting God; taking another step toward integration and wholeness.
We needn't go through all these steps, or go through them in this order, yet the progression of spiritual transition always beckons us forward. Each stage of life offers abundant opportunities for spiritual growth. We are happiest, healthiest, and holiest when we are actively engaged in our spiritual development tasks. The years beyond age 65 present us with perhaps the most challenging, yet the most growthful time for finding God within.
