Daily Meditation for February 20, 2023

Times of transition tease the best from us even as it tests and tries us terribly. Consider previous landmark changes—be it leaving home, committing oneself in a significant relationship, or broadening fields of interests and expertise. Who would have thought a new future could be fashioned from such meager beginnings? Youth naturally spring into attractive possibilities as enthusiasm carries them forward. But what about those already established with home and profession? Do fresh challenges and unexpected happenings keep middle-age adults paralyzed before a major turn-about in their lives? Many transitions fertilize growth. Adaptation and imagination can reinvigorate them. What about unwelcomed change for retired and elderly persons? Drastic upending of a familiar way of life can draw them to heroic heights. Vulnerable seniors repeatedly witness resilience toward transformation. Positive change evolves not only out of courage. It is realized with accompaniment. Trust, hope and mutual care ensure an unleashing of new power in transition.

By Ruth Feeney, OSB