An Encouraging Word – We’ve got it good

Father J. Ronald Knott
Father J. Ronald Knott

They shall bear fruit even in old age. Psalm 92:15

When this column appears, I will be ending my third trip as a volunteer in the foreign missions way down in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. No, it’s not some heroic Lenten penance, it’s part of what I decided to do in retirement.

I always heard that people who retire often report that they are “busier than ever.” I may not be “busier than ever,” but I am certainly “as busy as ever.”

Besides two trips to “the missions,” I led 10 priest convocations last year (six of them in Canada), conducted two parish missions and spoke at a national convention.

There are eight more priest convocations on my calendar this year (four of them outside the United States), at least four foreign mission trips and two parish missions, not to mention attending to my local commitments at Bellarmine and The Record.

Why is that? Why do some retired people report being “busier than ever?” I decided to take some time to reflect on that question and share what I came up with to see if it resonates with others.

Here is what occurred to me. I believe it’s because we hear a clock winding down somewhere in the back of our consciousness — in other words, a voice saying, “If you’re going to do it, you had better get on with it.” Yes, this is a new awareness for me — something that I have never thought about before — that time is running out.

Before you start feeling sorry for me, let me say this: I am perfectly fine with being 72. I just want to stay healthy. I want to live long and die well, with as much space in between as possible. Besides, there is a lot of good news about being 70.

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown found that the best age to be in 2012 was 70. Our generation escaped the horrors of World War II, enjoyed the liberation of the 60s and 70s, purchased a house in our 20s on a low mortgage and then watched as it soared in value over the decades.

Now, after years of low taxation, good equity in our homes and pensions that have matured well, there really is no better time to be alive, for us.

Sadly, the news is much more glum for those who are younger. The research concluded the worst age to be right now is 45, with their children about to rack up massive college debt, huge mortgages to pay off and not much in the way of savings to fall back on.

Don’t dare be in your 20s right now — with student debts, no jobs, no prospect of buying a house, no savings, a huge rise in the cost of living and a low salary. Financial advisers, commissioned by British Airways Business Life magazine to find the best age, found that negatives outweighed the positives for all generations except for those hitting 70.

Young people, it’s time to start “kissing up!”

To read more from Father Knott, visit his blog: FatherKnott.com.

Father J. Ronald Knott

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