A Spirituality of Ageing

Sometime around the age of fifty--or as early as forty and as late as sixty--most of us come to terms with our age. We recognize that we have lived out at least half of the time allotted to us, and that the second half may be shorter than the first! Coming to terms with our age is a process, one that usually involves denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As we progresses through these stages, a spirituality of aging emerges. In this book, the reader is led on a quest to explore his or her own personal spirituality of aging. All the equipment--words of wisdom from the literature of the world's religions--has been gathered here. Each of the book's thirty-two exercises invites readers to reflect on a passage taken from the sacred literature of a world religion, then explore each passage for its meanings and applications through a meditative journaling question and a short prayer. While delving into the universal process of aging, the reader will be guided to discover his or her personal spirituality of aging.

In this somber and yet hope-filled book, Boyer takes the reader on a personal journey to examine the ups and downs of every aspect of aging. Only as we face our own mortality can we truly realize the gift of each moment we are given. This is a great resource that I will recommend to patients and families in my clinic who struggle, endure, and ultimately choose their own perspective about aging.
--Janna D. Ver Miller, MD, Internal Medicine and Geriatric Physician, Senior Health First, Lakewood, CO


Mark G. Boyer, a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, MO, teaches Bible and film courses in the Religious Studies Department of Missouri State University. He is the author of thirty-six books on biblical and liturgical spirituality, including Wipf & Stock's Nature Spirituality: Praying with Wind, Water, Earth, Fire (2013).