Derry granny shares wisdom in Pope's new book

“Sharing the Wisdom of Time” (Messenger Publications), which was launched this week by the Pope in the Vatican, gives older people an opportunity to share their wisdom with upcoming generations.

Among the other contributors to the book is Oscar-winning movie director Martin Scorsese.

The inspiration which guided this ‘elders project’ was the Pope’s conviction that, “to walk toward the future, the past is needed”. He invited older people to share their experience of love, loss, hope, peace and faith in reflections and personal narratives to inspire future generations.

Margaret O’Reilly, from Derry, remembers a valuable lesson she learnt as a child, after telling her first lie.

In her reflection, she recalls: “Lies are like a rock in a big chain around you, and it just gets tighter and tighter. It’s very easy to lie, but it’s also destructive. When we’re lying, we don’t realise just how far the lie is going to go... Once it starts, there is no end to it. It’s like throwing a stone into a pond. The ripple just goes on and on and on... I always tell children how they need to think about what they are saying. And that even a small lie is not a good lie.”

“Sharing the Wisdom of Time”, by Pope Francis and Friends, is priced £22.50.