July 26:
ST. JOACHIM AND ST. ANNE, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Love your grandparents and all the elderly!
ST. JOACHIM AND ST. ANNE, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Love your grandparents and all the elderly!
Today, July 26, is the feast day of St. Joachim and St. Anne, parents of Our Heavenly Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary and with her we rejoice and thank God for having given us holy grandparents who were the instruments for bringing into the world and educating Our Lady to be the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IT IS A SPECIAL DAY TO THANK GOD AND TO PRAY FOR AND SALUTE ALL THE GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY IN GENERAL WHO HAVE SELFLESSLY TRANSMITTED THE GIFT OF LIFE AND OF FAITH TO THE SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS WITH THEIR LOVE, AFFECTION, WISDOM AND LIFE EXPERIENCE.
THANKS TO THEIR SELF-GIVING, THE GIFT OF FAITH HAD BEEN HANDED DOWN FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER. IN MANY PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD, THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS AND INDISPENSABLE SUPPORT, IN SPITE OF THEIR ADVANCED AGE AND INCREASING PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, TO PARENTS WHO ARE ABSENT DUE TO THE DEMANDS OF WORK AND MODERN LIFESTYLE. WITHOUT THEM, MANY CHILDREN WOULD BE DEPRIVED OF THE NEEDED LOVE, AFFECTION, COMPANY, AND EDUCATION.
Through the intercession of St. Joachim and St. Anne, let us ask God for all the grandparents and the elderly so that they keep on providing the indispensable love, support and affection to their grandchildren with their prayers, faith, wisdom and holiness.
Below you have a vid I took during a July 26, 2017 visit to the Royal Parish of St. Anne (Seville, Spain) where I asked God through the intercession of St. Joachim, St. Anne and Our Lady for all the grandparents and the elderly, especially for those who are sick, abandoned and lonely.
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Below you will find the 2 speeches of Pope Francis in his General Audience this year touching on the topic of the role and importance of grandparents in today’s world. CAPITALS MINE TO HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANT IDEAS.
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General Audience of March 3, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good Morning,
Today’s catechesis and next Wednesday’s will be dedicated to the elderly, who in the family are the grandparents, aunts and uncles. Today we will reflect on the current problematic condition of the elderly, and next time, that is, next Wednesday, on a more positive note, on the vocation pertaining to this stage of life.
Thanks to the progress of medicine life-spans have increased: but society has not “expanded” to life! The number of elderly has multiplied, but our societies are not organized well enough to make room for them, with proper respect and practical consideration for their frailty and their dignity. While we are young, we are led to ignore old age, as if it were a disease to keep away from; then when we become old, especially if we are poor, if we are sick and alone, we experience the shortcomings of a society programmed for efficiency, which consequently ignores its elderly. And THE ELDERLY ARE A WEALTH NOT TO BE IGNORED.
Benedict XVI, visiting a home for the elderly, used clear and prophetic words, saying in this way: “THE QUALITY OF A SOCIETY, I MEAN OF A CIVILIZATION, IS ALSO JUDGED BY HOW IT TREATS ELDERLY PEOPLE AND BY THE PLACE IT GIVES THEM IN COMMUNITY LIFE” (12 November 2012). It’s true, attention to the elderly makes the difference in a civilization. Is there attention to the elderly in a civilization? Is there room for the elderly? This civilization will move forward if it knows how to respect wisdom, the wisdom of the elderly. In a civilization in which there is no room for the elderly or where they are thrown away because they create problems, this society carries with it the virus of death.
In the West, scientists present the current century as the aging century: children are diminishing, the elderly are increasing. This imbalance challenges us, indeed, it is a great challenge for contemporary society. Yet a culture of profit insists on casting off the old like a “weight”. Not only do they not produce — this culture thinks — but they are a burden: in short, what is the outcome of thinking like this? They are thrown away. It’s brutal to see how the elderly are thrown away, it is a brutal thing, it is a sin! No one dares to say it openly, but it’s done! There is something vile in this adherence to the throw-away culture. But we are accustomed to throwing people away. We want to remove our growing fear of weakness and vulnerability; but by doing so we increase in the elderly the anxiety of being poorly tolerated and neglected.
During my ministry in Buenos Aires I was in direct contact with this reality and its problems: “THE ELDERLY ARE ABANDONED, AND NOT ONLY IN MATERIAL INSTABILITY. THEY ARE ABANDONED OUT OF A SELFISH INCAPACITY TO ACCEPT THEIR LIMITATIONS THAT REFLECT OUR OWN LIMITATIONS, BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS DIFFICULTIES THAT MUST BE OVERCOME IN ORDER TO SURVIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE, TO HAVE THEIR SAY, OR BE REFERENTS IN THE CONSUMER MODEL OF ‘ONLY THE YOUNG CAN BE USEFUL AND ENJOY’. THESE ELDERLY PERSONS THROUGHOUT SOCIETY OUGHT TO BE A RESERVOIR OF WISDOM FOR OUR PEOPLE. THE ELDERLY ARE THE RESERVOIR OF WISDOM FOR OUR PEOPLE! HOW EASILY THE CONSCIENCE FALLS DORMANT WHEN THERE IS NO LOVE!” (Solo l’amore ci può salvare, Vatican City, 2013, p. 83).
And it happens like that. I remember, when I was visiting a retirement home, I spoke with each person and I frequently heard this: “How are you? And your children? Well, well. How many do you have? Many. And do they come to visit you?. Oh sure, yes, always, yes, they come. When was the last time they came?” I remember an elderly woman who said to me: “Mmm, for Christmas”. It was August! EIGHT MONTHS WITHOUT BEING VISITED BY HER CHILDREN, ABANDONED FOR EIGHT MONTHS! THIS IS CALLED MORTAL SIN, UNDERSTAND? Once as a child, a grandmother told us the story of an old grandfather who got dirty while eating because he couldn’t easily bring the spoonful of soup to his mouth. And his son, that is, the father of the family, had decided to move him from the dinner table and set up a little table in the kitchen to eat alone, so he couldn’t be seen. In this way he wouldn’t make a bad impression when friends came over to lunch or dinner. A few days later, he came home and found his youngest child playing with some wood and a hammer and nails, he was making something there, he said: “What are you making? — I’m making a table, papa. — A table, why? — To have one for when you grow old, so that you can eat there”. Children are more aware than we are!
IN THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH THERE IS A WEALTH OF WISDOM THAT HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED A CULTURE OF CLOSENESS TO THE ELDERLY, A DISPOSITION OF WARM AND SUPPORTIVE COMPANIONSHIP IN THIS FINAL PHASE OF LIFE. THIS TRADITION IS ROOTED IN SACRED SCRIPTURE, AS THESE PASSAGES FROM THE BOOK OF SIRACH ATTEST: “DO NOT DISREGARD THE DISCOURSE OF THE AGED, FOR THEY THEMSELVES LEARNED FROM THEIR FATHERS; BECAUSE FROM THEM YOU WILL GAIN UNDERSTANDING AND LEARN HOW TO GIVE AN ANSWER IN TIME OF NEED” (SIR 8:9).
The Church cannot and does not want to conform to a mentality of impatience, and much less of indifference and contempt, towards old age. WE MUST REAWAKEN THE COLLECTIVE SENSE OF GRATITUDE, OF APPRECIATION, OF HOSPITALITY, WHICH MAKES THE ELDER FEEL LIKE A LIVING PART OF HIS COMMUNITY.
Our elders are men and women, fathers and mothers, who came before us on our own road, in our own house, in our daily battle for a worthy life. They are men and women from whom we have received so much. THE ELDER IS NOT AN ALIEN. WE ARE THAT ELDER: IN THE NEAR OR FAR FUTURE, BUT INEVITABLY, EVEN IF WE DON’T THINK IT. AND IF WE DON’T LEARN HOW TO TREAT THE ELDER BETTER, THAT IS HOW WE WILL BE TREATED.
We old people are all a little fragile. Some, however, are particularly weak, many are alone, and stricken by illness. Some depend on the indispensable care and attention of others. Are we going to take a step back? Abandon them to their fate? A society without proximity, where gratuity and affection without compensation— between strangers as well — is disappearing, is a perverse society. The Church, faithful to the Word of God, cannot tolerate such degeneration. A Christian community in which proximity and gratuity are no longer considered indispensable is a society which would lose her soul. WHERE THERE IS NO HONOUR FOR ELDERS, THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR THE YOUNG.
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General Audience of March 11, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
In today’s catechesis we continue our reflection on grandparents, CONSIDERING THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF THEIR ROLE IN THE FAMILY. I do so by placing myself in their shoes, because I too belong to this age group.
When I was in the Philippines, the Filipino people greeted me saying “Lolo Kiko” — meaning Grandpa Francis — “Lolo Kiko”, they said! The first important thing to stress: it is true that society tends to discard us, but the Lord definitely does not! The Lord never discards us. HE CALLS US TO FOLLOW HIM IN EVERY AGE OF LIFE, AND OLD AGE HAS A GRACE AND A MISSION TOO, A TRUE VOCATION FROM THE LORD. OLD AGE IS A VOCATION. It is not yet time to “pull in the oars”. This period of life is different from those before, there is no doubt; we even have to somewhat “invent it ourselves”, because our societies are not ready, spiritually and morally, to appreciate the true value of this stage of life. Indeed, it once was not so normal to have time available; it is much more so today. Christian spirituality has also been caught somewhat by surprise, with regard to outlining a kind of spirituality of the elderly. But thanks be to God there is no shortage of the testimony of elderly saints, both men and women!
I was really moved by the “Day dedicated to the elderly” that we had here in St Peter’s Square last year, the Square was full. I listened to the stories of elderly people who devote themselves to others, and to stories of married couples, who said: “We are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, we are celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary”. It is important to present this to young people who tire so easily; the testimony of the elderly in fidelity is important. There were so many in this Square that day. It is a reflection to continue, in both the ecclesial and civil spheres. The Gospel comes to meet us with a really moving and encouraging image. It is the image of Simeon and Anna, whom are spoken of in the Gospel of Jesus’ childhood, composed by St Luke. There were certainly elderly, the “old man”, Simeon, and the “prophetess”, Anna, who was 84 years old. This woman did not hide her age. The Gospel says that they awaited the coming of God every day, with great trust, for many years. They truly wanted to see Him that day, to grasp the signs, to understand the origin. By then, they were also perhaps more resigned to die first: that long wait, however, continued to occupy their whole life, having no commitments more important than this: to await the Lord and pray. So, when Mary and Joseph went to the temple to fulfil the provisions of the Law, Simeon and Anna moved quickly, inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 2:27). The burden of age and waiting disappeared in an instant. They recognized the Child, and discovered new strength, for a new task: to give thanks for and bear witness to this Sign from God. Simeon improvised a beautiful hymn of jubilation (cf. Lk 2:29-32) — in that moment he was a poet — and Anna became the first woman to preach of Jesus: she “spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38).
DEAR GRANDPARENTS, DEAR ELDERLY, LET US FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THESE EXTRAORDINARY ELDERS! LET US TOO BECOME LIKE POETS OF PRAYER: LET US DEVELOP A TASTE FOR FINDING OUR OWN WORDS, LET US ONCE AGAIN GRASP THOSE WHICH TEACH US THE WORD OF GOD. THE PRAYER OF GRANDPARENTS AND OF THE ELDERLY IS A GREAT GIFT FOR THE CHURCH! THE PRAYER OF GRANDPARENTS AND OF THE ELDERLY IS A GREAT GIFT FOR THE CHURCH, IT IS A TREASURE! A great injection of wisdom for the whole of human society: above all for one which is too busy, too taken, too distracted. Someone should also sing, for them too, sing of the signs of God, proclaim the signs of God, pray for them! Let us look to Benedict XVI, who chose to spend the final span of his life in prayer and listening to God! This is beautiful! A great believer of the last century, of the Orthodox tradition, Olivier Clément, said: “A CIVILIZATION WHICH HAS NO PLACE FOR PRAYER IS A CIVILIZATION IN WHICH OLD AGE HAS LOST ALL MEANING. AND THIS IS TERRIFYING. FOR, ABOVE ALL, WE NEED OLD PEOPLE WHO PRAY; PRAYER IS THE PURPOSE OF OLD AGE”. WE NEED OLD PEOPLE WHO PRAY BECAUSE THIS IS THE VERY PURPOSE OF OLD AGE. THE PRAYER OF THE ELDERLY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.
We are able to thank the Lord for the benefits received, and fill the emptiness of ingratitude that surrounds us. We are able to intercede for the expectations of younger generations and give dignity to the memory and sacrifices of past generations. We are able to remind ambitious young people that a life without love is a barren life. We are able say to young people who are afraid that anxiety about the future can be overcome. We are able to teach the young who are overly self-absorbed that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Grandfathers and grandmothers form the enduring “chorus” of a great spiritual sanctuary, where prayers of supplication and songs of praise sustain the community which toils and struggles in the field of life.
Last, Prayer unceasingly purifies the heart. Praise and supplication to God prevents the heart from becoming hardened by resentment and selfishness. How awful is the cynicism of an elderly person who has lost the meaning of his testimony, who scorns the young and does not communicate the wisdom of life! HOW BEAUTIFUL, HOWEVER, IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT AN ELDERLY PERSON MANAGES TO PASS ON TO A YOUNG PERSON WHO IS SEEKING THE MEANING OF FAITH AND OF LIFE! IT IS TRULY THE MISSION OF GRANDPARENTS, THE VOCATION OF THE ELDERLY. THE WORDS OF GRANDPARENTS HAVE SPECIAL VALUE FOR THE YOUNG. AND THE YOUNG KNOW IT. I still carry with me, always, in my breviary, the words my grandmother consigned to me in writing on the day of my priestly ordination. I read them often and they do me good.
How I would like a Church that challenges the throw-away culture with the overflowing joy of a new embrace between young and old! This is what I ask of the Lord today, this embrace!
PHOTO SOURCE: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6846667679_8bdc0e9b23_b.jpg
Below you have a video of the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem which is also believed to be the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to tradition.
TAKE CARE OF THE ELDERLY AND THE SICK in https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/pope-francis-take-care-of-the-elderly-and-the-sick/
POPE FRANCIS’ VIDEO ON THE 7 MOST TENDER MESSAGES TO GRANDPARENTS AND TO THE ELDERLY in https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/pope-francis-7-most-tender-messages-to-grandparents-and-to-the-elderly/
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