On 25 July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, the First World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly was held. A Day not to forget, which made it possible to celebrate the gift of old age and to remember those who, before us and for us, preserve and pass on life and faith.
Our memory, the roots of peoples, the link between generations, are treasures to be preserved. This is what the elderly and grandparents are in the Pope’s thinking, a true “gift” the wealth of which we often forget. “The Holy Spirit even today still stirs up thoughts and words of wisdom in the elderly: their voice is precious because it sings the praises of God and preserves the roots of peoples. The elderly remind us that old age is a gift, and that grandparents are the link between the different generations, to pass on to the young the experience of life and faith.”
Today, more than ever because of the pandemic that first put them at risk and sacrificed so many, the elderly often remain alone and far from their families, and instead they should be cherished as our roots. In this regard, the Pope’s words are precious: “Grandparents are often forgotten and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on to the young. And for this reason I have decided to institute the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be held throughout the Church every year on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.”