By Jacqueline Kelly –
The life of Jesus, on earth was short, but the lessons He taught us can never be forgotten. We recall the great value Jesus put on human life. Human Life at any age is most precious in the eyes of the Lord. Personal relationships are essential to human beings and growth. It is through interaction with other persons that personality develops. The family exists at the heart of all societies.
It is the first and most basic community to which every person belongs. There is nothing more fundamental to our vitality as a Society and as a Church. However, both marriage and the family have been undergoing profound changes in a rapidly changing world. Unsolved marital tensions reach breaking point and end in separation or divorce. Divorce takes a heavy toll on family life. Spouses and children are affected and so too are grandparents and other relatives and friends that make up the extended family.
Growing old is something we all do if we live long enough. People grow old physically and mentally. A sense of loneliness is terribly increased when an ageing person experiences separation from the family, friends and the everyday activities. A feeling that no one cares, that the world has somehow passed you by and that life has no more real personal meaning for you. Mental deterioration is also related to one’s emotional and spiritual life. Life is short. No one should spend a minute wallowing in self-pity, but constantly learn how better to work together and plan for achievement.
Growing old wisely is one of the most difficult tasks in the art of living, for the elderly are very prone to worry about everything, especially about the future. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. The elderly usually do not have regrets for what they did, but rather for things they did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.
Having grandparents is a wonderful occasion to celebrate, the togetherness that is portrayed, in the true love that they share with each other and with their grandchildren. Just like wine getting sweeter and better with time…… The blissful companionship that grandparents share with their grandchildren, retains the flavour of love and just gets better with the passage of time.
The grandchild to grandparent relationship is often a cherished one and yet challenges can surface when young ones come up against grandparents behavioural changes, whether they are due to ageing or illness, or both. Parents need to prepare their young children for these changes or to explain why they are happening – in a way that isn’t upsetting. Old people have a special dignity. In the course of their lives they have had great experience, and often have worked very hard. Their wisdom is great. Therefore, we should always show respect towards them, treat them courteously, be concerned for their comfort, and help them whenever possible. Holy Scripture says (Leviticus 19:32) “Show respect for old people and honour them. Reverently obey me, I am the Lord”.
In Britain, Mother’s Day which is also called “Mothering Sunday” is celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday in Lent. In the United States, the second Sunday in May is observed as a day to honour Mothers. As the Father too has a significant role to play in the family, the third Sunday in June is traditionally observed as Father’s Day.
Originally Pope Gregory XIII in 1548 fixed July 26 to celebrate the Feast of Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and so we had “Mother’s Day”. On the other hand, Pope Leo XIII in 1879, dedicated August 16, the day following the Assumption, to Saint Joaquim, spouse of Saint Anne, but this was not celebrated as “Father’s Day”. The role of the father within the family was overlooked. To drive home the point that both father and mother are co-partners in building the family, since 1969, the Church included the feast of Saint Joaquim, with the feast of Saint Anne on July 26. We thus celebrate this day as “Parent’s Day”.
The feasts of Saint Anne and Saint Joaquim were each quite ancient in the Eastern Church. (4th century) but came to be observed universally in the 15th or 16th century. According to Vatican News dated January 31, 2021, Pope Francis decided to institute a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Starting this year, it will be held on the fourth Sunday of July each year. Close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joaquim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
Pope Francis said, ” The elderly are trees that always bear fruit and people who continue to dream”. So young people must be “brought into dialogue with the dreams of the elderly”. “The dreams of the elderly have built our society”. The Poor, the Bible and the Elderly are “three priorities” of Pope Francis. “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. Grandparents are often forgotten, and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on what the elderly have received.”
It is known that Saint Anne was of the prestigious Hebrew tribe of Levi and that she was the daughter of the High Priest Nathan, wed to namesake Mary. This High Priest had two daughters besides the Mary who mothered Anne. They were called Sovin and Anna, both of whom became mothers in Bethlehem, but Anna was married in Galilee where Blessed Mary was born.
The Proto-Gospel of James. dating back to the middle of the second century, names them as Anna – or Hannah which means “grace” and Joaquim, denoting “Yahweh Saves”. Saint Anne of Aaron was a strong and devout woman. Joaquim was a descendant of King David. He was an upright man who had great faith in God. Anne lacked nothing except the crown of motherhood. There is no denying that Joaquim was favoured by God, who answered his prayer that a child be born to the barren Anne. Joaquim and Anne began looking for a suitable name for their unborn child. Anne said, “If it is a boy we shall call him Samuel but I feel strongly that it will be a girl, daughter of God. We shall call her Mary, star of the sea, beautiful pearl, the source of our happiness.
In bringing Mary to the Temple at the age of three and dedicating her to the service of God in fulfillment of Anne’s promise, Anne and Joaquim both come through as perfect role models for Christian parents of every age and time – models of fidelity and diligence, of piety and modesty. Under the spiritual guidance of Prophetess Anna of Phanuel, Mary grows in knowledge of God and in age. Mary consecrated herself to the Lord for His glory and for the salvation of Israel.
We see Saint Joaquim and Saint Anne as model parents, in shaping and guiding the life of our Blessed Mother Mary. We remember our parents very specially on this day, for they have in their own way, through their sacrifice and hard work, helped to shape and guide the lives of their children.
To succeed in making a home a warm and loving place, parents do not need long years of training or degrees after their names. All they need is a caring heart. From the heart comes the sunshine in which their children will grow. No family is perfect. Each child must be made to feel that he or she is precious to its parents and loved by them in a special way. Parents have a responsibility to provide spiritual leadership for their children.
A child may not inherit his parent’s talents, but he will absorb their values. Whether parents are aware of it or not. Parents set an example for their children. We learn from their experiences. Parenthood is not an easy road, but our grandparents train us well to be good parents and the skills in parenting are learnt from them and this we pass on…
Our grandparents may not have had money to leave us, but they gave us something more valuable – their time, attention, help, values and love. Our grandparents lives were tough, but few complained. They took sickness, slender budgets and death of children and family members in their stride. Prayer was the one force that kept them going without loss of faith, especially the Rosary.
From Our Daily Bread: “Parents, be careful where and how you walk! Someone’s following in your footsteps!” Grandparents hold their grandchildren in their hearts forever. We have to thank them for the LOVE, CARE and CONCERN they shower on us.
HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY!