Dear Parishioners:
On July 14, I woke up to discover I was a senior citizen! It was my 60th birthday! Where did the time go? It seemed like only yesterday that I was "the young guy" among my "older" brother priests. Of course, Fr. Brodeur, at the tender age of 26, is the young one now.
Age indeed brings its share of aches and pains and wrinkles we "seniors" didn't have or, at least, never noticed before. However, it is also true that age brings a certain wisdom and insight born only from the experience of living life.
I once had hair on my head. I could read my prayer book, newspaper, or a menu without glasses, once. What did she say? Where are my keys? If you don't take these things too seriously, you can smile and say, "Well, I guess I am getting older!" It's really not so bad, especially when you consider the alternative.
Age is a gift, a beautiful gift to be cherished. A gift that offers us memories, reminders of the blessings of the years, and of all the people who have blessed my life. And there is still more to come! As Mark Twain said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
Today is the Fifth World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The theme chosen by our Holy Father, Pope Leo, is: "Blessed are those who have not lost hope." These words, taken from the Book of Sirach, express the blessedness of the elderly and indicate hope placed in the Lord as the way to a Christian and reconciled old age.
This special Day was established by Pope Francis in 2021, and is intended to be an opportunity to reflect on how the presence of grandparents and the elderly is a sign of hope in every family and church community. We are asked to celebrate the Day by remembering with love and prayer our grandparents and all "the elderly, promoting visits and opportunities for encounters between the generations."
Pope Leo XIV, in his message for the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, stated: "Old age can be a time of blessedness in which hope, tested in the fire of a long life, becomes a source of joy and renewed trust in the Lord. God teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope."
With this in mind, we remember all our grandparents today and the elderly of our parish with respect and prayer. We can visit them, call them, and visit their graves if they have gone before us in faith. We pray for them, asking especially for Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to intercede on their behalf.
Saints Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of parenting and grandparents. Having been childless for the majority of their married life, the two continued to pray for God's favor and had hope. While Joachim retreated for prayer far from home, Anne prayed for her husband's safety in exchange for dedicating any future child's life to serving God's plan. The two then shared a dream and vision where an angel told them that their fervent prayer had resulted in God choosing them to conceive a "wondrous" child. When Mary was born and became of age to be presented in the Temple, they brought her and followed God's plan.
There are parallels in their hope and dedication to faith that I have seen in my grandparents and parents, as well as in many parents and grandparents I have known and met throughout my life. Their witness to faith and hope is admirable and should be rightly celebrated today on this World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. So let us celebrate all the grandparents and the elderly of our families, parish, and the world today.
The wise words of Saint Augustine are appropriate for both the elders and the young to reflect upon on this World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. He said: "Let your old age be childlike, and your childhood like old age; that is, so that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your humility without wisdom."
This week, I will be in Nashville, Tennessee, attending the Annual Summer Meeting of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors. At these meetings, we hear from public policy experts and theologians as we reflect upon our advocacy on behalf of the Church.
Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!