elderly grandparents Pope Francis World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
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July 24, 2024
Do not cast me off in my old age.
(cf.Ps 71:9)
Image by Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

We always went on a journey to visit my grandparents and my paternal great grandparents. We made a train trip and a further trek in a rail motor. As I reminisce, I thought of these wonderful relatives as ‘old’ but special, and they represent times of gatherings and great excitement. These family elders were the hub of the extended family.

Time brings change and a crumbling of some relationships. This is further exacerbated when the next generation moves on and we can scramble to keep the relationships going. Thankfully we can be among the lucky ones when we do have connections and gatherings.

Pope Francis draws attention to the plight of grandparents who live away from their families and live in another country or state. I have witnessed the longing and loneliness of those who do not enjoy the privilege of the company of their progeny when they are surrounded by others who have constant interaction with their families.

In giving abundantly to their grandchildren, sometimes their own children fail to see the tiredness and ageing of their parents. Because of love for their children and grandchildren, the elderly endure the disregard of the lack of awareness and sometimes gratitude.

What is important is the unity of the different ages of life, which is the real point of reference for understanding and valuing human life in its entirety.
Pope Francis, Catechesis on Old Age, 23 February 2022

The elderly have their own journey to pursue and they follow different pathways, and are rewarded with a time for contemplation and being, rather than doing. Elders are undeserving of the lack of appreciation from their families. Life as we elder enables us to face a new world that offers more choices than demands. There are many new beginnings awaiting our grasp.

The families who connect are blessed. There is a realisation that many in this cohort are lonely and some are homeless. Many elders have been abandoned and lives their life in isolation. Middle-aged to elderly people are living on the banks of our rivers, on city streets and in suburban parks. They are often abandoned by society and forgotten by their families. Pope Francis gives us this profound message:

This happens once we lose sight of the value of each individual and people are then judged in terms of their cost, which is in some cases considered too high to pay. Even worse, often the elderly themselves fall victim to this mindset; they are made to consider themselves a burden and to feel that they should be the first to step aside.
Pope Francis, Message for the Fourth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, 12 July 2024*

The World Day for Grandparents and Elderly (28 July) is a time of remembering the elderly and provides an opportunity to check on friends and relatives who are resident in places of care so that they are treated with kindness and compassion. Abuse can be rife in all areas of society and can often go unnoticed particularly in the area of finance. “We can become a protective force for those unable to speak for themselves.” (Pope Francis*)

We live deeply in their legacy as we walk the paths that they blazed, as we rest in the shade of trees they planted, as we drink the water from rivers they protected, as we tell the old stories that they once told, as we live the new stories that they once lived. Dennis Stamper

Let us show our tender love for the grandparents and the elderly members of our families for:

We are all in the gift of much older work, we are all looked after by other eyes, and we are only preparing ourselves for an invitation to join something larger.David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea, p.95

Michele Shipperley rsj