Sunday 28 July is the Fourth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The theme for this year is “Do not cast me off in my old age.” This is a day when we are invited to pray for, and with our elderly, visit those in our lives that we may not visit enough and celebrate the grandparents and elderly in our lives!
“God never abandons his children, never. Even when our age advances and our powers decline, when our hair grows white and our role in society lessens, when our lives become less productive and can risk appearing useless. God does not regard appearances (cf. 1 Sam 16:7); he does not disdain to choose those who, to many people, may seem irrelevant…
On this Fourth World Day, let us show our tender love for the grandparents and the elderly members of our families. Let us spend time with those who are disheartened and no longer hope in the possibility of a different future. In place of the self-centred attitude that leads to loneliness and abandonment, let us instead show the open heart and the joyful face of men and women who have the courage to say “I will not abandon you”, and to set out on a different path.”
Read Pope Francis’ full message here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/nonni/documents/20240425-messaggio-nonni-anziani.html
