Second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2022

The universal Church throughout the world will be celebrating the Second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 24, 2022, the Sunday nearest to the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

The theme chosen by the Holy Father Pope Francis for this year’s celebration is “In old age they will bear fruit” from the book of Psalms 92:15. The Pope emphasizes that we should not be afraid of old age since long life, as the Bible teaches, is a blessing and not a condemnation. He also emphasizes that our grandparents and elderly, who are often neglected by families, are a value and a gift to our civil and ecclesial communities because of their life and faith experiences.

Old age is inevitable and often misunderstood even by those of us who are experiencing it. No one prepares us for old age, and at times, it takes us by surprise. We spend large sums of money on this stage of life without really helping people to understand and appreciate it. Healthcare plans are offered to the elderly but these are not plans for living this age to the full. Our Holy Father therefore invites us, to meditate on how the Lord has been present at every stage of our lives and to take care of ourselves and remain active in our later years by cultivating our interior life through the assiduous reading of the word of God, daily prayer, reception of the sacraments and participation in the liturgy.

The World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly is an opportunity for us to celebrate together with all those whom the Lord – in the words of the Bible – has filled “filled with days”. An opportunity for us to cultivate our relationship with others especially those elderly persons who feel most alone at home or in residences they live.

A Plenary Indulgence is granted by Pope Francis to the faithful who devote adequate time to visit, in presence or virtually, through the media their elderly brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty (such as the sick, the abandoned, the disabled) on the said day. (Bro. Ignatius Gonzales, CFA)