My Thoughts 26/07/2022

I never knew my father’s parents, because his father died in 1924 and his mother walked out of the family home when my father was just a toddler. I was fortunate to know my mother’s father who lived in Ireland. I have a lovely photo of him sitting by the fire with a pipe in hand. We spent some happy childhood holidays on the small holding in the countryside. Lizzie my grandmother died when I was just two and I do have a photo of her holding me in her arms.

Many of us have happy memories of our grandparents and this last weekend Pope Francis designated a world day of prayer for grandparents and the Elderly and today we keep the feast of St Joachim and St Anne, Mary’s parents. There is nothing in scripture about them and tradition gives us their names.

The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is taking place this year against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and conflict in many other parts of the world.  Pope Francis addresses this in his text and invites Grandparents in particular ‘to teach the women and men of our time to regard others with the same understanding and loving gaze with which we regard our own grandchildren.  Our grandparents held us in their arms and carried us on their knees; now is the time for us to carry on our own knees – with practical assistance or with prayer alone – not only our own grandchildren but also the many frightened grandchildren whom we have not yet met and who may be fleeing from war or suffering its effects.”