Pray for our Grandparents and the Elderly with this Novena
Pray four grandparents and the elderly! They gave life to those who gave us life!
What better way to celebrate World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly than by praying for them? In a society that often overlooks the elderly, we see the great gift that they are in our lives, in our families, in the Church, and in the world.
Pope Francis reminds us that we cannot forget the elderly, we must cherish them, reach out to them, and be with them. The Pope calls us to be angels of consolation, bringing light, hope, comfort, and joy to the elderly. They have so much to offer us and we have so much to offer them. We must build bridges across generations, not leave one another abandoned.
We can sometimes forget that Jesus himself had grandparents: Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, the parents of Mary. The World Day of Grandparents and Elderly coincides with their feast, which is celebrated each year on July 26.
Identifying himself as an elderly person, Pope Francis declared: "The whole Church is close to you – to us – and cares about you, loves you and does not want to leave you alone!"
Let us make these words become incarnate, by loving our grandparents and the elderly. We can begin by lifting them up to God in prayer, those who are still with us here on earth and those who have already gone before us. May Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, grandparents of Jesus, intercede for our grandparents and for all the elderly.