Grandparents' day today!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

July 26, 2025: Celebrating Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus
Ecclesiastes 44: 1,10-15; Matthew 13: 16-17

The first setting in which faith enlightens humanity is the family, declared Pope Francis in his encyclical Lumen Fidei (n. 52).  He further explained that passing on of faith in the family happens in the process of shared expression of faith within the family, helping children to become aware of their faith and grow and mature in it.

Christian faith is always communitarian and it is passed on initially and primarily in the family. Recent studies have shown that on the level of faith being lived (or practiced) in Europe vis-a-vis in India, that one major reason for the degeneration in Europe is the weakening of the institution of the family. Those who hand on faith to us are really God-given. Most important among them, our parents and grandparents who not only give us life but show us also how to live it, from their own experience.

Celebrating a day to remember the parents of Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, provides us an opportunity to remember with thanks these our fore-runners in faith, as the first reading suggests, 'let us praise famous persons, our parents in their generations. These were persons of mercy, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten' (Sir 44:1,10). Infact, thanks to them, we are in a position better than them due to their hard work, great example and their dreams for us! Jesus acknowledges that in his words (Mt 13:16-17) and exhorts us to live up to our blessedness, our giftedness, worthy of the faith and tradition that is transmitted to us, from our predecessors.

For the past four years, inspired by Pope Francis' call, we have been holding this day as a grateful remembrance of our grandparents! Pope Francis, had pointed to this day as World Grandparents' Day in the Church, and asked for it to be celebrated on the closest Sunday to the feast we celebrate today, that of Sts. Joachim and Anne. If you have the fortune of having them still with you, give them a bear hug and say a big thanks! And if they are no more, remember them with love and gratitude! Whatever be the case, let us celebrate them!