This year’s theme for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which is being celebrated on the 26th July, comes from Isaiah: “I will never forget you” (49:15). These are words that stand in sharp contrast to the throwaway mentality of modern societies, the very culture Pope Francis sought to challenge when establishing this celebration.
Civil society tends to remember people for what they produce; the Church remembers people for who they are. Our position is therefore radically different: God remembers, the Church remembers, families remember, and communities remember. Grandparents and the elderly are remembered because they are loved, not because they are economically useful.
Increasingly, society identifies people by job titles, productivity, and economic value. But when we recall our grandparents and the elderly, we do not recall what they once had; we recall who they are, and how their faith, tenderness, and love, continue to form us. Their relational identities, mother, father, grandparent, friend, neighbour, witness, are essential to the true architecture of society. They are the roots that feed the tree of our lives through their stories, presence, and prayers.
Pope Benedict reminds us that true remembrance is not mentally reviewing history but anamnesis, a sacred action in which past saving events become real and present. God’s remembering is synonymous with God’s acting. So, when the Church says to grandparents and the elderly, “I will never forget you,” we are promising them presence, care, and relationship. This is not optional kindness but mission: a participation in God’s fidelity. The hug, the smile, the gesture of appreciation we offer makes this promise tangible.
Drawing together the insights of the last three popes, we see that the Church remembers grandparents and the elderly in a sacramental way. This is not nostalgia but a love that makes their sacrifices and their lives fruitful in the present. Although I have memories of only one grandparent, my life has been rooted in and fed by the experiences of the elderly. Even at ten, those who were eighteen seemed ancient, yet inspirational!
Not all of us will become grandparents, but each year we move closer to becoming elderly, a term my ninety‑year‑old mother‑in‑law steadfastly resists! Therefore, I too, like her, might need to reflect on the observation of Pope Leo, “It is healthy to realize that ageing is part of the marvel of creation… do not be afraid of fragility!” As we celebrate this World Day for grandparents and the elderly, reflect on how their stories shaped our story, how their faith rooted us in times of trial, and how their dreams formed our aspirations and onward path.
