Jul 19, 2021
This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. We have so many annual holidays and other special occasions that it can be overwhelming. Yet this Sunday we will add a new day of remembrance, and, frankly, it may be long overdue. Pope Francis has established the fourth Sunday of July as the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. He said, “the elderly remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between the different generations, to pass on to the young the experience of life.” So let us mark this day on our calendars every year. Sometime during this week, call or visit your grandparents if they are living, pray for them if they are deceased, or offer to help an elderly neighbor. They have wisdom to share, and we should extend our respect for their experience and their God-given dignity.