Today, the Church celebrates the life, faith, and hope of those who have walked the path before us: grandparents and the elderly. On this same date, we also commemorate Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus\u2014examples of tenderness, transmitters of the faith, and strong roots for new generations.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s theme, taken from the Book of Sirach, reminds us: \u201cBlessed is the one who does not lose hope\u201d<\/em> (Sir 14:2). It is an invitation to discover in the elderly a living sign of hope, even in the midst of fragility.<\/p>\n From our hospitaller vocation, we recognize the value of accompanying those who have dedicated their lives to care, service, and love. In them, we see the humanity we strive to cultivate: one that embraces, cares, and shares wisdom through every gesture.<\/p>\n Pope Leo XIV shares with us: May this day be an opportunity to give thanks, to accompany, and to continue building bridges between generations.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today we celebrate grandparents and the elderly\u2014pillars of faith, hope, and tenderness. In Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, we recognize the value of those who pass on wisdom and build bridges between generations. Pope Leo XIV reminds us to look to the future with gratitude, learning from the experience of those who came before us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[588],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
“The life of the Church and of the world can only be understood through the succession of generations. Embracing an elderly person helps us realize that history does not end in the present or get consumed by fleeting encounters and fragmented relationships, but instead moves forward into the future. In the Book of Genesis, we find the touching episode of Jacob, already old, blessing his grandchildren\u2014the sons of Joseph. His words encourage them to look to the future with hope, just as in the days of God\u2019s promises (cf. Gen 48:8-20). If it\u2019s true that the fragility of the elderly needs the strength of the young, it\u2019s also true that the inexperience of the young needs the testimony of the elderly to wisely shape the future. How often have our grandparents been examples of faith and devotion, of civic virtues and social commitment, of memory and perseverance in times of trial! This beautiful legacy, passed on with hope and love, will always be a source of gratitude and consistency for us.”<\/em><\/p>\n