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God our Father, thank you very much in giving us your Son Jesus Christ not only to save and redeem us but among so many other things, in his becoming human, he had also brought back the value of old age, of the seniors among us like Simeon and Anna who received him during his presentation at the temple and most of all, his very human experience of having grandparents in St. Joachim and St. Anne we honor today.
Forgive us Father in refusing to see old age as the final stage of human maturity and a sign of your blessing because we are so concerned only with human usefulness and productivity (St. JP2, Letter to the Elderly, October 1999). These are the weeds the enemy had planted in today's parable that prevent us from seeing the grace and blessings of old age that gives us a correct perspective on life that is a preparation for eternity, the harvest time.
Let us get close with our elderlies, Lord Jesus, thanking them, praising them for their many virtues especially their wisdom of the heart that enables us to also consider our own "twilight":
The line separating life and death runs through our communities and moves inexorably nearer to each one of us. If life is a pilgrimage towards our heavenly home, then old age is the most natural time to look towards the threshold of eternity.
St. John Paul II, Letter to the Elderly, 01 October 1999, #14
More than the indulgences offered by Pope Francis for those visiting the old people on this feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, grant us the grace of honoring our grandparents by welcoming them, helping them, and making good use of their qualities. Amen.
