Grandparents have ears that truly listen, arms that always hold, love that’s never ending, and a heart that’s made of gold.

On July 26th, we celebrate the feast day of Saints Anne and Joachim-the parents of Mother Mary. This day is also lovingly called the “Feast of the Grandparents”and so, Grandparents Day serves to honour and recognize the contributions of grandparents in our lives. Grandparents are a society and a family’s ties to its past as they pass on important values, beliefs and ideals to future generations. Their wisdom and love are recognized every year on this day.

“Today, grandparents continue serving as quiet heroes in every corner of our country. From reading bedtime stories to their grandchildren, to volunteering in their communities, to acting as primary caregivers, they work hard each and every day while showing love and kindness to their families and those around them. Let us continue to show them the same, and let us forever honour their tremendous efforts to nurture, guide, and drive us in all we do”. – US President Barack Obama, Presidential Proclamation, September 11, 2015.

Although Sts. Anne and Joachim are not mentioned in the Bible, tradition has it that the couple suffered the sorrow of childlessness well into their old age. Yet, they persevered in prayer and fasting, clinging to the hope that God might bless them with a child in their advanced years, just as He had blessed Abraham and Sarah with Isaac. God’s blessing, when it came, surpassed many in Israel’s history, for they would become the parents of a daughter, conceived without original sin and filled with grace, who would become the virgin mother of the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of the living God.

As grandparents they surely enjoyed passing down their steadfast faith, stories, songs, and religious customs to young Jesus. Today we can and should be doing the same. The pandemic has emphasized the importance of the domestic church and our responsibility to nurture the love of the Holy Family, Trinity, biblical teachings, and the Eucharist.

What better way to prepare on this day than to ask Sts. Anne and Joachim to intercede for our grandparents and elderly loved ones, or those who have no one to pray for them.

Happy Feast to you All!

– Louella Santimano Dias