This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am. The Holy Father, Pope Francis met with pilgrims and with the faithful from various parts of Italy and from all corners of the world, who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
In today's catechesis, we continue our reflection on grandparents, considering the value and importance of their role in the family. I myself identify with this group of people, since I too belong in this age group.
When I was in the Philippines, the Filipinos greeted me by saying: Lolo Kiko - which means Grandpa Francis - Lolo Kiko!, they said. The first thing I want to point out is that it is true that society tends to disregard us, but certainly not the Lord. The Lord never disregards us. He calls us to follow him in every stage of life, even senior citizens has a grace and a mission all their own, a true vocation from the Lord. Old age is a vocation. It's still not yet time to haul in the oars. This stage of life is different from the preceding ones, there is no doubt; we have to invent ourselves a bit because our societies aren't yet ready, spiritually, morally, to give this stage of life it's full value. In fact, at one time it was not so normal to have free time; today there is much more of it. Even Christian spirituality has been caught a little bit off guard and has had to define a spirituality of the elderly. But thank God there is no shortage of witnesses by elderly saints!
I was very impressed by the Day for the elderly that was held here in Saint Peter's Square last year: the Square was full. I heard stories of the elderly who give greatly to others, and also stories of married couples, who said: We are celebrating 50 years of marriage, 60 years of marriage. It's important to show this commitment to the young who often get tired so soon; the witness of the elderly to the virtue of faithfulness is very important. There were so many elderly here in the Square that day. It would be worth continuing this reflection, both at a Church and a civic level. The gospel offers us encouragement in this regard through a very beautiful and moving image: the image of Simeon and Anna, who are mentioned in the infancy narrative recounted by Saint Luke. They were certainly elderly, the old man Simeon and Anna the prophetess who was 84 years old. This woman didn't hide her age. The gospel says that they were awaiting the coming of the Lord every day, with great faithfulness, for many years. They really wanted to see that day, to welcome the signs, to suspect its beginning. Perhaps they were a bit resigned to the fact that they would have to die first: that long period of waiting continued to occupy their entire lives; there was nothing more important than this for them - to wait for the Lord and to pray. When Mary and Joseph arrived in the temple to fulfill the provisions of the Law, Simeon and Anna were emotionally moved, spurred on by the Holy Spirit (cf Luke 2:27). The weight of years and of their waiting all disappeared in that moment. They recognized the child and discovered new energy, for a new task: giving thanks and bearing witness to this sign of God. Simeon improvised a beautiful hymn of celebration (cf Luke 2:29-32) - in that moment, he was a poet - and Anna became the first of Jesus' preachers, speaking of the child to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:38).
Dear grandparents, dear elderly, let us see ourselves in the light of these extraordinary elderly people. Let us also become a little poetic in our prayer: taking pleasure in seeking out our words, re-awakening ourselves to the relevance of the Word of God. The prayer of grandparents and of the elderly is a great gift for the Church! The prayer of the elderly and of grandparents is a gift for the Church, truly a treasure! A huge injection of wisdom for all of human society: above all for those who are too scattered, too busy, too distracted. Someone should even sing, even for them, sing the signs of God, proclaim the signs of God, pray for them! Let us look to Benedict XVI, who has chosen to spend the final years of his life in prayer and listening to God! This is beautiful! A great believer from the last century, from the Orthodox tradition, Oliver Clément, used to say: A civilization where there is no more prayer is a civilization where old age doesn't make sense any more. And this is terrifying, we need first of all to have elderly who pray, because old age is made for this. We need elderly people who pray because old age is given to us especially for this purpose. The prayer of the elderly is a beautiful thing.
We can thank the Lord for the good things we have received, and fill the void of ingratitude that surrounds us. We can intercede for the desires of new generations and give dignity to the memory and the sacrifice of those who have gone before us. We can remind the ambitious youth that a life without love is dry, sterile. We can tell fearful youth that anguish about the future can be overcome. We can teach young people, too enamored with themselves that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Grandfathers and grandmothers make up the permanent choir of a great spiritual sanctuary where prayers of supplication and the chanting of praises support the community that is at work and struggling in the field of life.
Finally, prayer unceasingly purifies the heart. Praises and supplications offered to God prevent the hardening of hearts through resentment or self-centredness. How ugly it is to see cynicism in an elderly person who has lost the sense of his or her witness, or one who despises the young and does not communicate the wisdom of life! But how beautiful it is to witness the encouragement that the elderly can pass on to the young who are in search of the sense of faith and of life! This is the real mission of grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. There is something special about words spoken by grandparents: a special gift for the young ... and they know it. I still carry with me, in my breviary, words that my grandmother confided to me in writing on the day of my priestly ordination. They are still in my breviary and I read them often; it's good for me to do that.
How I would like a Church that challenges the culture of disposal with the overflowing joy of a new embrace between the young and the old! This is what we now ask of the Lord, this embrace!
Following the completion of this catechesis, which was spoken in Italian, summaries of this teaching were presented in various languages and the Holy Father spoke greetings to each group of pilgrims present. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States of America. I offer a special greeting to the pilgrims from Korea, with vivid memories of my Visit to their country last August. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
Catechesis of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
In today's catechesis, we continue our reflection on grandparents, considering the value and importance of their role in the family. I myself identify with this group of people, since I too belong in this age group.
When I was in the Philippines, the Filipinos greeted me by saying: Lolo Kiko - which means Grandpa Francis - Lolo Kiko!, they said. The first thing I want to point out is that it is true that society tends to disregard us, but certainly not the Lord. The Lord never disregards us. He calls us to follow him in every stage of life, even senior citizens has a grace and a mission all their own, a true vocation from the Lord. Old age is a vocation. It's still not yet time to haul in the oars. This stage of life is different from the preceding ones, there is no doubt; we have to invent ourselves a bit because our societies aren't yet ready, spiritually, morally, to give this stage of life it's full value. In fact, at one time it was not so normal to have free time; today there is much more of it. Even Christian spirituality has been caught a little bit off guard and has had to define a spirituality of the elderly. But thank God there is no shortage of witnesses by elderly saints!
I was very impressed by the Day for the elderly that was held here in Saint Peter's Square last year: the Square was full. I heard stories of the elderly who give greatly to others, and also stories of married couples, who said: We are celebrating 50 years of marriage, 60 years of marriage. It's important to show this commitment to the young who often get tired so soon; the witness of the elderly to the virtue of faithfulness is very important. There were so many elderly here in the Square that day. It would be worth continuing this reflection, both at a Church and a civic level. The gospel offers us encouragement in this regard through a very beautiful and moving image: the image of Simeon and Anna, who are mentioned in the infancy narrative recounted by Saint Luke. They were certainly elderly, the old man Simeon and Anna the prophetess who was 84 years old. This woman didn't hide her age. The gospel says that they were awaiting the coming of the Lord every day, with great faithfulness, for many years. They really wanted to see that day, to welcome the signs, to suspect its beginning. Perhaps they were a bit resigned to the fact that they would have to die first: that long period of waiting continued to occupy their entire lives; there was nothing more important than this for them - to wait for the Lord and to pray. When Mary and Joseph arrived in the temple to fulfill the provisions of the Law, Simeon and Anna were emotionally moved, spurred on by the Holy Spirit (cf Luke 2:27). The weight of years and of their waiting all disappeared in that moment. They recognized the child and discovered new energy, for a new task: giving thanks and bearing witness to this sign of God. Simeon improvised a beautiful hymn of celebration (cf Luke 2:29-32) - in that moment, he was a poet - and Anna became the first of Jesus' preachers, speaking of the child to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:38).
Dear grandparents, dear elderly, let us see ourselves in the light of these extraordinary elderly people. Let us also become a little poetic in our prayer: taking pleasure in seeking out our words, re-awakening ourselves to the relevance of the Word of God. The prayer of grandparents and of the elderly is a great gift for the Church! The prayer of the elderly and of grandparents is a gift for the Church, truly a treasure! A huge injection of wisdom for all of human society: above all for those who are too scattered, too busy, too distracted. Someone should even sing, even for them, sing the signs of God, proclaim the signs of God, pray for them! Let us look to Benedict XVI, who has chosen to spend the final years of his life in prayer and listening to God! This is beautiful! A great believer from the last century, from the Orthodox tradition, Oliver Clément, used to say: A civilization where there is no more prayer is a civilization where old age doesn't make sense any more. And this is terrifying, we need first of all to have elderly who pray, because old age is made for this. We need elderly people who pray because old age is given to us especially for this purpose. The prayer of the elderly is a beautiful thing.
We can thank the Lord for the good things we have received, and fill the void of ingratitude that surrounds us. We can intercede for the desires of new generations and give dignity to the memory and the sacrifice of those who have gone before us. We can remind the ambitious youth that a life without love is dry, sterile. We can tell fearful youth that anguish about the future can be overcome. We can teach young people, too enamored with themselves that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Grandfathers and grandmothers make up the permanent choir of a great spiritual sanctuary where prayers of supplication and the chanting of praises support the community that is at work and struggling in the field of life.
Finally, prayer unceasingly purifies the heart. Praises and supplications offered to God prevent the hardening of hearts through resentment or self-centredness. How ugly it is to see cynicism in an elderly person who has lost the sense of his or her witness, or one who despises the young and does not communicate the wisdom of life! But how beautiful it is to witness the encouragement that the elderly can pass on to the young who are in search of the sense of faith and of life! This is the real mission of grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. There is something special about words spoken by grandparents: a special gift for the young ... and they know it. I still carry with me, in my breviary, words that my grandmother confided to me in writing on the day of my priestly ordination. They are still in my breviary and I read them often; it's good for me to do that.
How I would like a Church that challenges the culture of disposal with the overflowing joy of a new embrace between the young and the old! This is what we now ask of the Lord, this embrace!
Following the completion of this catechesis, which was spoken in Italian, summaries of this teaching were presented in various languages and the Holy Father spoke greetings to each group of pilgrims present. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States of America. I offer a special greeting to the pilgrims from Korea, with vivid memories of my Visit to their country last August. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
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