July 26. SEE.   Sunday 17A.   St Joachim and St Ann.  The president of the St Anne’s sodality explained to congregation “Very little is known about this couple but tradition honours them as the parents of Mary and so the grandparents of Jesus.  They therefore played a role in God’s plan of salvation.  Everyone agrees that grandparents are often quietly in the background offering their support and especially praying for their grandchildren.  For others grandparents are much more actively involved and may even have the greatest role in bringing up the grandchildren. We as a sodality have expressed our love and concern and have decided to pray a special prayer for grandchildren whenever we meet.”  Fr Fidelis echoed these sentiments and invited not only all sodalities at their meetings but families at home, regularly to remember the blessings that grandparents bring and the treasure they are for everyone in their families.  A long life – so the Bible teaches – is a blessing, and the elderly are not outcasts to be shunned, but living signs of the goodness of God, who bestows life in abundance.   Blessed is the house where an older person lives! Blessed is the family that honours the elderly!

JUDGE. Reflect and share. Scripture. Jesus said to the crowds, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up, then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.   Matthew 13:44-52.  Pope Francis. The family must always be a place where when something good happens to one of its members they know that others will be there to celebrate with them. AL 110. Now is the time for us to carry on our own knees – with practical assistance or with prayer alone – not only our own grandchildren but also the many frightened grandchildren whom we have not yet met and who may be fleeing from war, or suffering its effects.   Let us hold in our hearts – like St Joseph, who was a loving and attentive father – the little ones of Ukraine, of Afghanistan, of South Sudan, Gaza and many more countries.   Pope Leo: “I will never forget you (Is 49:15). Extracts from 2026 Message for Grandparents and the Elderly. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord promises that he will never forget any of us, he has engraved our faces on the palms of his hands, his love is greater than a mother’s love for her child.  Each of us, and everyone can hear that “I will never forget you” spoken directly to them.  The celebration is an opportunity to rediscover that the Church is called to be a mother to all.  May  this  day  be an  inspiration for everyone, especially the young, to revive the beautiful custom of visiting their grandparents, the elderly members of the family and even those who have no one to visit them. Bring them, through this message and your presence, the closeness and affection of the Pope.  Do not be afraid of fragility!  It is precisely this weakness that holds within itself a new potential, that also illuminates the other stages of life. When we acknowledge our fragility, our hearts become open to supporting one another and to invoking the One who can grant what no human power can ensure: the profound reconciliation of hearts and, with it, true peace”   (Algerian community April 2026 ).   Dear elderly brothers and sisters, I thank you for supporting me every day with your prayers, especially when you recite the Holy Rosary. I return this gratitude from the bottom of my heart and leave you with this prayer: May the Lord always renew us in faith, hope and love – He who never forgets us! 

ACT AND PRAY.   . 

Parishes can include a brief prayer service for Grandparents and for Grandchildren, ending with a blessing for all elderly. See the introduction and overview for the month or download from www.marfam.org.za/grandparents-and-elderly2026