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But let me ask you: Do you listen to your grandparents? Do you open your hearts to the memories that your grandparents pass on? Grandparents are like the wisdom of the family, they are the wisdom of a people. And a people that does listen to grandparents is one that dies! Listen to your grandparents. […] Like the Holy Family of Nazareth, every family is part of the history of a people; it cannot exist without the generations who have gone before it. Therefore, today we have grandparents and children. The children learn from their grandparents, from the previous generation. – Pope Francis
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P
lease visit the Catholic Grandparents Association, which offers many wonderful resources, tools and prayers for grandparents.
From their mission statement:
Grandparents’ vital contribution to the family, the Church and society was never as important as now. We are living in unprecedented times, with constantly changing social and moral values. Sometimes we feel like we are failing. We are not. We can never fail so long as we keep on doing what we are doing – praying, showing the way and passing our Faith.At the heart of the Catholic Garandparents Association is the firm belief that this is our duty, our responsibility, our vocation, and we must do what we can. This is probably the most important job we will ever have and, for many of us, it may be our last. It is one from which we can never retire, so let us do our best. We owe it to our grandchildren.
From For Your Marriage:
Tension in the Family Mediated by GrandparentsIn an address to the Eucharistic Youth Movement on August 7, 2015, Pope Francis spoke about the normalcy of tension within the family and urged that grandparents, whose patience and experience enables them to deal well with conflict, be included in the family.
Pope Francis focused his weekly catechesis on the family on the topic of grandparents, in which he spoke about society’s neglect of their care.
Grandparents: The Great Family of the Church
On September 28, 2014, Pope Francis spoke about the invaluable role the elderly and grandparents play in our world and called us to cultivate a society in which they are valued and cared for.
A Papal Salute to Grandparents
Speaking at World Youth Day, Pope Francis described the relationship between the old and the young as “a treasure to be preserved and strengthened.” The Pope has frequently spoken on the important role of grandparents, citing his own paternal grandmother.
Grandparents: Keepers of the Family’s Stories
Passing on the family’s stories can help children to understand who they are and where they came from. Who better to tell these stories than grandparents? The authors offer some suggestions for sharing family stories with the grandchildren.
Grandparents: Models, Mentors and Memory-Makers
Is there a grandparent in your life? Perhaps you’re one yourself! Check out this article for practical advice about how to be an even better grandparent.