17th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)
Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Eph 4:1-6; Jn. 6:1-15
In the light of the year dedicated to Amoris Laetitia (AL), Pope Francis has instituted the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on the fourth Sunday of July, every year. A Sunday which is closer to the feast day of St. Joachim and Anna, the grandparents of our Lord.
The day is set aside in the church calendar so that we may implement the apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia”(AL). One of the concerns was expressed in AL (nos. 191-193) was to reawaken the collective sense of gratitude, appreciation, hospitality which makes the elderly feel like a living part of the community. (no. 191).
The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is one of the implementations of what was discussed during the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family. It is one of the concerns of the present society. Senior citizens form a significant segment of our society with people living longer. Sadly, the birth rate has gone down. We may rejoice that the death rate is gone down compared to the past but there are no births in parishes. I was serving in one of the parishes which had in the 1960s & 1970s more than 60 to70 baptisms in a year. Today, those numbers have been reduced to 6 to 7 baptisms in a year. The prolonged life and low birth rate have led to a silent revolution.
The present situation has developed a new set of challenges for us. Society has developed different mindsets about elders. The elders are suffering and there is no one to take care of them, they are either put in old age homes or left to find their own means to deal with their problems. Some of our elders are traumatized and panic at every small thing. Different people react differently to the situation. Some passively live their lives like there is no hope in their lives. They are left in despair. As a result, elderly people have resorted to isolation. there is a feeling of rejection. They also feel that they are not wanted; thus, the process of deterioration of mental and physical health gets accelerated.
AL listens to the cry of the elderly who fear rejection and being forgotten. The church doesn’t endorse so-called modern-day mindsets. These mindsets possess a mentality of impatience and dedicate less time for the elderly. It has developed a throwaway culture. We can’t go along with the present-day mentality which is full of a consumeristic approach. We need to reflect and recognize the importance of elders in our families and society.
Can we imagine our society without the elders? It is impossible to think. We need to appreciate the elders for several reasons. AL gives a glimpse of them. They are the continuity of the generations. They are the bridge between the generations that has faded away and the young generation who are ignorant about the previous generations. They passed on important values and traditions to the younger generation. Their presence helps the younger generation to connect with historical and cultural heritage. We can’t get rid our heritage. Those who want to break away from history and culture, find it difficult to build stable relationships. The present generation lacks historical memory and it is a serious problem. The elderly are the living memories. Listening to them is to grow in wisdom. The value of the experience of elderly people is immeasurable. The information itself can bring transformation and it can be shared with others. It can also become a channel of grace.
When Pope Francis was chosen to lead the Catholic Church, he wanted to retire from active ministry. No one thought, he could bring so much newness to the church within a short span of time. He was advanced in age, yet he has so much to offer to the church and the society at large.
The church invites us to appreciate elderly people and their presence in our lives. Pope Francis had chosen the theme of the first world day for the grandparents and the elderly “I am with you” (Mt 28:20). An individual has failed in his responsibility to look after the elderly, it’s a time to stand together. We need to work collectively. The elderly may not belong to our family yet we need to reach out to them. The promise of Jesus that “I am with you” needs to be actualised. The Lord wants us to share in his promise. He wants us to act in his place and fulfil the promise.
Today’s liturgy has a beautiful message. We find God through the Prophet Elisha showing concern for the people. He feeds them with twenty loaves, while Jesus feeds five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. The responsible psalm also tells us that God opens his hands and satisfies us. The message of the liturgy is that God is with us always. He wants us to carry this message to the elderly that they may not feel isolated and rejected. Are we ready to join the movement of #Iamwithyoualways? Let us make Christ present in the lives of our elders.
