I often find it hard to put into words what it’s like becoming a
grandparent. The indescribable feelings
of love and the strong desire to explore with and teach our grandchildren all
the world and our faith offers. On this
day, the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and grandparents to Jesus. I
stumbled onto the St. Anne Novena and decided to pray the novena knowing I
would be serving this day. She goes by
many titles: Patroness of the Childless, Help of the Pregnant, Model of Married
Women and Mothers, Protectress of Widows, Comfortress of the Sorrowing, Mother
of the Poor, Patroness of Laborers, Health of the Sick, and Consoler of the
Dying.
I believe what I most got out of the novena was an appreciation for the
role of grandparents in the lives of our children and grandchildren, and maybe a
desire to amend some of the areas I fell short of as I raised my children. Sts. Joachim and Anne taught and shared the
faith of their fathers and I’m sure today’s first reading was the baseline for
their teachings. Not only their
teachings but their actions; how they engaged each other, neighbors, community,
the poor and needy. I shared a picture
on facebook of a man and a small boy sitting on a bench watching the water of a
creek go by with the caption, “Everything you do has the power to change the world. You never know who will be touched by your
words or inspired by your actions.”
From my grandparent perspective, I see in the Parable of the Sower containing
some intentional roles I must fulfill to continue to nurture my children and
inspire my grandchildren to an active faith life. First, we must be a sower of seeds. By our words and actions, we must profess and
live the Gospel value of love. Love of
self, love of neighbor, love of the poor.
Next, we need to be in the rock removal business. Growing up in NY I saw many a farmer removing
the rocks from their fields to avoid damaging their planting equipment. What rocks do we need to remove from our
hearts that get in the way of effectively sowing the seeds of faith? One more, we must be willing to maintain the fertile
field of the impressionable heart and mind of our children and grandchildren,
by maintaining an awareness of the thorns and thickets of this world that can
and will choke off the growth of a healthy faith life.
Happy Feast Day of St. Anne! This glorious
saint was one of the first to be a faithful echo of her Grandson. Her uncompromising submission to God’s will is
a testament of her faith. I invite you
to take a grandmother’s favors to a celestial level. Ask your Heavenly
Grandmother on this day to restore to the One, True Church our loved ones who
have sailed away from the harbor of Truth. We ask her to ask her Daughter, Our Lady, and
her Grandson, Our Lord, for an abundance of merits and graces on this special
day!
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