This year, too, the 4th World Day of Grandparents and Elderly Persons is being celebrated in Medjugorje on the fourth Sunday in July, which this year falls on July 28. The theme of this day is “Do not leave me in old age” (cf. Ps 71, 9).
The commemoration program consists of a catechesis that will be held by Br. Svetozar Kraljević at 5:00 p.m. in the hall of St. John Paul II. in Medjugorje, and then Rosary follows and an opportunity for confession, and then from 7 p.m. there will be Holy Mass at the White Dome of the church of St. James in Medjugorje.
“None of us came into the world alone. We all owe gratitude first to God, and then to our parents and grandparents, and that’s how it goes down the generations. We thank them for being open to life and that we live today. People congratulate us on our birthday, but on our birthday we should thank our parents and all our ancestors, thank them for being open to the gift of life, for cooperating with God because that’s how we came into this world and got the chance to live. We must be grateful to our parents, grandparents and help them, see that they are not the ones who will be somewhere on the sidelines, whom we will not worry about, for whom we will not have time… but truly devote our time and our care to them, as they are they to us in our young days, when we were learning to walk, when they were raising us… We must not forget them in our old age either. You can learn a lot from them, there is life wisdom, life experience…” said Međugorje parish priest Br. Zvonimir Pavičić, inviting the elderly, grandparents, to the catechesis at 5 p.m., which will be held in Medjugorje by Fr. Svetozar Kraljević, and afterwards to the evening prayer program.
“I believe that Br. Svetozar will be interesting, as always in his speeches, and that he will give them a little more enthusiasm and encouragement to continue to live their faith, and especially to testify to their grandchildren that it is necessary to live with the Lord,” he said. brother Zvonimir.
“God never abandons his children. Not even in advanced years and when physical strength weakens, when hair turns gray and social role diminishes, when life becomes less productive and threatens to seem useless. He does not look at the outside (cf. 1 Sam 16:7) and does not hesitate to choose those who seem insignificant to many. He does not throw any stone; on the contrary, the “older” stone is a sure foundation on which the “new” can be placed in order to form a spiritual house together (cf. 1 Pt 2, 5). grandparents and elderly people were instructed by Pope Francis.
