grandparents

Jul 26, 2024

.

This reflection is copies from the book, Food For Faith, available at this link or by clicking on the image below.

Today is the feast day of Anna and Joachim, the maternal grandparents of Jesus. This gives us a great opportunity to savour the significance of grandparents in the life of a child.

I was fortunate in my growing up years to never live more than an hour from my four grandparents. They were, each of the four of them, very unique people, and I can easily think of many things I learnt from each of them.

I recall watching with fascination the difference in my own parents when they themselves became grandparents. It was almost as if my three siblings and I had been their trial-run for this new and important role, a grand role they now had the time to savour, enjoying the hours and sometimes days they could spend with their grandchildren.

My parents also had the privilege of being formally asked by my cousin and her husband to take on the role of grandparents for their three children (after the death of my uncle and aunt). I remember the delight of my parents at this invitation. They were overwhelmed with joy at the honour, which came a couple of years before my own nephews and niece arrived.

Increasingly the honour and responsibility of grand-parenthood is shared beyond the traditional biological role, and this adaptability ensures that children have the support and wisdom of older and wiser family members.

Grandparents seem to understand the importance of wasting time with children.

Today many grandparents live a great distance from their grandchildren, but thanks to modern technology (email and Skype) it is possible to have regular contact, although technology can never replace real presence.

Grandparents have a role that is rarely acknowledged in the passing on of faith. Increasingly Christian parents do not have the same knowledge of Christian faith as earlier generations and as a result they struggle even to teach their children to speak with Jesus in an intimate and tangible way.

Many of today’s parents are unable to provide a knowledge of the gospels and the beauty of faith for their children. This is not helped by the fact that many Godparents are chosen for reasons of friendship instead of as Christian role-models. This gives a great opportunity for grandparents to share the role of providing their grandchildren with personal, practical and positive experiences of faith.  Giving attractive books of Bible stories as birthday or Christmas gifts can be a great way to start, then when you visit, read these stories to and with the children. They will ask questions and this gives a great opportunity for you to share your own experience of faith with them. Tell them about how, when and why you pray.

Thanks be to God for grandparents. You might like to share this post with grandparents who will appreciate some encouragement on this their feast day.

 

 

5 Comments

  1. Being a grandparent is definitely for me a great blessing. Thank you for recognising this important role.

    Reply
  2. A heart-warming reflection, with good, gentle advice, thank you John; it’s one of the many lovely reflections in your collection. Every home should have one!

    Reply
  3. It is a privilege and an honour to be a grandparent. Unfortunately not all grandparents are treated as such. Let us pray for those who have broken relationships with family members and don’t have this privilege of being loved as grandparents.

    Reply
  4. As I get older, I feel closer to my grandmother and grandfather their wisdom and love are a tangible reminder of the warmth and security I felt in their company. It encourages me to want to be remember like that by my grandchildren so whatever happens for them they will always know I am in their corner for life.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day

If I had to wait for the feeling I wouldn’t get around actually loving

he tangata

he tangata

to recognise each and every person as the pinnacle of divine activity

culture & faith

culture & faith

Today we mark 184 years since the first signatures were put to the Treaty of Waitangi

retreating

retreating

My suggestion is that in a time of retreat what we are retreating from is all that is not reality.

heartland

heartland

he simply sought to be fully with the one or two people he was with in any moment, and that was enough.