.

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, especially in the life of a child.

And to all Grandparents: Happy Feast Day!

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 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 / Facetime / Zoom etc) 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, especially when young parents don’t trust their own experience of Jesus in the ups and downs of their own lives, and subsequently doubt their own ability to introduce their children to relationship with God.

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.