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July 24, 2023Abu Dhabi.
On 23 July 2023, the Church marked the third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, instituted by Pope Francis in 2021. Every year, the day is celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of July, either on or near the liturgical Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. This year, the day falls on the XVI Sunday in Ordinary Time.
“His mercy is from age to age” (Luke 1:50) is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year. The Pope links the message of this day to the upcoming World Youth Day in Lisbon from 1-6 August 2023, the motto of which is "Mary arose and went with haste” (Luke 1: 39), drawn from the same passage of the Gospel of Luke on the Visitation.
In his message for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, the Holy Father invites everyone – dioceses, parishes, associations, and communities – to celebrate this Day and to make it the occasion of a joyful and renewed encounter between young and old. He calls on the young people and the elderly to share their gifts and grow together, listening to each other, talking together, and supporting one another.
Yesterday, at St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi, Bishop Paolo Martinelli celebrated the Holy Mass marking the World Day. There was a special prayer and blessing for the grandparents and the elderly during the Mass. In his homily, Bishop Paolo invited everyone to remember our grandparents and to experience the Kingdom of God by honoring them.
Below is the full text of the homily delivered during the Holy Mass.
Listen to the homily
Today's Gospel offers us some parables of Jesus that concern the kingdom of God. First, let us ask ourselves: what is the kingdom of God? It is an expression that dominates in all the Gospels and is often found in the discourses of Jesus. In the prayer of Our Father, we ask: Your kingdom come! Jesus himself came to announce the kingdom of God: “The kingdom of God is near”.
Why can we say: the kingdom of God is near? Because where Jesus is present, there is the kingdom of God. If we welcome Jesus into our hearts, the kingdom of God grows within us.
In this way, we understand that the kingdom of God is the daily reality lived according to the Spirit of the Gospel. The kingdom of God is not an ideology of social revolution. The whole universe is called to become the kingdom of God for all eternity. But this kingdom begins when we welcome Jesus and live among ourselves the joy of the Gospel.
So here are the parables of the kingdom of God. The first makes us understand that the kingdom of God is already present among us, but it has not yet been completed and fully manifested.
The sown field is an image of the history of humanity, and the good seed is the Gospel, the word of God. But the land owner realizes that with the good wheat, someone, an enemy, has sown darnel, the bad seed. We instinctively think it is better to intervene now and try to remove the darnels immediately. But the master instead decides to let the good and bad seeds grow together, and only when they have reached maturity separate them definitively. In this way, it will be possible to distinguish the two plants better and avoid destroying the good plants to eliminate the bad ones. This makes us understand God's patience with us and with all humanity. It also reminds us that an enemy can act against our good and do evil. Therefore, in addition to being patient, we must also be cautious. This is the situation that we see in the world nowadays: good and evil are present together.
God is patient and lets good and evil coexist, without confusing them, until it is possible to divide them. This is what will happen at the end of the story.
The second parable gives us a simple image of the kingdom of God, not as a reality that imposes itself with force but possesses a transforming capacity. It all begins with a tiny mustard seed, which then grows into a large tree on which the birds of the sky build their nest. We learn from this parable to consider the value of small things done well, which can be like a tiny seed that then grows and spreads the joy of the kingdom of God. We must also be patient to grow from the seed to the plant.
Finally, the parable of the yeast and the flour helps us understand our mission in the world. Christians are like yeast in the flour. Theirs should be a discreet presence but which, if mixed well, can change life. So, we don't expect to change history right away. On the contrary, our task is to be like the leaven that ferments everything. We don't want all the flour to become yeast. We instead wish for the good yeast to make everyone grow in good.
Dear brothers and sisters, here is our task in view of the advent of the kingdom of heaven. Above all, always be united with Jesus through the sacraments and listen to the word of God and have a profound sense of belonging to the people of God: we want the good seed and not the evil one. Furthermore, we must learn from God to be patient with ourselves and others. We don't have to judge people. The judgment belongs to God. We strive to do good for everyone. Finally, with our humble testimony of life, we bring the Gospel to everyone. We live the Christian testimony in the family, in the places of our work, and in society.
Today is also the world day of the Grandparents. Let us remember with gratitude our grandparents and their contribution to our life. In this part of the world, most of our children are deprived of the love and wisdom of their grandparents. Pope Francis says, “Grandparents are often forgotten, yet they are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young.” Please remember that it is because of the sacrifice of our grandparents that we have our parents.“Let us honour them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours. May we never allow the elderly to be cast aside!” The Lord calls us to experience the Kingdom of God, let us first start by giving this experience to our grandparents and the elderly. Let us try to add taste and beauty to their life. After all, that is what they gave to our life when we were young.
The Lord will bring his plan of salvation to completion. The kingdom of God will manifest itself in all its beauty, and God will be all in all, and we will live forever in the joy of resurrected life.
But this kingdom is already present every time we welcome Jesus and one another in the name of the Lord.