FATHER JIM'S JOTS - Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 8, 2024

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 8, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

Greetings!!

Happy Grandparents Day!  With the celebration of its fourth edition, the world day For Grandparents and the elderly continues to be an important occasion for the life of our ecclesial communities and enriched with new meaning.  Attending to our grandparents and the elderly is not only a sign of gratitude and affection, but a necessity in the construction of a more human and fraternal society.  The Holy Father invites us to recognize their value and to do so permanently, not just occasionally.

This year's theme, "Do not cast me off in my old age (cf. Ps 71:9), recalls the heartfelt plea to the Lord not to be left alone in old age.  All too often, in fact, loneliness is a bitter companion in the lives of the elderly due to numerous contingent situations, such as the migration of children or the crisis of families, or due to the individualistic mentality that makes those who are advanced in years feel like a burden.

Yet, as the Holy Father reminds us, God never abandons His children.  In the Bible, growing old is a sign of blessing.  The loneliness and abandonment of the elderly is not inevitable, rather the result of choices that do not recognize the infinite dignity of each and every person.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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