Growing Older, Growing Wiser: A Legacy of Faith
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
Grandparents faithfully pass hope through prayer to every generation
By: Deacon Mike Walsh ©
“Even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you.”
Isaiah 46:4
From the Elderly to Elders
I applaud Pope Francis’ wisdom in establishing this annual celebration. It reminds the whole Church that older men and women continue to play an indispensable role in God’s plan of salvation. If I were Pope for a day, however, I might respectfully suggest one small change.
I would rename it the World Day for Grandparents and the Elders.
Words matter.
Our society often speaks of the “elderly” as though they belong to a stage of life that has passed them by. But an elder is something altogether different. An elder is someone who has grown not only older in years, but deeper in wisdom, richer in faith, and stronger in hope. Elders become the storytellers of our families, the keepers of our traditions, and the quiet intercessors whose prayers continue to sustain children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.
Perhaps this is something we can also learn from many of our Indigenous brothers and sisters. Across Indigenous cultures in Canada, elders have long been honoured as teachers, spiritual guides, and keepers of memory. They are respected not simply because they have lived many years, but because they carry the wisdom of experience and the responsibility of passing it on to the next generation.
Growing older is not about losing our place in the community; it is about embracing a new and vital role within it.
Pope Francis wanted to remind the faithful that growing older is not the end of one’s mission.
It is the beginning of a new one.
A faithful life becomes the inheritance of every generation
Grandparents and elders reveal God’s enduring call to guide the next generation.
There are many blessings that have come with serving as a Deacon over the past twenty years. Some I expected; others surprised me. One of the most meaningful has been serving families at funeral services.
When a family calls a Deacon, it is often because they have chosen to celebrate the Rite of Christian Funerals in a funeral home instead of a parish church. Frequently, the person who has died remained connected to the Catholic faith, but the next generation may not be practicing or may simply feel uncomfortable in a church. At such an emotional time, the standing, sitting, kneeling, and responses of the Mass can feel overwhelming.
Most of the time, I have never met the family before. Yet within hours, they invite me into one of the most sacred moments of their lives.
One thing I always do is spend a few minutes looking at the photographs displayed around the room. Years ago, they were mounted on poster boards. Today, they unfold as digital slide shows. The technology has changed, but the story rarely does.
The first pictures are almost always of childhood, followed by school years, a wedding, young children, family holidays, Christmas mornings, anniversaries, and graduations. Then, almost without noticing it, the children grow up and little children begin appearing once again.
The parents have become grandparents.
Today, I often see not only grandchildren but great-grandchildren gathered together. Four, sometimes even five generations are represented because of the life of one person. During the service, I often look at the grandchildren and ask one of my favourite questions.
“Do you know why grandparents and grandchildren get along so well?” Then I smile. “Because they share a common enemy.”
The room almost always erupts in laughter. For just a moment, grief gives way to joy. But behind the joke lies a deeper truth. Grandparents possess something many of us spend our lives trying to acquire—time, perspective, patience, wisdom, and the quiet ability simply to love.
Our culture often measures people by what they produce. The Gospel measures them by how they love.
Love, after all, is the one inheritance that only grows richer when it is shared.
Perhaps that is why, after every funeral, I leave convinced that the richest inheritance we can leave our children is not found in a will, but in the witness of a life faithfully lived.
A Legacy That Lives On
I have seen Pope Francis’ mission unfold countless times in funeral homes.
When families gather to remember someone they love, they rarely speak about careers, promotions, or possessions. Instead, they remember:
Bedtime prayers, Christmas traditions, words of encouragement, unconditional love, and a faith quietly lived.
They remember the grandfather who never missed Sunday Mass.
The grandmother whose rosary was never far from reach.
The great-grandparent whose wisdom could calm an anxious heart with just a few gentle words.
That is the vocation of an elder.
The pace of life may slow, but the influence of a life well lived often grows stronger. The Church still needs her elders. Families still need their grandparents.
The world still needs the wisdom that only a lifetime of walking with Christ can provide.
Saints Joachim and Anne: Faith received, faith lived, faith lovingly passed to generations.
The Quiet Legacy of Saints Joachim and Anne
As I prepared for this year’s World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, I was reminded that Pope Francis chose to celebrate it on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne—the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. It is a fitting reminder that the vocation of grandparents has always held a special place in the life of the Church.
The Gospels never tell us their names. Scripture is silent about Mary’s parents.
Yet from the earliest centuries, the Church has lovingly preserved their memory through sacred tradition, recognizing them as faithful members of Israel who helped prepare the way for the coming of Christ.
Earlier this month, we reflected more deeply on Saints Joachim and Anne in our Pray Together community prayer, inviting readers to send us their intercession for grandparents, families, and all who hand on the gift of faith. If you missed it, I encourage you to spend a few moments praying with us. It beautifully complements this reflection and reminds us that the greatest legacy we can leave the next generation is not wealth or accomplishments, but a living faith.
Although we know very little about Joachim and Anne, their witness continues to teach us. They remind us that holiness is often hidden. They are remembered not for extraordinary deeds but for faithfully living their vocation within their family. Their quiet faith helped prepare Mary to say “yes” to God, and through her, the world received its Saviour.
They also remind us that faith is handed on from one generation to the next. Before Jesus learned the prayers of Israel from Mary and Joseph, Mary first learned to pray within the home of Joachim and Anne.
The history of salvation has always been built upon ordinary families passing on an extraordinary faith.
God Never Retires His Disciples
So today, whether you are blessed to have grandparents in your life or whether you have become one yourself, give thanks. Better yet, tell them while you still can.
After all, God never retires his disciples.
Sometimes he simply calls them to become elders—women and men whose greatest inheritance is not what they leave behind, but the faith they leave within the hearts of those who follow them.
Go in Peace —and Glorify the Lord by your Life.
Deacon Mike Walsh serves the Archdiocese of Toronto, leads the Daily TV Mass ministry, and writes about faith, service, hope, and discipleship.
Very inspiring