Tag: grandparents

Keeping our roots

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday, Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the BVM, 26 July 2024
Jeremiah 3:14-17     <*((((><<  +  >><))))*>     Matthew 13:18-23
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 19 March 2023.
As we reel from the aftermath
of the recent storms that caused
widespread floods and affected 
so many lives,
Your words today Lord Jesus Christ
direct our thoughts 
to our roots and rootedness 
in God and with one another
especially our grandparents.

The seed sown on the rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away (Matthew 13:20-21).

How lovely that on this Memorial
of Saints Joachim and Anne,
the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and grandparents of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the gospel invites us to go back and nurture 
our roots; like any good tree planted firmly
that provides shades and food
as well as holds water when rains come,
roots evoke a sense of interconnectedness,
of trust with each other,
of our grounding in life and mission
that give direction for us in life;
without the root,
we not only wither and die
but lose sense and meaning in life;
it is in the root we find our identity
and mission;
in the root is found our true selves;
it is the root that holds us
to remain whole despite 
the many blows we encounter in life.
That is why the Prophet Jeremiah
invites us in the first reading to 
go back to God,
to be converted always.
It is not difficult to find out what kind
of people were Saints Joachim and Anne
because when we study and reflect the
writings we have about 
the Blessed Virgin Mary
and her Son Jesus Christ,
the more we discover
their roots must be so good indeed.
God our Father,
let us be rooted in You always,
finding You among the people
You gift us beginning with our
family and friends;
let us realize our roots
extend beyond people but also
with all your creation
so that we may love and care
for the blessed environment 
You have given us called Earth.
Amen.
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 19 March 2023.

God bless our grandparents

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Memorial of Sts. Joachim & Anne, Parents of the BVM, 26 July 2023
Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15   <*(((>< + ><)))*> + <*(((>< + ><)))*>   Matthew 13:1-9
Photo by author, Bolinao, Pangasinan, 19 April 2022.
God our loving Father,
I have just noticed how we all love
seeing and watching the sun set,
even capturing it in our photos
and yet, we tend to forget,
sometimes neglect the people
in the sunset of their lives.
Our grandparents
and elderlies.
The seniors among us.
On this Memorial of 
Saints Joachim and Anne,
the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
grandparents of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we pray for all our seniors today.
Grant them the patience of the sower
in the gospel, to continue sowing us
with your seeds of faith and 
valuable lessons learned in life
from their experience of you, O Lord.
Like Sts. Joachim and Anne,
may we never lose hope in life
even in our old age in fulfilling
our dreams and aspirations in life;
keep us faithful to you and to one another,
always listening and obeying them
as Aaron had taught your people
in the desert and as Jesus admonished,
"Whoever has ears ought to hear"
(Matthew 13:9).
Teach us, dear Father,
to honor older people
not only today on their feast
but everyday by welcoming them,
helping them, and
making good use of their qualities
as expounded by St. John Paul II
in his Letter to the Elderly, #12.
Most of all, let our young
remain close to the elderly
with great love and generosity 
because older people can give 
them with much more than
they can imagine with their 
"wisdom of heart".
Amen.