Do you know someone who is an elderly? Perhaps our parents, grandparents, a relative or an elderly neighbour?
When we look at them, they remind us that where they are today is where we will be one day. And when they look at us, we too remind them that they were once young, filled with dreams, energy, and passion. It could also cross their minds that, perhaps, as an elderly, they do not have much to give to others anymore.
St Magdalene of Canossa called the elderly “mountains of gems” for their wisdom, experience and contributions. She held them with love and respect. So, we too, like Mother Foundress, should honour and hold them in the high regard they deserve. If not for those who lived before us, we would not be where we are today. Our successes have been built because our past, because of those who came before us. They were the ones who first sowed the seeds of love in our hearts and were our reservoir of wisdom and pillars of strength. For many, they still are today.
Despite the fact that they may be toothless, wrinkled, white-haired or bald, and in a different stage of life, they are still the same person who loved us when we were young, the same people who, when we stumbled and fell, lifted us up and carried us on their shoulders. As they age, do know that they still hold us in their hearts and in their prayers. We will never stop being their precious child, their sayang.
On the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (26 July), the grandparents of Jesus, Canossaville supports our schools by providing each student with packets of traditional biscuits and teach them to ask for God’s blessings on their grandparents. We believe that filial piety is part of our formation of the heart in the young. We want to cultivate in our young the need to love everyone at different stages of their lives. This little gesture is Canossaville’s way of providing opportunities for our children to celebrate the elderly as gifts from God.
We look at the elderly around us with gratitude in our hearts and teach the young ones to do likewise.
On behalf of Canossaville and our Canossian schools, do convey our warmest affection to your beloved and wish them Happy Grandparents Day for us. To those whom we hold in our memories and hearts, we remember to say today, “Thank you for all that you have done! Because of you, I am who I am!”