Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly: I am with you always.

In other years: Saint James (?-44)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 45 Mistakes in the Oratory

Mass: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Resp Ps 145; Phy 4:1-6; Jn 6:1-15

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.

LIVE IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE CALL YOU HAVE RECEIVED, WITH ALL HUMILITY AND GENTLENESS, WITH PATIENCE, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGH LOVE.

(Eph 4:1-2)

On this First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, a thought went to a quotation I include in birthday cards. It is this: "If you are young, look forward to God's fidelity to you throughout your life; if you are older, look back on God's fidelity to you through all that is past. Whatever your age, know that God's love is the foundation upon which all our hope stands firm." Then I read this in the Holy Father's homily of today: "Today, we need a new covenant between young and old. We need to share the treasure of life, to dream together, to overcome conflicts between generations and to prepare a future for everyone ... Young people, as prophets of the future, who treasure their own history. The elderly, who continue to dream and share their experience with the young, without standing in their way. Young and old, the treasure of tradition and the freshness of the Spirit. Young and old together. In society, and in the Church, together." We go forth then, young and old together, united in faith and prayer. We thank especially all those, living and deceased, who have guided, mentored, and loved us to where we are today. 

I thank you, Lord,

for the comfort of Your presence:

even in times of loneliness,

You are my hope and my confidence,

You have been my rock and fortress since my youth!

I thank you for having given me a family

and for having blessed me with a long life.

I thank you for the moments of joy and difficulty,

for the dreams that have already come true in my life and for

those that are still ahead of me.

I thank you for this time of renewed fruitfulness to which You call me.

Increase, O Lord, my faith,

make me a channel of your peace,

teach me to embrace those who suffer more than me.

to never stop dreaming

and to tell of your wonders to new generations.

Protect and guide Pope Francis and the Church,

that the light of the Gospel might reach the ends of the earth.

Send Your Spirit, O Lord, to renew the world,

that the storm of the pandemic might be calmed,

the poor consoled and wars ended.

Sustain me in weakness

and help me to live the full in each moment you give me,

in the certainty that you are with me every day,

until the end of the age.

Amen.

(Prayer for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, July 25, 2021)

SAINT JAMES,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Just yesterday when I was thinking about a photo for today, this one came through from my dear brother, James. So as we celebrate the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, and in other years, the Feast of Saint James, here's a little mix and match from the Wilson family and the Feick Family. It works as here you see love, joy, food and fellowship abound, here at Lake Tippecanoe, Leesburg, IN. 

© Gertrude Feick 2021