In his July 23, 2023 “Message for the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly,” Pope Francis draws upon the blessing of embrace between Mary and Elizabeth to invite both young and old into a joyfully renewed encounter with one another. Let us honor this celebration as a “small but precious sign of hope for them and for the whole Church”1 with our lives and our prayer:
O Lord, your mercy is from generation to generation.
Your timeless Spirit accompanies your people for a lifetime,
Unveiling the gifts of joy and wisdom in each day’s toil and treasure.
God of the ages, hear our prayer.
For all who are young,
May they know the heart of God in the elderly.
May they seek communion and conversation with them in earnest
That they may be moved to tenderness,
Called to cultivate memory,
And recognize you, the
protector and sustainer of the aged, as their own.
God of the ages, hear our prayer.
For all who are old,
May they proclaim the faithfulness of God to the youth.
May they speak of their dependency as holy,
God's accompaniment as necessary,
And their salvation as an inheritance,
That abiding joy may be a crown
of glory upon their heads.
God of the ages, hear our prayer.
Eternal One, unite your people young and old
That we might be for one another a sign of hope to come.
Let us be present,
Allowing your grace to enliven us to the intergenerational embraces that surround us.
For we belong to one
another,
To your glorious church - past, present, and future;
For we belong to you.
God of the ages, hear our prayer.
1 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/nonni/documents/20230531-messaggio-nonni-anziani.html