I was all set to talk more about the social teachings of our Catholic Church, but, while at work, I changed my mind.
Leviticus 19:32
Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.
I was working in triage, and talked with a man who was caring for his elderly parents. The kindness, respect and love he showed for his father brought tears to my eyes. He was the oldest of six children, and it made me smile to watch the interaction between the two of them. It made me want to call my parents, kiss my grandmother, visit my in-laws, and hug my children, all in the same moment.
Let this be a reminder to take the time to visit your older family members, send them a card, or give them a call. Mom and Granny, I love you, more than you know. Grandma and Grandpa Kennedy, thanks for raising such an amazing man. We love you, too.
This weekend marks the feast day of one of our most famous Catholic saints, Augustine. I’ve talked about his mother, St Monica before, as a model of motherhood and perseverance.
Saint Augustine certainly gave his mother plenty of reasons for grey hairs during his youth. Although he was one of the most intelligent men to have ever lived, he refused to become Christian until well into his thirties. After being baptized, he went on to become a priest, a bishop, and one of our most influential Catholic writers and saints.
Join in and link up to share your favorite saints or scripture this week! Make it a great one!
You are so right about respecting our elders. We can all learn so much from their years of experience. Yes, there are people older than me. I have elders also. And thanks for the hug.
I have a blog post all set to publish tomorrow about this same topic!
Your post makes me want to run to my parents and give them a big hug, too. I’ll have to settle for a phone call, though since they live so far away. 🙂
Thanks for hosting once again!
I really needed to read this post. Because I live in a retirement town, I tend to get VERY aggravated with our elderly drivers and their attitudes sometimes. But I’ve been realizing lately that it’s become a major issue with the Lord. He does not like my poor attitude towards them, and I’m really trying to work on it. It’s very hard though, especially when they seem to not care about anyone but themselves a lot. See, I live in a “snow bird city”, wherein the older residents only live here part of the year. And they see our fair city as their own personal advanced age Disney World. They don’t really like kids and strollers, and crying kids makes them eye-roll like nobody’s business.
But I’m realizing a point of contention our Lord has with me that your post has definitely helped drive home: I need to be concerned with how the Lord will judge ME FOR MY reaction, my heart towards them; not concerned with what they do. It is MY HEART that I need to be caring for. Because my anger towards them will only inhibit the graces that He will bestow upon me, and His Mercy is all I really want in this world.
So thank you SO MUCH for this reminder. I just love you to bits, Dianna 🙂
Patience and kindness are virtues I have to work on, sometimes HOURLY. It’s not easy for me. I look to Mary as an example, but I see her as a gentle spirit — words no one will ever use to describe me, unless I’m asleep.
I like that children’s song — “He’s still working on me” — describes my journey to a tee.
Thanks so much for stopping by — hope to see you again soon!