Feast of the Holy Family
HONOR THY AGING PARENTS
“If you obey the Lord by honoring your father and making your mother happy, you will live a long life.” – Sirach 3:6
My friend works as a caregiver in a Canadian nursing home. Daily, she would attend to the needs of parents not her own. In Western countries, nurses like her have replaced children in caring for aging parents. The children have grown up and
have become too busy living their lives.
In the Philippines, some old people are being left to the streets when children find it difficult to take care of them. This is a sad reality of our times. Thankfully, Anawim takes care of the abandonded elderly.
Now that I’m getting older and my parents’ strength is failing, the Lord’s command to “respect your father and mother” has grown closer to my heart. I believe it is when they are old that we can best honor them. It is in this time when they need our understanding and love the most. Marjorie Duterte (marjorie.travels@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
“My child, take care of your father when he grows old; give him no cause for worry as long as he lives. Be sympathetic even if his mind fails him; don’t look down on him just because you are strong and healthy.” (Sirach 3:13)
Father, our parents are Your gift to us. Grant us the grace to love them even more as they grow older. Amen.
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