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 URING
A PRAYER MEETING in the midst of the recent Christmas
season God gave us a beautiful gift. He sent his Son to us,
he said, as a small baby born in a manger. Mary, his mother,
invited us to hold her newborn child and, as we passed him
first to the Magi and then to one another, the glow which
was within us became stronger and stronger. Love was
multiplied as it was given away. By this action Mary's
overflowing maternal love for her infant son was immediately
transformed into agape love, God's unconditional love for
all mankind.
 I
pondered this precious word in the context of my recent
initiation into "grandmotherhood", which is proving to be
one of my most welcome and profound life experiences. What
does God's message mean to me in my new role in my natural
family? What does it tell me about my membership in my
Church community and in the worldwide family of God? Are
there some parallels? Is there a unique role for
grandparents in the Church?
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Article 2220) suggests
that grandparents are a vital link in the transmission of
"the gift of faith, the grace of baptism and life in the
Church." St Paul in his second letter to Timothy pays
tribute to his dear friend's blessed heritage:
I
am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came
first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother
Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you
as well (2 Tm 1:5)
Faith,
like love has no meaning in isolation but must be shared
with others, and the very act of handing it on enriches us
as believers. The Catechism says it so well in Article 166:
"Our love for Jesus and for our neighbour impels us to speak
to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in
the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being
carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help
support others in the faith." By encouraging and fostering
and modelling the living out of the Gospel with and for my
grandson I am taking my essential place as part of a network
of Christian witness and support that connects this nuclear
family to the larger family of the Church.
God
has indeed created, it seems, a special place for
grandparents, as we read in Proverbs 17:6, The crown of the
aged is their children's children. (I prefer to think of
myself as "mature"!) In our call as Christians to live
harmoniously and to respect one another in love, we provide
both example and opportunity for mutual caring. Thus the
light that emanates from the family grows in brightness as
it extends through us to the rest of the world and acts as a
beacon of light and warmth, a tangible expression of the
transcendent love of Jesus for his people.
So
it's just as I suspected. When I felt such wave of love for
my newborn grandson as he was placed in my arms just minutes
after his birth, and when I continue to experience such a
strong bond of love being forged between us, I know this
must hold some larger meaning for me as a child of God and a
member of his Church. To serve in this new way is an honor
and a privilege.
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