The Original Grandparents' Day

    There is a National Grandparents' Day for honoring our grandparents, set by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 for the Sunday following Labor Day.  Hallmark has their Grandparents' Day where the cards and sentiments for these important people in our lives can be expressed.  When I was in Scottdale, Grandparents' Day at the school in May was the best attended event on the calendar.  We love our grandparents.

     We within the Church celebrate a sort of Grandparents' Day today, on the feast of Saints Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and therefore the maternal grandparents of Jesus.  I would say that ours is the "original".  Today would be a day to honor, show our love, celebrate, but most especially to pray for the parents of our parents.

     Scripture does not tell us about these two, but ancient tradition, already known by the 2nd century, gives us their names.  Devotion to Saint Anna became popular in the 6th century in the East and the 10th century in the West, with devotion to Joachim coming much later.  Why devotion to these two?  They did a great job preparing their daughter in Faith for the working of God.  It was their Faith and their love and trust in the providence of God that set the stage for Mary's YES.

     My grandparents all died while I was still young.  My Dad's dad was a coal miner who worked hard all his life, and along with grandma, who died all too early, raised six great kids along with two who died in infancy.  They lived in a coal mining "patch" but with great pride, deep Faith and a wholesome family life.  They were already second generation Americans (the name was originally Stachowiak)  I've included a picture of my grandfather, John Stoviak, coming home from the mines with his lunch bucket ... and of grandma, Bessie, with some of the grand kids (I'm in the front row left).  My memories of visiting (and eating - you were always fed) are blessings.  The other picture is of Mom's mom and dad ... Frank and Mary Lenard at my 2nd birthday party.
Grand pap came to this country from Poland, and was a skilled tailor.  Together they raised five girls.  Grandma was from Youngstown, Ohio ... by way of Slovakia where she grew up.   I lived four houses down the street from my maternal grandparents, and as such, was probably spoiled.

    I truly give thanks for these four great
souls who gave life to those who brought me into this world ... and I pray for them on this Grandparents' Day.