I know of an elderly couple who have the miracle of being married for almost 60 years. Thanks to the love of their several children and grandchildren, they have a place to live with a degree of appropriate independence.
One of the sons has adapted the back of their house so that their parents can live there with some privacy, yet still be able to keep an eye on them.
The daughters, sons, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and adult grandchildren create something similar to a calendar so that their elderly parents are not alone for long periods of time. Each week it takes them a while to agree on a timeline due to their own family responsibilities, but they manage to do so.
As time goes by, both of the grandparents’ health has begun to suffer, and this represents an additional challenge for the family in providing them with care.
One of them shows signs of forgetfulness and frequently repeats the same questions to his children and grandchildren. On one occasion, one of the sons was with his parents, and he had one of his own daughters with him. The daughter asked her dad:
“Why does my grandpa always ask me the same question?”
Since the girl was still young, her father replied:
“Because he really likes listening to you.”
With that answer, the little girl was reassured. When she heard her grandpa ask the same question again, she answered, knowing that her grandpa liked listening to her and received her words attentively.
And you, are you willing to listen to those you love?
It’s true that the reason grandpa repeats his questions has to do with health reasons, and at the same time, it’s also true that he must like and enjoy listening to his children and grandchildren.
When I was a little girl and my mother spoke on the phone with my grandparents -who lived 12 hours away-I vividly remember that at the beginning of the conversation, my mom would repeat the same answers every week. It was as if my grandparents were checking off a list of questions of what was happening with us, their grandchildren, who lived far away.
And I, in a similar way, asked my mom:
“Why do they always ask the same questions?”
I was confused because I knew they had good memory. Even so, my mom responded patiently:
“Because they enjoy knowing about you, and they want to hear from you.”
In your case, how much do you enjoy listening to those you love?
Do you ask them questions?
Do you listen and receive their answers?
There is a moment in the Gospel where Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say He is, and then asks them the same question.
And you, why do you think Jesus asked the apostles that question?
Jesus, true God and true man, can know everything. Why bother asking the question?
I don’t know if this has happened to you, but I and others I know have known that there are times when we hold back on sharing things with God, assuming that God already knows everything. The argument goes:
“Why tell Him something He already knows?”
Could it be that Jesus is interested in listening to you beyond your answer?
If the Spirit leads you, share with Jesus the carpenter what seems obvious to you. And perhaps you will realize that Jesus receives not only what you tell Him, but the fact that you share it with Him.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about the questions Jesus asks His apostles in the readings for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Year/Cycle C.
