Tag: Growing Old Gracefully

Mass for Carers – Sermon -11th July 2026 – Rev. Dr. Joseph D Cortis

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This below is the sermon for the special Carers’ Mass at Leeds Cathedral on Saturday 11th July 2026. You can watch the whole Mass on the YouTube channel of the Cathedral by clicking the button below.

Carers’ Mass video

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St Benedict, the father of Western monasticism and Patron of Europe, but at this mass we also turn our hearts toward a group of people whose quiet holiness often goes unnoticed: informal carers—family members, friends, neighbours—who give their time, strength, and love to support those who cannot manage alone.

St. Benedict taught that holiness is found not in grand gestures but in faithful, daily acts of love. His Rule emphasises stability, humility, listening, and service. These are precisely the virtues lived—often heroically—by carers every single day.

Our first reading from the book of Proverbs speaks of seeking wisdom, of opening the heart to God’s instruction. ‘Wisdom’ in Holy Scripture is not cleverness; it is the art of living well, living faithfully, living lovingly.

Informal carers embody this wisdom. They may not have chosen their role, but they respond with courage. They may not feel strong, yet they carry burdens that others do not see. They may not speak of sacrifice, yet their lives are shaped by it.

This section from the Book of Proverbs promises that God “guards the path of the just.” Carers walk a path that is often hidden, exhausting, and emotionally demanding—yet God walks it with them. Their service is not unnoticed in heaven.

To-day we heard sections from Psalm 33 which reminds us that God is close to the broken hearted and those whose spirits are crushed. Many carers know what it is to feel stretched thin, to feel unseen, to feel overwhelmed. And yet, the psalm assures us that: God sees. God hears. God sustains.

Carers often become the face of God’s tenderness for the person they support. But God, in turn, becomes the strength that carers themselves need.

This psalm is not a promise that life will be easy. It is a promise that God will be present—in the long nights, the hospital corridors, the difficult conversations, the moments of doubt, and the moments of grace.

In our Gospel reading, Peter says to Jesus, “We have left everything and followed you.” Jesus responds with a promise: those who give of themselves for the sake of love will receive far more than they have given.

This is the Gospel truth lived by carers. They leave behind personal plans. They set aside ambitions. They sacrifice time, energy, sleep, and sometimes their own health.

And Jesus says: “You will be repaid a hundredfold.” Not necessarily with ease or comfort, but with a deeper grace: the grace of knowing that love—real love—costs something and is worth everything.

Carers live the Gospel not in words but in actions. They are living icons of Christ’s compassion.
St Benedict believed that every act, done with love and offered to God, becomes holy.

• Preparing a meal
• Helping someone dress
• Repeating the same reassurance for the tenth time
• Sitting beside someone who is afraid
• Managing medication, appointments, and crises
• Holding a hand in silence

These are Gospel acts. These are acts that build the Kingdom of God. St Benedict taught that the monastery should be a “school of the Lord’s service.” Carers live in that school every day.

So, Friends, to all carers among us:

Your work is sacred. Your patience is a prayer. Your sacrifices are seeds of grace. Your love reflects Christ’s own love.

And to the rest of us: We are called not only to admire carers but to support them— with respite, with understanding, with practical help, with advocacy, and with prayer.

The Church must be a place where carers are honoured, strengthened, and never left alone.

On this Feast of St Benedict, may we learn from his wisdom: that holiness is found in the ordinary, that love is lived in daily fidelity, and that God is present in every act of service.

May the Lord bless all carers with strength, peace, and the assurance that their hidden work shines brightly in the eyes of God.

Amen.

Rev. Dr. Joseph D Cortis, 11th July 2026

World Day for the Elderly – Sunday 26th July 2026

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The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated for the sixth time in 2026, this Sunday, which is Sunday 26th July.

This special day takes place on the forth Sunday, in July, the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Grandparents of Jesus and this year the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly actually falls on their Feast Day of 26th July.

Pope Francis established the Catholic Church’s World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly which took place for the first time on Sunday 25 July 2021.

The theme chosen by Pope Leo for this year’s celebration is:

“I will never forget you” (Is 49:15)

Taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, the chosen verse is meant to be a message of consolation and hope for all grandparents and older people, especially those who live in loneliness or feel forgotten. At the same time, it is a reminder to families and communities not to forget them, recognising in them a precious presence and a blessing.

The Pope’s choice highlights how God’s love for every person never fails, not even in the fragility of old age.The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life encourages parishes and communities throughout the world to find ways to promote and celebrate the Day and celebrate the lives of Grandparents and older people.

Here you can read the full message from the Holy Father.

If you are a grandparent and are able to attend Mass, you could invite your grandchildren to attend with you.

The Catholic Grandparents Association has been at the forefront in campaigning for a greater recognition of Grandparents for their role and vocation in passing on their faith to the next generation. They have also produced resources that you might wish to use.

Day for Life 2026

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Every year, Day for Life falls on Father’s Day. Today we remember with gratitude the loving care and direction our parents gave to us, whether they are still with us or have gone to the Lord.

Parenthood is a vocation of joys and hopes, of griefs and anxieties. On this year’s Day for Life, we acknowledge the particular grief of mothers and fathers who have lost a child before birth or in infancy. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be especially difficult for parents who have experienced the loss of a infant.

The Church wants to be especially close to parents who have suffered the loss of an infant. We have the Lord’s promise from the Scriptures that: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you” (Jer 1:5).

The Word of God reveals the sacred humanity of the unborn child and perhaps helps us understand why we feel such profound grief at the loss of a baby. Parents instinctively grasp how precious and unique the child is whom they have lost and whom they may already have called by name. They know how no other child can ever replace them.

This Day for Life 2026, we reflect on the wonder of human life from the moment of fertilisation. We remember how the Lord Jesus Christ Himself sanctified and experienced the beginning of life in the world as an unborn child, hidden in the womb of Mary. Mary knew that she was carrying the Son of God – God and man – as soon as He was conceived. John the Baptist leapt in his mother Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her. Our Lady treasured Our Lord in her heart and womb until His birth.

You can read more about this year’s Day for Life on the website of the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales here.

As an older people’s charity, we particularly think about all older people who are or who have been parents, including those whose children have died before them, including those who suffered miscarriages.

Day for Life Fund

We are very grateful as a charity to have received funding from the Day for Life fund which has been crucial in enabling is to do our work.

The Day for Life Fund provides financial assistance each year to organisations working to support the Church’s mission to protect human life from conception to natural death. Each year, the money donated by the faithful on the Day for Life is dispersed to these organisations to assist them in undertaking specific projects relating to life issues. These can range from educational workshops to advocacy campaigns, practical support services to commissioning research.

We encourage people to donate to the Day for Life fund to support its work. You can donate to it here.

Finding Newness in Old Age – online reflection

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You are invited to our next online reflection, Finding Newness in Old Age, which is on Tuesday 23rd June, 7-8pm

A challenge to us all as to see growing older as a positive experience, the reflection will focus on how we can transition through the different stages of growing older, from being healthy and active to a slower pace and a time of more dependence and vulnerability. How do we adapt and maintain a sense of purpose?

It will be a combination of reflection, sharing thoughts with others and prayers.

To register please email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

“You are precious in my eyes”- online event for carers – Wednesday 15th July 2pm

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Growing Old Grace-fully are hosting an online session and reflection as part of our Carers Project, being led by Michelle Anderson. This is on Wednesday 15th July at 2pm.

“You are Precious in my Eyes“, we will consider how carers may often feel ignored or invisible, but can be reassured in the knowledge that they are always seen by God and are precious to him.

This online session will include practical information, time to share experiences along with prayer and reflection.

Whilst this is mainly aimed at unpaid carers, it is open to all. Anyone who wishes to attend just needs to email Michelle at carersproject@growingoldgracefully.org.uk & she will send you the Zoom link to join.

Carers Mass – Saturday 11th July – 12 noon

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All carers and the person or people they are caring for are invited to join us for a special Mass to celebrate the wonderful and important work of unpaid carers across the Diocese of Leeds.

It is on Saturday 11th July at 12pm (12 noon) at Leeds Cathedral, Great George Street, Leeds LS2 8BE.

This Mass is a great opportunity for us to pray for unpaid carers, acknowledging how invaluable they are, and how vital their role is within society. This special Mass is part of our Carers Project, being led by Michelle Anderson.

A sandwich lunch will be served in Cathedral Hall after Mass.

If you are hoping to attend, please sign up via EventBrite here.

It would be helpful if you can let us know you are attending, so we have an idea of numbers for the sandwich lunch, but all are welcome.

For more information or details, do email Michelle at carersproject@growingoldgracefully.org.uk.

Carers Project – Monthly Online Support Sessions

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Every First Wednesday of the month at 2pm – starting 3rd June 2026

Growing Old Grace-fully is starting a monthly online support group for unpaid carers, which will meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 2pm. This is part of our Carers Project, being led by Michelle Anderson.

The first session will be on Wednesday 3rd June at 2pm.

All unpaid carers are invited to come and join the session for an opportunity to make new friends, chat and share with each other, including space and time to pray.

Sometimes leaving the person you care for may not be possible which is why we are offering these online sessions; to bring support and the opportunity to pray and have time for your faith in your own home or wherever you are caring.

Any unpaid carer who wishes to attend just needs to email Michelle at carersproject@growingoldgracefully.org.uk & she will send you the Zoom link to join.

Prayers for Easter

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Easter, the glorious celebration of the resurrection of Jesus our Lord and God, is a feast and season rooted in renewal, light and hope.

Easter invites us, especially in later life and old age, to reflect not only on Christ’s rising but also on the quiet transformations throughout our own lives. The moments of joy and sorrow, success and failure, achievement and loss that have shaped us through a lifetime of walking, sometimes steadily, sometimes falteringly, toward the light. The eternal hope of Easter is God’s enduring promise that new life can and will emerge, for all who seek it, whatever age and stage of life.

Growing Old Grace-fully, Easter 2026

Our journey towards the empty tomb

Loving God,
in this Easter season of new life and quiet hope,
we come before You with hearts shaped by many years.

We thank You for the journey behind us—
for the joys that have lifted us,
the sorrows that have deepened us,
and the faith that has carried us through every season.

As we grow older, Lord,
teach us to see Your resurrection not only in grand moments,
but in gentle mornings, steady breaths,
and the kindness we both give and receive.

When our bodies tire and our steps slow,
renew our spirits with Your living presence.
When memories crowd our minds—both sweet and painful—
hold us in Your peace and remind us we are never alone.

Help us to trust that even now,
You are still bringing new life within us—
new patience, new understanding, new grace.
May we face each day with quiet courage,
resting in the promise that Your love does not fade with time.

And as Easter proclaims life beyond death,
fill us with calm assurance and hope,
that our journey leads ever closer to You.

Amen.

Growing Old Grace-fully

You Are the Resurrection

How wonderful, Lord Jesus, you came back
You suffered death but conquered it
You laid in the tomb but on the third day
You rose again
O joyful day, Lord Jesus, when you returned
You are the resurrection, our hope and our life
O glorious and victorious Redeemer
Help us not to be afraid of death
For we must pass through it to see you face to face
And on the last day we will rise again
For you said so
Let us rejoice and praise you
Our Blessed and triumphant Lord
On this happy, joyful feast.

Amen.

Diana Ng/CAFOD

O Risen Christ

O Risen Christ,

You breathe your Holy Spirit on us

and you tell us: ‘Peace be yours’.

Opening ourselves to your peace –

letting it penetrate the harsh and rocky ground of our hearts –

means preparing ourselves to be

bearers of reconciliation

wherever you may place us.

But you know that at times

we are at a loss.

So come and lead us

to wait in silence,

to let a ray of hope shine forth

In our world.

Amen.

Brother Roger, Taizé prayer

Prayers for Holy Week

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Holy Week, the holiest week of the year, invites us all to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice made for all of us. As we journey through these days – recalling Jesus Christ’s fear, suffering, anguish and death and then the glory of Easter – we are gently reminded that every stage of life carries its own meaning and grace.

In later life, the challenges of ageing – whether physical ailments, aches and pains, loneliness, loss or the weight of memories – can trouble us and lead us to doubt, anxiety and sadness. Yet Holy Week speaks directly into these experiences. It reminds us that suffering is not without purpose, that quiet endurance has dignity, and that even in moments of loss, there is the promise of new life.

We have compiled some prayers for Holy Week below, prayers to help us reflect through this week.

Through reflection and prayer, may this Holy Week become a time of peace, connection, and renewed hope.

Growing Old Grace-fully, Holy Week 2026

A Holy Week prayer for older people

God our Father,

As we walk through Holy Week,
we remember Jesus on the road to Calvary—
weighed down, yet faithful,
wounded, yet still moving forward.

So too in our own lives,
as the years gather and our strength changes,
we carry burdens we did not once know—
aches in body, losses in heart,
and the quiet letting go of what was.

Teach us, like Christ,
to walk this path with courage and trust,
to accept each step with grace,
and to know we are never alone.

And as Easter dawned with light and new life,
remind us that growing older is not only loss,
but also transformation—
a journey toward deeper peace,
renewed hope,
and the promise of resurrection within us.

Amen.

Growing Old Grace-fully

Prayer for Holy Week

Lord Jesus,

This Holy Week we follow you on your sorrowful and glorious journey,
your journey to the Cross and Resurrection.

Today we ask that we may walk with you,
give us grace to see the deep love you show us.

As you were welcomed with joy and acclaim to the Holy City,
your betrayal by the crowds soon overwhelmed their cries of Hosanna.

On the Cross, you made yourself servant taking the sins of the world upon yourself.

May our lives reflect your desire to serve God our Father first;
that we may serve you in our brothers and sisters.

When we face suffering and disappointment, may we know your love.

When we are feeling lost, may we know that you are with us.

When we are worried, may your Cross be a sign of hope and strength.

May this Holy Week be for us a time of renewal in faith and love.

Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Fr Christopher Warren from St Mary’s Church, Hexham for Churches Together, Hexham

Prayer for Holy Week

Jesus my Lord, let me strengthen my courage by taking on the courage of all those people who have been “centurions” for me.

Many have faced disasters and hard times with great constancy. The upper hand of evil never turned them against you. They kept going.

Let me be like them, Lord. No matter what the cross, let me never stop declaring you to be “truly the Son of God, the source of my hope, the reason why I will never quit on life.

Amen

Catholic Online

Stations of the Cross for carers – video

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The special Stations of the Cross for carers is now available to watch online our our YouTube Channel.

These special Stations of the Cross have been written by Fr Eamonn Hegarty and Michelle Anderson specifically with carers in mind. Fr Eamonn is Parish Priest of St. Mary of the Angels, Batley and St. Patrick’s, Birstall and Michelle is Co-ordinator of the Growing Old Grace-fully Carers Project. Through the Stations of the Cross, we discover that Jesus walks this road with us. These Stations invite carers to see their own lives reflected in Christ’s journey – not as something to be explained away, spiritualised too quickly, or endured in silence, but as a place where God is already present and at work.

You can watch the Stations of the Cross for carers by clicking the button below.

Watch the Stations of the Cross