Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ah, parenting! The joys, the challenges, the “bumps in the road,” the successes. The times of holding your breath, holding back tears, those precious instances of great pride, the “uh, oh” experiences – all of these sacred, holy “God moments.” And parenting never seems to end – at least in our experience. Listening to their successes and trials, those occasional moments sharing our years of experience, and even rare moments of humbly sharing some advice as they parent our grandsons. It’s all good!
Today, we celebrate (arguably) the two most significant parents in the history of salvation (outside of Mary and Joseph), Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.
For a moment, let’s use our imagination and take an appreciative look at this young woman, Mary, the child of Anne and Joachim. As a very young woman, probably in her early teens, she is pregnant and not married. She walks many miles to visit her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. She has to leave her hometown as she is about to give birth; then, she gives birth in an outdoor “barn.” Then, we read in Luke about the exchange with her lost, “rebellious” teenage son. A couple of decades later, she is at a wedding celebration with her son Jesus, urging him to help the host who has run out of wine. Then, the parent’s worst nightmare: being at the horrible death of her child. After the resurrection, she is present with the fearful apostles and then in the upper room at Pentecost—a woman of incredible faith, courage, and love.
In contemplating the parents we celebrate today, let us rejoice over the home life we can imagine they provided for their amazing daughter, Mary, who we profess to be the mother of God.
Let Us Pray:
Blessed are you, Mary, exalted daughter of Anne and Joachim! You were highly favored and full of grace, for the spirit of God was with you from birth and nurtured by your loving parents. Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.
