Today is Parents day The feast of Saint Joachim & Saint Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholics today honor two great saints in the history of Christianity – the couple Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures can we find their names mentioned. In Matthew’s Gospel, the evangelist provides a genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing His ancestry to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation. 26_07_2013_004_009_005 In Luke’s Gospel, Luke presents Jesus as coming from humble origins and is one like us. In both Gospels where the infancy narratives are clearly told, the names of the ancestors of Mary, the mother of Jesus, were not mentioned. They were mentioned only in one of the apocryphal writings. In the story of Mary’s presentation at the temple, the priest prayed to God in these words: “O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her everlasting name to be named in all generations.” Mary’s parents, along with the temple priests, then decided that she would be offered to God as a consecrated Virgin for the rest of her life, and enter a chaste marriage with the carpenter Joseph. Their absence in the New Testament writings, however, does not mean that they are insignificant or they did not have an important role in God’s salvific work. Their steadfast faith in God and their perseverance in their God-given mission are admirable and we Christians of today must emulate their virtues. Their love for each other and for their daughter Mary is exceptional, became models of Christian marriage, and their meeting at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem has been a favorite subject of Christian artists of different generations. As we honor Saints Joachim and Anne, we entrust to them our own families so that our families will be blessed with God’s graces and mercy. We remember also today in a special way our grandparents who have been instrumental in our upbringing by molding our parents well. Let us listen to them for they have the wisdom brought about by the wealth of their experience in this world and the appreciation of life’s rhythms. We pray to the Lord that God may reward their fidelity to God and dedication to their mission. May Saint Joachim and Saint Anne be truly our models in fulfilling our mission on Earth. May God bless us all.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:28:20 +0000
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