Memorial of Saints
Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Jeremiah 14:17-22; Matthew 13:36-43)
According to a non-canonical gospel Joachim and Anne are
the parents of Mary. Nothing is known
about them with certainty, not even their names. Of
course, Mary had to have parents.
Because she is so saintly, it is likely that her parents were good
people. They may serve as a model for
the good seed in today’s gospel.
The passage explains the parable of the wheat and the
weeds. The good seed produces a brilliant
harvest. After the weeds have been
picked and discarded, the harvest appears as glorious as gold. Such are the lives of the good. They may be as humble as dirt, but whatever
they do bears the fragrance of love for others.
This feast of Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of
Jesus, provide us an opportunity to reflect on the role of our grandparents in
our faith development. Some of us have
had the blessing of pious grandparents caring and praying for us. Often enough our grandparents, chastened by
experience, have demonstrated a sure and steady faith. Their peace has challenged the presumption
that the world is necessarily becoming wiser and happier.
