+ Sts Joachim and Anne were the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. They were probably
well off. Tradition says that Anne was quite elderly when Mary was born, and
that she was their only child. Both Joachim and Anne agreed that Mary would be
given to the service of the temple when she was three years old – an ancient
and honored tradition of the Jewish religion. Devotion especially to Anne has
been popular in the East from the very early days of the Church; widespread
devotion in the West began in the 16th century. There are many
shrines devoted to St. Anne throughout the world.
The name Anne means “grace.”
This corresponds well with the intensity of the devotion that many have for her
– she is a quintessential maternal figure – and a grandmotherly one too. She is
a great intercessor to her grandson, Jesus, who could hardly refuse anything
she might request on our behalf.
St. Joachim thought himself to
be punished by God for being childless with his wife Anne, until God granted him
this great and awesome privilege late in his life to be the father of the
Mother of the Creator! It was his prayers too that proved him to be an
outstanding intercessor on behalf of any who need something very special and
worthwhile.
St. Anne, St. Joachim, pray
for us to be true to the image of Christ your grandson who is being formed
within us each day by all the experiences of our lives, joyful and sorrowful as
they might be!
In particular, in our day, we
pray that through the intercession of Sts Joachim and Anne – that elected
legislators – whether they speak from the natural law written in their hearts,
or from the supernatural law, which encompasses the natural law – speak out
against the absolutely disjointed and disconnected executive branch of the US
Government – it is both a natural and supernatural imperative to do so – not
only for the good of our own country, but also for the good of the world, of
which our country – being the strongest, has a moral obligation to help protect
weaker and smaller nations.
I should also like to add a
brief disclaimer here – perhaps the reason why the early precedent setting
church is not speak out against the Roman Empire, was because the Empire was
already trying to stamp it out completely by wave after wave of persecutions –
but this only made the Church itself stronger – and perhaps they did speak out
in their private home church services that the best way to be an activist would
be not to resist martyrdom. But there are many instances in later church
history when the church did in fact speak out wherever injustices were being
played out in the political realm. Daniel and all of the prophets, and then
John the Baptist and Jesus spoke against political abuses in their times – thus
setting a precedent for the Church to do so even now.
Therefore, it is puzzling why
the official Church leaders of the day are basically silent in the news media
about the potentially cataclysmic abuse of power that is playing out on our
televisions, and internet media. It is quite frankly imperative that it does
so, or it will be held responsible for not doing so.
And so, Sts. Joachim and Anne,
today, on your feast day – intercede for us to your grandson, JESUS, the
Messiah, Savior of the World, and THE TRUE KING OF THE UNIVERSE and let him
embolden the hierarchic leaders of his own Church, his own Mystical Body, to
become martyrs, if necessary, to ensure that the world moves to its rightful
invitation to recreation, renewal, and regeneration into a new earth for the common
enjoyment of everyone, with God as our Father!
They
yearned for the comforting of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested upon them.
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