St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim by Joos van Cleve

Today is the memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of our Blessed Virgin Mary.

Who are your parents? Where did they come from? What did they do during their lifetimes?

The answers to these questions are known for pretty much every well-known person these days. That is how some people rate their status and importance – how big a splash did I make in the tabloids or on the evening news? Reporters are snooping around for every morsel of information about so-and-so’s parents, siblings, etc.

What information we know about the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents is astoundingly lacking. Even their names have escaped notice and are based upon a source that did not even know Jesus, Mary, Joseph or their extended families. How reliable can the source be? We need to take our cues from Mary.

Our Blessed Mother was holy and religious, a devout Jewess maiden keeping the laws and precepts of the long-lived traditions. Could a woman who was prayerful, devoted to her family and her faith be the product of anything less than a good example, anything else than the loving wisdom of generations past? We think not.

Thus, whatever Mary’s parents’ names were, today we honor their roles in forming Mary in the faith and keeping the faith alive. As good parents they passed on their love of God, their faith in his covenant, and their trust in the Holy One.

Joachim and Anne modeled fidelity for Mary and I am sure for others who lived in their midst. We all know people who teach by example more than by word. May more people emulate Joachim’s and Anne’s faithful examples and help the faith live on for generations to come.

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