Homily: July 26 2016 - Saints Joachim and Anne - Grandparents of the Lord

Today we celebrate the grandparents of the Lord. Sacred Scripture tells us nothing about them. Some of the early apocryphal sources, like the Protoevangelium Jacobi—the Proto Gospel of St. James—which uses Christian imagination to try to fill in some of the details which scripture omits. What is clear, in that apocryphal text, beyond their names, is that Joachim and Anne were very old when the Blessed Virgin was conceived, they were devout.  Their longing for a child was great, and in their old age, God blessed them with such with such a miracle, in the immaculate conception of Mary.

Many statues of St. Anne depict her teaching the young Mary how to pray. Joachim and Anne, raised their daughter to be so faithful, to be so courageous in serving the Lord—that when the angel of God visited her, she, fearlessly, gave her whole “Yes” to God—the perfect surrender of faith.

We do not know whether Jesus knew his maternal grandparents. By the time of his birth, Mary had left the home of Joachim and Anne to live with her husband Joseph.  If they were alive during Jesus’ childhood, given the culture of the Holy Land, Jesus would have spent considerable time with His grandparents. He would have known their human affection, and seen their beautiful Jewish piety and devotion. Perhaps Anne taught Jesus stories from the Hebrew Scriptures, psalms, prayers, like she did Mary.

Saints Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of grandparents.  It’s good today, then, to reflect on the role that grandparents play within the Church.  Some grandchildren are blessed to grow up near their grandparents, while others because of distance only get to spend time with their grandparents a few times a year. 

I think of my own grandparents, who for many years on Sunday, when my parents worked late the night before, would drive miles out of their way to pick me up for Sunday Mass.  The role of grandparents today is paramount in an age where there is a growing laxity in the practice of the faith.  They can help to ensure that the Tradition and Faith is passed on to the younger generations, and help to guide their own children in responsible Christian parenting.  Teach them to how recite the Ten Commandments, teach them stories of the heroic saints, teach them that being a Catholic is most important.

Grandparents, when you know there is something wrong, don’t be afraid to remind your families of the importance of faith and prayer, by your words and example.  If the grandkids come over, pray a rosary before the television goes on in the evening, make sure that grace is said before family meals, teach the traditions, instill the faith. Make sure that marriages are taking place within the Church and that grandbabies and great-grandbabies are being baptized.

On these feast of the grandparents, we’re reminded of grandparent’s special role and responsibility in forming the generations to come.  Through the prayers of Saints Joachim and Anne may we all come to a deeper knowledge of the role we have in spreading the Faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.