Friday July 26th: Hope, perseverance and divine grace

Sts. Joachim and Ann. Memorial

They show couples how to anchor their lives and relationships in God.

Matthew 13: 16 – 17

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Sts. Joachim and Ann, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grandparents of Jesus Christ and patrons of married couples.

Theirs is a story of hope, perseverance and divine grace. Like many couples in the Bible, they were childless for many years. But they never lost hope that God would bless them one day with a child and take away their shame. And indeed God did reward their trust with the birth of a daughter, Mary, who later became the Mother of the Saviour.

Sts. Joachim and Ann teach married couples, families and parents several valuable lessons. They show couples how to anchor their lives and relationships in God, not giving up when difficulties arise but maintaining hope and trust. They teach families how to turn their homes into model domestic churches, where faith and trust are lived through the daily routines of family life. They teach parents how to bring their children up to fear and love God, as they did for Mary.