Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today's Mass Readings

Our Christian Inheritance
Today, we honor the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saints Joachim and Anne. We know their names only through Christian tradition, which has been passed down to us. We honor them because we honor Mary, their daughter, who was conceived without sin (the dogma of the Immaculate Conception). And we honor Mary because she bore God’s Son, Jesus, the one who was to save his people from their sins (see Mt. 1:21).

Now, we could honor their parents, and their parents, and their parents, until we probably get back to our original parents. This is actually done in the Scriptures, most notably in the genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3.

By tracing our genealogies, we are, in a sense, trying to honor our family heritage. We come to understand our background. We may even attempt to interpret their traits and fates in light of our own quirks and works, blessings and curses.

In the Old Testament, blessing was thought to pass from generation to generation (see Ex. 34:7; Dt. 7:12-13). Likewise, sin or curse. Even today, we can see how this would make sense. A good education, wealth, and social ties are usually means to a life of flourishing. Poverty, poor health, and alcoholism often make life hard. These modern-day “blessings” and “curses” are thought to run in the family and affect one generation to the next.

But also in the Old Testament was an opposing thought: no longer shall the children of the parents be punished; only the one who has sinned (see Jeremiah 31:29 and Ezekiel 20:4). This idea is touched upon in today’s first reading: The LORD answered Moses: Only the one who has sinned against me will I blot out of my book. (Ex. 32:33, NABRE) To be blotted out of God’s book, God’s family register, was to be forgotten and lost forever.

But in the New Testament, God offers complete forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ. We are adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ (see Eph. 3:20). We are born again, through water and spirit, when we are baptized into Jesus Christ (see Jn. 3:5). And the inheritance we receive from being a Christian in God’s family far outweighs any blessing or curse we may have received from our past.

Reflection:
Through the prayers of Saints Joachim and Anne, our spiritual grandparents, may we attain God’s promised salvation that we have in Jesus Christ.

Reflection by Br. Luke Kral, OSB