Memorial Mass Celebration of SS. Joachim and Anne

July 26th Saints Joachim and Anne are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are no mentions of them in the Bible or Gospels, what we know comes from Catholic legend and the Gospel of James, which is an unsanctioned, apocryphal writing from the second century AD. There are about 150 copies of the ancient manuscript which often have different titles, but tell the same story, that Mary was promised to Joachim and Anne in their old age by an angel, was consecrated to God, and she remained a virgin all her life. About this feast, there is plenty of room for scholarly debate, but certainly we can agree that Mary had parents. Likewise, we can deduce from Mary's disposition (even as a teenager), that she had good, faithful parents who raised her with love and unparalleled devotion to God to embody the Jewish title, "Daughter of Zion". More so, Joachim and Anne serve as role models for parents, and both deserve to be honoured and emulated for their devotion to God expressed in their diligent parenting. SS Joachim and Anne - pray for us!