Matthew 13:16-17

Sirach 44:1, 10-15

Psalm 132:11, 13-14, 17-18

Matthew 13:16-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Blessed are your eyes, because they see,

and your ears, because they hear.

Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people

longed to see what you see but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you prepared a holy family for the Mother of your Son. They raised your Immaculate daughter with love and tenderness and encouraged her on the path of holiness and righteousness. Be with me today and guide my steps.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Mission of Joachim and Anne: Joachim and Anne were chosen by God to be the parents of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, and the grandparents of Jesus, the Son of God. A couple of years ago, Pope Francis reflected on the home life that Joachim and Anne provided for Mary: “Mary grew up in the home of Joachim and Anne; she was surrounded by their love and faith: in their home she learned to listen to the Lord and to follow his will. Saints Joachim and Anne were part of a long chain of people who had transmitted their faith and love for God, expressed in the warmth and love of family life, down to Mary, who received the Son of God in her womb and who gave him to the world, to us. How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith!” (Francis, July 26, 2013). Tradition holds that they were elderly when Anne conceived. That is why the Pope, in 2021, instituted the fourth Sunday in July as a yearly celebration of Grandparents and the Elderly. He chose it specifically because it is close to July 26, the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne. Joachim and Anne were called not only to provide a home of faith, warmth, and love for Mary, but also one for Jesus, their only grandchild. What kind of home am I providing for my children and grandchildren?

2. The Spiritual Legacy of Joachim and Anne: The First Reading, from Sirach, invites us to contemplate the spiritual legacy of Joachim and Anne: “These were godly men whose virtues have not been forgotten; their wealth remains in their families, their heritage with their descendants.” The word translated as “descendants” (ekgona) can also be translated as “grandchildren.” The true wealth and inheritance that Joachim and Anne left Mary, their daughter, Joseph, their son-in-law, and Jesus, their grandchild, was not material or generational wealth but the spiritual legacy of faith and love. Sirach praises the merciful and those who do righteous deeds (Sirach 44:10) and promises that their descendants and children will be faithful to the covenants God has made with Israel and humanity (Sirach 44:12). After their death, their names will live on, their wisdom will continue to be spoken about, and their praises will continue to be proclaimed. Two thousand years have passed, and here we are meditating on, contemplating, and praising the example of the holy grandparents of Jesus!

3. Holy Shepherds: Tradition holds that Joachim was a shepherd. We can imagine that Jesus learned about being a good shepherd not so much from Joseph, a carpenter, but from his grandfather Joachim, a shepherd. We can speculate that Joachim taught Jesus the difference between a good shepherd and a selfish one. He taught Jesus how to choose the best lambs for the yearly Passover sacrifices. Joachim taught him that a good shepherd knows each of his sheep by name, brings his sheep to fresh water and good pasture, cares for each one of his sheep, defends his sheep from wolves and rough weather, and is willing to give up his life for his lambs and sheep. If a good shepherd is willing to do this for his sheep, how much more should a parent be willing to do for their children, a grandparent for their grandchildren, a bishop for their diocese, and a priest for their parishioners?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you were blessed to have holy grandparents in the figures of Joachim and Anne. Help me appreciate the wisdom, kindness, and love of the elderly. Teach me to be humble so that I may learn from them and imitate their good example.

Living the Word of God: Today, let us praise God’s faithful and merciful love, for he fulfilled his promises and, through Joachim and Anne, prepared mankind to receive Mary, the Immaculate Conception. Today, let us venerate Joachim and Anne for their fidelity to God and for the way they raised Mary, our Mother. They are models of kindness, love, and joy for grandparents everywhere. In heaven, they intercede for us so that we may attain the salvation God promised to his people (Collect). Like grandparents waiting for the visit of their children and grandchildren, they are eager to welcome us to our heavenly home.