Today, the Church remembers Joachim, c. 50 B.C. - 15 A.D., and Anna (Hannah), c. 50 B.C. -12A.D., the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ora pro nobis.
The genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke do not explicitly name either of Mary's parents.
Early Church traditions hold that Saint Joachim was the husband of Saint Anne (Hannah) and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus, which are accepted by the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the apocryphal Gospel of James. Joachim and Anne are not mentioned in the Bible. Their feast day is 26 July.
Although the canonical books of the New Testament never mention the parents of the Virgin Mary, traditions about her mother Anne’s family, childhood, education, and eventual betrothal to Joseph developed very early in the history of the church. The oldest and most influential source for these is the apocryphal Gospel of James, first written in Greek around the middle of the second century.
Also according to tradition, Saint Anne was born in Bethlehem, and married Joachim of Nazareth, both descendants of David. In the Protoevangelium of James, Joachim is described as a rich and pious man, who regularly gave to the poor and to the synagogue at Sepphoris. Tradition has it that the parents of the Blessed Virgin, who, apparently, first lived in Galilee, came later on to settle in Jerusalem. However, the high priest rejected Joachim and his sacrifice, as their childlessness was interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure. Joachim consequently withdrew to the desert where he fasted and did penance for forty days. Angels then appeared to both Joachim and Anne to promise them a child. Joachim later returned to Jerusalem and embraced Anne at the city gate. There was ancient belief that a child born of an elderly mother who had given up hope of having offspring was destined for great things. Parallels occur in the Old Testament in the case of Hannah, mother of Samuel.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, we remember in thanksgiving this day the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and we pray that we all may be made one in the heavenly family of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
