Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, July 26, 2006,Memorial of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne

Salvation said her computer went out in the heat yesterday and she was expecting someone to post the readings by 3:00 EST but it didn't happen.

Doesn't look like she's here by 3:00 EST today either.

Thanks, siunevada

I'm going to my son's wedding tomorrow night --driving from Oregon to WA at night, and I don't know if I will get down here to do this in the morning, so I will post for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

fatima or Coleus, could you ping the list for me? I's see all of you Monday -- hopefully before noon!

The Life of St. Anne [and St. Joachim]

St. John Damascene on Sts. Ann and Joachim

The Protoevangelium of James

Mt 13:1-9
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
1	The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.	in illo die exiens Iesus de domo sedebat secus mare
2	And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore.	et congregatae sunt ad eum turbae multae ita ut in naviculam ascendens sederet et omnis turba stabat in litore
3	And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow.	et locutus est eis multa in parabolis dicens ecce exiit qui seminat seminare
4	And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up.	et dum seminat quaedam ceciderunt secus viam et venerunt volucres et comederunt ea
5	And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.	alia autem ceciderunt in petrosa ubi non habebat terram multam et continuo exorta sunt quia non habebant altitudinem terrae
6	And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away.	sole autem orto aestuaverunt et quia non habebant radicem aruerunt
7	And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them.	alia autem ceciderunt in spinas et creverunt spinae et suffocaverunt ea
8	And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold.	alia vero ceciderunt in terram bonam et dabant fructum aliud centesimum aliud sexagesimum aliud tricesimum
9	He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.	qui habet aures audiendi audiat

The Sower

Vincent van Gogh

1888
Oil on canvas
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Saint Anne, Mother of Mary

Kate Hodgson

Saskatoon, Canada

St. Anne, and her husband, Saint Joachim are believed to have been well off, and engaged in prayer and good works. They were childless until the birth of Mary in Anne's old age. Anne and Joachim dedicated Mary to the Temple when the child was three years old in thanksgiving for her birth. Mary became the mother of Jesus.
Anne is often represented with a door, or a book, teaching Mary to read scriptures.
Understandibly Saint Anne is the patron saint of Grandmothers as well as a long list including poverty, lace workers, broom makers, old clothes dealers, miners, seamstresses, Canada, cabinet makers, women in labour, childless people, housewives and homemakers.
Further information on St. Anne can be found in Lives of the Saints, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Saints Index on Catholic Forum or Saints Index on Catholic.org.

(Source)

July 26

Sts. Joachim and Ann

In the Scriptures, Matthew and Luke furnish a legal family history of Jesus, tracing ancestry to show that Jesus is the culmination of great promises. Not only is his mother’s family neglected, we also know nothing factual about them except that they existed. Even the names Joachim and Ann come from a legendary source written more than a century after Jesus died. The heroism and holiness of these people, however, is inferred from the whole family atmosphere around Mary in the Scriptures. Whether we rely on the legends about Mary’s childhood or make guesses from the information in the Bible, we see in her a fulfillment of many generations of prayerful persons, herself steeped in the religious traditions of her people.

The strong character of Mary in making decisions, her continuous practice of prayer, her devotion to the laws of her faith, her steadiness at moments of crisis, and her devotion to her relatives—all indicate a close-knit, loving family that looked forward to the next generation even while retaining the best of the past. Joachim and Ann—whether these are their real names or not—represent that entire quiet series of generations who faithfully perform their duties, practice their faith and establish an atmosphere for the coming of the Messiah, but remain obscure.

Comment:

This is the “feast of grandparents.” It reminds grandparents of their responsibility to establish a tone for generations to come: They must make the traditions live and offer them as a promise to little children. But the feast has a message for the younger generation as well. It reminds the young that older people’s greater perspective, depth of experience and appreciation of life’s profound rhythms are all part of a wisdom not to be taken lightly or ignored.

Quote:

“...[T]he family is the foundation of society. In it the various generations come together and help one another to grow wise and to harmonize personal rights with the other requirements of social life” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 52).

Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary

Old Calendar: St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

It was in the home of Joachim and Ann where the Virgin Mary received her training to be the Mother of God. Thus, devotion to Ann and Joachim is an extension of the affection Christians have always professed toward our Blessed Mother. We, too, owe a debt of gratitude to our parents for their help in our Christian formation. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar, today was the feast of St. Ann; St. Joachim's feast was celebrated on August 16.

Sts. Joachim and Ann
Who does not know about the great shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupre in Canada, where miracles abound, where cured cripples leave their crutches, and where people come from thousands of miles to pray to the grandmother of Jesus? At one time, July 26 was the feast of St. Anne only, but with the new calendar the two feasts of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been joined and are celebrated today. Our information about Mary's parents comes from an apocryphal Christian writing, the Protoevangelium Jacobi (or Gospel of James), written about the year 170. According to this story, Joachim was a prominent and respected man who had no children, and he and his wife, Anne, looked upon this as a punishment from God. In answer to their prayers, Mary was born and was dedicated to God at a very early age.

From this early Christian writing have come several of the feast days of Mary, particularly the Immaculate Conception, the Nativity of Mary, and her Assumption into Heaven. Very early also came feast days in honor of SS. Joachim and Anne, and in the Middle Ages numerous churches, chapels, and confraternities were dedicated to St. Anne. The couple early became models of Christian marriage, and their meeting at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem has been a favorite subject of Christian artists.

Anne is often shown in paintings with Jesus and Mary and is considered a subject that attracts attention, since Anne is the grandmother of Jesus. Her two great shrines — that of Ste. Anne d'Auray in Britanny, France, and that of Ste. Anne de Beaupre near Quebec in Canada — are very popular. We know little else about the lives of Mary's parents, but considering the person of Mary, they must have been two very remarkable people to have been given such a daughter and to have played so important a part in the work of the Redemption. There is a church of St. Anne in Jerusalem and it is believed to be built on the site of the home of SS. Joachim and Anne, when they lived in Jerusalem. The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron:
Anne: against poverty; barren; broommakers; cabinetmakers; carpenters; childless couples; equestrians; grandmothers; grandparents; homemakers; housewives; lace makers; lace workers; lost articles; miners; mothers; old-clothes dealers; poverty; pregnancy; pregnant women; horse riders; seamstresses; stablemen; sterility; turners; women in labour; Brittany; Canada; France; Quebec; archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan; diocese of Norwich, Connecticut; Santa Ana Indian Pueblo; Taos, New Mexico.

Joachim: fathers, grandfathers, grandparents

Symbols:
Anne: Book, symbol of her careful instruction of Mary; flowering rod; crown; nest of young birds; door; Golden Gate of Jerusalem; book; infant Virgin in crib; Shield has silver border masoned in black, with silver lily on a blue field referring to the girlhood of the Virgin.
Often Portrayed As: Woman holding Mary or Jesus in her arms or lap; Woman at her betrothal to Joachim; Mother teaching Mary to read the Bible; Woman greeting Saint Joachim at Golden Gate; woman with a book in her hand.

Joachim: Basket containing doves; model of Golden Gate of Jerusalem.
Often Portrayed As: Man bringing a lamb to the altar and being turned away by the priest; greeting and/or kissing Saint Anne at the Golden Gate; elderly man carrying a basket of doves and a staff; elderly man with the child Mary.

Things to Do:

See more about the Shrine of Sainte Anne de Beaupré in Quebec, Canada. Several relics of St. Anne are also located in this shrine.
Foods related to St. Ann and Joachim: It seems shellfish, particularly lobster, is one traditional type of food served in France for this feastday. See the suggested recipes in the left column.
This feast falls right in the middle of summer season, so keep in mind the variety of wonderful summer fruits and make something special with them, particularly fruit pies or tarts. A Continual Feast: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Joys of Family and Faith Throughout the Christian Year mentions that "[i]n both France and French Canada what would commonly be served on this occasion is a fruit tart: such exquisite desserts are traditional at all patronal festivals (as well as other special occasions), especially those falling in the summer, when such a luscious assortment of fruits is available." She includes two recipes, plum tart and apple tart. From Ignatius Press another cookbook called Cooking With the Saints includes recipes for St. Anne's Cream (Crème Sainte-Anne) and Anna Torte (Gateau Sainte-Anne). One could also try to find "Bible foods" that St. Anne or the Blessed Virgin Mary would have cooked in their time. (But usually those aren't very festive!) This site gives some ideas on Biblical foods.
As Joachim and Ann are the grandparents of Jesus, today has traditionally been a day to honor one's grandparents.

Collect:
God of our fathers, you gave Saints Joachim and Ann the privilege of being the parents of Mary, the mother of your incarnate Son. May their prayers help us to attain the salvation you have promised to your people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

Activities:

more

Prayers:

more

Homilies on the Feast of Saints Joachim and Ann

The Life Of Saint Ann[and St.Joachim]

From: Matthew 13:1-9

Parable of the Sower

[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
[2] And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and
sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And He told them
many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. [4] And as
he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and
devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not
much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of
soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had
no root they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the
thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and
brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
[9] He who has ears, let him hear."

Commentary:

3. Chapter 13 of St. Matthew includes as many as seven of Jesus'
parables, which is the reason why it is usually called "the parable
discourse" or the "parabolic discourse". Because of their similarity
of content and setting these parables are often called the "Kingdom
parables", and also the "parables of the Lake", because Jesus taught
them on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus uses these elaborate
comparisons (parables) to explain certain features of the Kingdom of
God which He has come to establish (cf. Matthew 3:2)--its tiny, humble
origins; its steady growth; its worldwide scope; its salvific force.
God calls everyone to salvation but only those attain it who receive
God's call with good dispositions and who do not change their attitude;
the value of the spiritual benefits the Kingdom brings--so valuable
that one should give up everything to obtain them; the fact that good
and bad are all mixed together until the harvest time, or the time of
God's judgment; the intimate connection between earthly and heavenly
aspects of the Kingdom, until it reaches its point of full development
at the end of time.

On Jesus' lips, parables are exceptionally effective. By using
parables He keeps His listeners' attention, whether they are uneducated
or not, and by means of the most ordinary things of daily life He sheds
light on the deepest supernatural mysteries. He used the parable
device in a masterly way; His parables are quite unique; they carry the
seal of His personality; through them He has graphically shown us the
riches of grace, the life of the Church, the demands of the faith and
even the mystery of God's own inner life.

Jesus' teaching continues to provide every generation with light and
guidance on moral conduct. By reading and reflecting on His parables
one can savor the adorable humanity of the Savior, who showed such
kindness to the people who crowded around to hear Him--and who shows
the same readiness to listen to our prayers, despite our dullness, and
to reply to our healthy curiosity when we try to make out His meaning.

3-8. Anyone who has visited the fertile plain to the west of the Lake
of Gennesaret will appreciate Jesus' touching description in the
parable of the sower. The plain is crisscrossed by paths; it is
streaked with rocky ground, often with the rocks lying just beneath the
surface, and with the courses of rivulets, dry for most of the year but
still retaining some moisture. Here and there are clumps of large
thorn bushes. When the agricultural worker sows seed in this mixed
kind of land, he knows that some seed will fare better than others.

9. Jesus did not explain this parable there and then. It was quite
usual for parables to be presented in the first instance as a kind of
puzzle to gain the listener's attention, excite his curiosity and fix
the parable in his memory. It may well be that Jesus wanted to allow
his more interested listeners to identify themselves by coming back to
hear Him again--as happened with His disciples. The rest--who listened
out of idle curiosity or for too human reasons (to see Him work
miracles)--would not benefit from hearing a more detailed and deeper
explanation of the parable.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.