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Married Saints: St. Joachim & St. Anne

Today is the feast day of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the married couple traditionally honored as the parents of Mary, which makes them the grandparents of Jesus.

Grandparents and the Incarnation

How wonderful that Jesus has grandparents! St. Joachim and St. Anne remind us of the mystery of the Incarnation: God truly became man and entered into a human family that included not only his mother Mary and father Joseph but their parents, and their parents, and their parents, all the way back to Adam (and Eve) at the dawn of creation, according to St. Luke’s chronology (Luke 3:23-38). Like all of us, Jesus was born into a web of relationships, the “cradle of life and love” that is the family (John Paul II, Christifideles Laici, no. 40).

The burden of infertility

However, becoming grandparents – or even parents – must have seemed like a far-off dream for much of Joachim and Anne’s married life. Tradition holds that these saints struggled with infertility and were childless for decades. Like other barren couples in Scripture (eg. Abraham and Sarah, Elkanah and Hannah), sterility was a great burden to Joachim and Anne and even a hindrance to their participation in community life. A story told of St. Joachim relates that he wanted to offer sacrifice in the temple but was turned away because of his childlessness. He retreated into the mountains to air his grievance with God, and during this time both he and his wife received an angelic prophecy of Anne’s pregnancy. We can picture her thanking God in the same words used by Hannah when she became a mother:

“My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
. . .
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
– 1 Samuel 2: 1, 5

Their steadfast faith during the trial of infertility explains why they are often invoked by married couples struggling to conceive a child.

A model for parents

Tradition depicts St. Joachim and St. Anne as loving and dedicated parents to their daughter, Mary. Artwork often shows Mary on her mother’s lap, learning how to read. It is no stretch to imagine that St. Joachim and St. Anne laid the groundwork for Mary’s faith, preparing her to answer one day to the angel Gabriel “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to thy word.”

A model for marriage

Finally, St. Joachim and St. Anne are a particularly special married couple for the Marriage: Unique for a Reason project, seeing how they are the couple featured in the Marriage: Unique for a Reason logo and artwork. As the website says:

Saints Joachim and Anne are the father and mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is the fruit of their marriage. By a singular grace of God in view of the merits of Jesus, she was preserved from all stain of Original Sin from the moment of her conception. Thus it is in the context of married life and conjugal love that Mary is prepared to receive the Divine Logos, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is the Logos, the “Reason” at the heart of all reason and truth, including the truth of marriage. The marriage between Joachim and Anne is a significant witness to why marriage is “unique for a reason.”

St. Joachim and St. Anne are the patron saints of grandparents and infertile couples.

St. Joachim and St. Anne, pray for us!

Prayer Resources

 

13 responses to “Married Saints: St. Joachim & St. Anne”

  1. M says:

    Did Sts. Anne and Joachim have other children besides Mary the Mother of God?

  2. […] there, what a great day to tell your grandchildren about Mary’s grandparents. Read about them here. Why not send your grandchildren a postcard or letter today telling them you are praying for them […]

  3. Rev.fr. Allam Sleeva reddy says:

    Hi. Very inspiring life. St.ann & jachim really prepared Mary the mother of Jesus to say yes to Gods call.

  4. Joachim ngalla Rassi says:

    w
    am glad to know the history of the two saints. got married to Ann and we have named our daughter Mary as what they did the two great grand parents

  5. Sandy Hudson says:

    Why does St. John in John 19:25-27 say that “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.”? If tradition holds that Mary the mother of Jesus was an only child?

    • Robyn says:

      Mary of Clopas has been said to be Joseph’s sister in law
      Hegesippus thought that Clopas was the brother of Joseph

  6. Krystal says:

    Strangely enough I came across information that said Mary’s father Joachim passed away, then her mother Anne remarried to Cleophas, and they had another daughter called Mary Cleophae. Cleophas passed away and Anne married again to Salomas, and they both produced another daughter called Maria Salomae. Three half sisters named Mary. Most of Jesus disciples were cousins that were sons of the three Marys and other half brothers and sisters.. Jesus mother Mary’ was a descendant of King David.as most records only show Josephs lineage.

  7. Agatha Paul says:

    Good but I still need more explanation are there child boy from a st. Anne or only those three girls virgin Mary mother of jesu , Mary cleophas and Mary salome

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