ST. ANNE AND ST. JOACHIM: A TIME NOT OUR OWN

Saints Anne and Joachim were parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Though not mentioned in the Bible, their story has been part of the Catholic tradition for millennia. They were a religiously devout couple. They were also a childless couple. It was not until they were old that they had a child – Mary – after much prayer and supplication. Both St. Anne and St. Joachim received separate angelic announcements of the conception and birth of their daughter. They dedicated their daughter to the Lord, and raised her to be literate, knowledgeable and faithful.

The conception of Mary is referred to as the Immaculate Conception. This means that Mary was conceived without the mark of original sin. Too often, the Immaculate Conception and the virgin birth are used interchangeably in contemporary culture. The latter, however, refers solely to the conception and birth of Jesus. The former refers solely to the conception of Mary.

Anne and Joachim participated in a miraculous story that prepared for God’s salvific plan to come to completion in their grandson. Their devotion, work and dedication were part of a preparation for a future culmination not in their time. They participated in a process moving forward to fulfillment. They were participants in a story that was larger than them, and continued long after they nurtured, educated and protected their daughter.

There is a valuable lesson for all of us in their narrative. As we get older, we can observe the peaks and valley of our lives and see who we are in our present moments as a sort of culmination of our experiences and efforts. In our younger years, we dreamed and worked to build our lives. We succeeded and failed. We were righteous at times, and sinful at other times. Through it all, we celebrated and struggled; we learned and we forgot. We rose above traumas losses and pain. We rode the waves of joys and accomplishments. For many of us, our individual stories are of paramount importance.

Saints Anne and Joachim show us that our individual life stories are just a small part of a larger story of God’s plan for salvation. Having recently become grandparents, my wife and I are keenly aware that my granddaughter’s life will be lived out in a time that is not our own. God’s larger plan will unfold long after we have died. It is in the moments we live now, that we can do what we can to assist her to grow and find her place as part of God’s plan for a future we will not see.

This realization humbles me. I have a small part to play in a much larger unfolding in time. Like Anne and Joachim, I am called to live in the wonder and awe of God’s design over time. That is tremendously freeing to realize. My task is simple. Pray with my granddaughter. Teach her to trust herself and trust God. Surround her with love and celebration. Embrace her and comfort her in times of sorrow, booboos and loss. The list goes on. My main goal is to provide rich soil and nurture her as she blossoms. All this is meant to prepare her to live in a future in which I cannot accompany her.

As God’s plan for my granddaughter expands in her life, I must trust that God’s accompaniment of her will be constant. Like Saints Anne and Joachim, I must surrender my actions and offerings as preparations for – and participation in – the larger story of God as generations after me will be participants in the same story with the individual offerings of their lives.

Let us pray:

God of time and timelessness,
guide us now as we participate in your plan.
Give us your spirit of humility,
that we may see,
that we are vital, though small parts, in your great story.
Watch over those we love,
and send them all they need
as they step forward into a future beyond us,
but a future that you hold.
Be inspiration and comfort.
Be challenge in the face of complacency.
Lead us all toward the fullness of time,
and may we always remember that we are vibrant colourful threads
in your great weaving.
Amen.

Michael Way Skinner is a retired Coordinator of Religion, Family Life and Equity
with the York Catholic District School Board. He was a contributing author to World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective, and co-authored There Must be a Pony in Here Somewhere (Novalis, 2020) with his wife, Christine Way Skinner. Michael is a public speaker and award-winning educator who is deeply committed to faith as a source for inclusion and justice.