parents, prayers, problems
"Blest are your eyes because they see and blest are your ears because they hear." —Matthew 13:16
We don't know much about Joachim and Ann, but we know something about their daughter Mary and Grandson Jesus. If you ever discovered your unmarried daughter was pregnant, you can understand Joachim and Ann's shock. I wonder how they reacted when Mary told them she had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Grandparents love to share in the birth of grandchildren. Grandma especially likes to be among the first to hold the baby. That wasn't possible at Jesus' birth since He was born out-of-town at Bethlehem, in a stable, of all places. Shortly after the Baby was born, Mary, Joseph, and the Baby disappeared. I wonder how Grandma and Grandpa felt when they lost contact with Mary and their son-in-law Joseph. After a long time, Ann and Joachim would eventually have received a "postcard" from Egypt with a picture of the pyramids and news that Joseph had felt called to head out for Egypt in the middle of the night. I'm sure Joachim and Ann almost had a heart attack.
Children have a way of keeping their parents on their knees in prayer. Mary was no exception. Thank God for praying parents and grandparents.
Prayer: Father, may I pray through confusion, disappointments, and disturbances.
Promise: "These also were godly men whose virtues have not been forgotten; their wealth remains in their families, their heritage with their descendants." —Sir 44:10-11
Praise: Sts. Joachim & Ann accepted God's call to marry and raise a child. They dedicated their daughter to God, and He blessed her among all women.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Married Couples Praying Together on audio AV 116-1 or video V-116.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 20, 2004
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