Monday, July 16, 2012

7/26/2012 – Thursday of 16th week in ordinary time – Psalm 36


        Sometimes, a word or a phrase really sticks out in our readings for the day.  “With you is the fountain of life, O Lord,” states our psalm refrain this afternoon.  The psalmist goes on to praise the faithfulness, the mercy, and the justice of the Lord.  Today, we celebrate St Anne and St Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Tradition has it that Anne and Joachim were childless for many year, that through their faithfulness and prayers and persistence, their prayers were answered and the Virgin Mary was born to them.  The Bible does not mention Anne and Joachim by name, it does not detail any facts about them, but stories were passed down through tradition, and a devotion to them as saints became strong in the 12th century.  We know through the devotion and faithfulness of the Blessed Virgin, that her upbringing and faith of her parents probably had a key role in shaping who she was.  I look at our parish, I look at the prayers and faithfulness of so many grandparents and great-grandparents, who are modern day Annes and Joachims.
         Lord, you are the foundation of life.  We thank you for your faithfulness, for your mercy, for your steadfast love.  To you we give honor and praise.  

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