Feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, July 26, 2011
Fr. Jason Welle, O.F.M.
Gospel: Matt. 13:16-17 “Blessed are your eyes, for they see….”
Homily summary: It is sometimes heard, “I would not want to bring children into this world.” The reason given is that things are worse now than they were before.
Every age has its wheat and its weeds. St. Augustine wrote about how the Roman Empire was collapsing around him. He said the same things that were said about the world in his day. He said that if those people who said this were able to live in that day, when things were better, they would hear others make the same complaint.
Joachim and Anne brought Mary, the Blessed Mother, into a world of wheat and weeds. Thus we have the children of Canaan and the children of the Evil One. Mary was asked to bring the Son of God into the world. She had a clear choice to say yes or no. God blesses each of us with a call to be faithful, and we have a choice to say yes to God’s will.