On July 26th, we celebrate Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of beloved Mary and grandparents of Jesus. In honor of these special Saints, we're sharing a few fun facts about them, and four simple ways to celebrate your grandparents in their honor.
Facts about Saints Joachim and Anne
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Israel (most likely)
Feast Day: July 26
Patron saints of: Grandparents
Saint Joachim is also the patron saint of: Grandfathers and Fathers
Saint Anne is also the patron saint of: Couples without children, women in labor and women unable to conceive
Fun fact: Earthly grandparents of Jesus and Great Uncle and Great Aunt to John the Baptist
Pope Francis issued a World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly: This started in 2021 and takes place on the 4th Sunday of July
4 Simple Ways To Celebrate Saints Joachim & Anne
Connect with your grandparents and elderly neighbors
We all crave genuine connection. Bring joy to your grandparents or elderly neighbors heart by engaging in conversation and becoming their friend. Ask them to share stories about their childhood and any wisdom they have gained during their lifetime. Listen to their words and soak in all of the knowledge and stories they share. If you have children, ask them to engage in the conversation as well. Allow them to get to know their great-grandparents and their background. If you don't live near your grandparents, pick up the phone and give them a call. It will make their day!
Pray for your Grandparents
Say a special prayer for your grandparents and elderly neighbors.
Lord Jesus, you were born of the Virgin Mary, the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne. Look with love on grandparents the world over. Protect them! They are a source of enrichment for families, for the Church and for all of society. Support them! As they grow older, may they continue to be for their families strong pillars of Gospel faith, guardians of noble domestic ideals, living treasuries of sound religious traditions. Make them teachers of wisdom and courage, that they may pass on to future generations the fruits of their mature human and spiritual experience.
Spend time with your grandparents
If you are fortunate enough to live near your grandparents, spend some time with them! It can be as simple as stopping by their house to visit, cook a nice meal and invite them over for dinner, or take them to mass. Ask your grandparents if there is something that they'd like to do, or somewhere they'd like to visit. Make a day of it, and most importantly, enjoy your time together! It's so important that we put in the effort to spend time with the elderly, and do not abandon them.
Say a prayer to Saints Joachim and Anne
Ask Saints for guidance in your life:
O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both, that we may attain the salvation you have promised to your people. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Pope Francis quotes about grandparents that we love
"From grandparents we received the gift of belonging to God’s holy people. The Church, as well as society, needs them, for they entrust to the present the past that is needed to build the future.”
"Their presence in families and communities is a precious one, for it reminds us that we share the same heritage and are part of a people committed to preserving its roots."
“God's loving plan spans past, present and future. It embraces and connects the generations."
"Let us honor them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours.”
"They are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young."
Check out Pope Francis' powerful heartfelt invitation in his Message for the Third World Day for grandparents and the elderly.
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