Marriage A Great Gift I

Fides et Ratio

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1. June Traditionally Month to Celebrate marriage, taping at the end of June Happy anniversary to our married friends regardless of the month married
2. July Feast of Ann & Joachim, parents of our Lady their feast day is on July 26 in the West, July 25 in the East

Fides et Ratio, it states:

FR #12” History therefore becomes the arena where we see what God does for humanity. God comes to us in the things we know best and can verify most easily, the things of our everyday life.”

Our Lord works in and through history. Jesus was born into a family (everyday life) and a culture. It is right and proper therefore to consider His origins from a familial perspective. The following reflections have been handed down through (T) tradition. The NO missal states that Mary, the pinnacle of creation, was raised in a manner befitting the Theotokos.

Anne & Joachim, steadily faithful. World judged them as faithless. Temple cult is corrupted, institutional leadership is awful and populace knows it. Various responses to the corruption. Yet this holy couple remained faithful.

While Joachim was alone in the mountains, the archangel Gabriel stood by him. He said,

“Fear not, Joachim, nor be disturbed by my appearance. I am the angel of the Lord and have been sent by Him to tell thee that thy prayers have been heard and that thy charitable deeds have gone up into His presence. God has seen thy shame and has heard the reproach of the unfruitfulness which has been unjustly brought against thee; for God is the avenger of sin, not nature. Therefore, when He shuts up the womb of anyone, he does so the He may in a more wonderful manner open it, so that which is born may be acknowledged to be the gift of God and not the product of lust.

While in the garden, Gabriel appeared to Anna, Saying,’ Anna, Anna, the Lord hath heard thy prayer and thou salt conceive and bring forth; and thy seed shall be spoken of in the entire world.”[1]

Anna said, “As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either a male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister unto Him all the days of its life.”

Gabriel responded, “Arise, therefore, and go up to Jerusalem, and when thou shalt come to the gate which because it is plated with gold, is called the Golden Gate, therefore a sign, thou shalt meet thy husband, for whose safety thou hast been anxious. When therefore, thou shalt find the things accomplished, believe that all the rest which I have told thee shall also undoubtedly be accomplished.”[2]

Both Joachim & Anna set out for the temple as the angel of God had commanded. Anna arrived and waited for Joachim at the Beautiful (Gold) Gate. Anna spotted Joachim approach with his flocks from afar and ran to him. Husband and wife rejoiced together that they would be granted offspring. They gave thanks to the Lord. After making an offering to the Lord, returned home. Anna conceived Mary, the single boast of man.

Orthodox often have Anne & Joachim icons

Difference in receiving the news between Sarah and Zechariah. Sara laughs, the other Zechariah doubts

Anne & Joachim receive news in perfect faith, rejoice in the news before conception of Or Lady. Both knew outcome.

To be honest, Sarah and Zechariah are a more typical responses. Beautiful telling of their romance their marriage, first with God then one another.

[1] The Life of the Virgin Mary, Holy Apostles Convent (Dormition Skete: Buena Vista, CO 1989) Orthodox Church Holy Apostles Convent, The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos (Holy Apostles Convent & Dormition Skete: Buena Vista, CA, 1989) 7

[2] Ibid 8

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