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The lives and names of Saints Joachim and Anne, who are known as the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus Christ, are derived from non-canonical, or apocryphal, literature.
This includes the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, and the Protoevangelium of James. It’s important to note that the earliest version of the Protoevangelium, which seems to be the primary source for the other two, dates back to around 150 AD. However, we should approach its assertions with a degree of skepticism given that they are based solely on this text.
In the Eastern tradition, the Protoevangelium was highly respected, and parts of it were read during the feasts of Mary by the Greeks, Syrians, Copts, and Arabians. However, the Western Church Fathers initially rejected it until the 13th century when its contents were incorporated into Jacobus de Voragine’s “Golden Legend”. After this point, the story of St. Anne became widely known across the West and she evolved into one of the Latin Church’s most venerated saints.
The Protoevangelium provides the following narrative: Joachim and Anne, a wealthy and devout couple, lived in Nazareth but were childless. On a feast day, when Joachim went to the temple to offer a sacrifice, he was turned away by a man named Ruben, who claimed that childless men were unworthy of admission. This left Joachim feeling deep sorrow, and he retreated to the mountains to lament in solitude.
Meanwhile, Anne learned why her husband had been absent for so long. In her distress, she pleaded with the Lord to lift the curse of barrenness from her, vowing to dedicate her future child to God’s service. Their prayers were heard, and an angel appeared to both of them. The angel told Anne, “The Lord has seen your tears; you will conceive and give birth, and your child will be a blessing for the entire world.” The same promise was given to Joachim, who then returned to his wife.
When Anne gave birth to a girl, they named her Miriam, which is another name for Mary.
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Sirach 44:1, 10-15
Psalms 132:11, 13-14, 17-18
Matthew 13:16-17
Sirach 44:1, 10-15
(1) Let us praise the men of glory, and our ancestors in their generation (10) But these were men of mercy, whose pious deeds have not failed (11) Good things continue with their offspring (12) Their descendents are a holy inheritance, and their offspring stand firm in the covenants (13) And because of them, their sons remain even unto eternity. Their offspring and their glory will not be forsaken (14) Their bodies were buried in peace, and their name lives on, from generation to generation (15) Let the people declare their wisdom, and let the Church announce their praise
Matthew 13:16-17
(16) But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear (17) Amen I say to you, certainly, that many of the prophets and the just desired to see what you see, and yet they did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and yet they did not hear it
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James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John the Evangelist, was one of the original twelve apostles called by Jesus Christ.
His call to discipleship took place as he worked on a fishing boat in the Sea of Galilee alongside his father and brother, reminiscent of Jesus’ earlier calling of another pair of fishing brothers, Peter and Andrew. The account, recorded in Mark 1:19-20, describes how James and John promptly left their father and their livelihood to follow Jesus.
Being part of the inner circle, James was among the select three disciples privileged to witness significant biblical events. These included Jesus’ Transfiguration, the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter, and Jesus’ anguished prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Two Gospel incidents shed light on James’ temperament and that of his brother John. One, as described in Matthew 20:22, revolves around a request for seats of honor in the heavenly kingdom. Whether this request came from James and John or their mother, as some accounts suggest, Jesus’ response was the same. He prophetically told them they would share in his baptism of suffering but clarified that granting positions of honor was the prerogative of the Father.
This event provoked indignation among the other disciples and served as an opportunity for Jesus to underscore the virtue of humble service. He taught them that true leadership and authority come from serving others, a principle exemplified in his sacrificial life.
James and John, also known as the “sons of thunder,” lived up to their nickname on an occasion when the Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus. Reacting impulsively, they asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans, an idea swiftly rebuked by Jesus.
James holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first apostle to be martyred, as recorded in Acts 12:1-3. King Herod, seeking to please the Jews, had James killed by the sword and subsequently arrested Peter.
This account refers to James, often known as James the Greater, distinct from James the Lesser (celebrated on May 3), and James, the author of the Letter of James and the leader of the Jerusalem community.
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2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Psalms 126:1-6
Matthew 20:20-28
2 Corinthians 4:7-15
(7) But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, so that what is sublime may be of the power of God, and not of us (8) In all things, we endure tribulation, yet we are not in anguish. We are constrained, yet we are not destitute (9) We suffer persecution, yet we have not been abandoned. We are thrown down, yet we do not perish (10) We ever carry around the mortification of Jesus in our bodies, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies (11) For we who live are ever handed over unto death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh (12) Therefore, death is at work in us, and life is at work in you (13) But we have the same Spirit of faith. And just as it is written, “I believed, and for that reason I spoke,” so we also believe, and for that reason, we also speak (14) For we know that the One who raised up Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and will place us with you (15) Thus, all is for you, so that grace, abounding through many in thanksgiving, may abound to the glory of God
Psalms 126:1-6
(1) A Canticle in steps: of Solomon. Unless the Lord has built the house, those who build it have labored in vain. Unless the Lord has guarded the city, he who guards it watches in vain (2) It is in vain that you rise before daylight, that you rise up after you have sat down, you who chew the bread of sorrow. Whereas, to his beloved, he will give sleep (3) Behold, the inheritance of the Lord is sons, the reward is the fruit of the womb (4) Like arrows in the hand of the powerful, so are the sons of those who have been cast out (5) Blessed is the man who has filled his desire from these things. He will not be confounded when he speaks to his enemies at the gate
Matthew 20:20-28
(20) Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him, with her sons, adoring him, and petitioning something from him (21) And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these, my two sons, may sit, one at your right hand, and the other at your left, in your kingdom. (22) But Jesus, responding, said: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the chalice, from which I will drink?” They said to him, “We are able. (23) He said to them: “From my chalice, indeed, you shall drink. But to sit at my right or my left is not mine to give to you, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father. (24) And the ten, upon hearing this, became indignant with the two brothers (25) But Jesus called them to himself and said: “You know that the first ones among the Gentiles are their rulers, and that those who are greater exercise power among them (26) It shall not be this way among you. But whoever will want to be greater among you, let him be your minister (27) And whoever will want to be first among you, he shall be your servant (28) even as the Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a redemption for many.
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Saint Charbel Makhlouf was born on May 8, 1828, in Biqa-Kafra, a small village nestled in northern Lebanon’s high mountains. His parents, poor by means, had five children, with Joseph, later known as Charbel, being the youngest. Brought up in a devout family, he developed a deep-seated piety and love for God from an early age. His childhood was marked by solitude, prayer, and detachment from worldly concerns.
At the age of twenty-three, he left home, drawn towards a religious vocation as a monk and hermit. He joined the Lebanese Maronite Order, established in Lebanon in 1695 and officially recognized by Pope Clement XII in 1732.
Charbel first resided in the Monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouk, located north of Jebeil, before being transferred to the Monastery of Saint Maroun at Annaya, which was part of the Lebanese Maronite Order. Here, he continued his Novitiate until 1853, taking vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, and adopting the name “Charbel.” Despite facing trials and doubts from some about his vocation, including his own family, he remained resolute and unshaken in his path.
After professing his solemn monastic vows, Charbel was sent to the Monastery of Kfifan, where he studied theological subjects and was ordained a priest in 1859. Subsequently, he was posted back to the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya. His humility, fidelity to duty, and virtuous life, akin to an angel’s, made him a revered figure.
He spent sixteen years as a priest at Saint Maroun’s. His superiors, recognizing his deep desire and calling for a hermit’s life, permitted him to move into the hermitage of St. Peter and St. Paul in 1875. Located approximately a mile from the monastery, he lived there, practicing mortification and self-denial, which served as an inspiration to all.
For Saint Charbel, living as a hermit was not just a vocation, but a divine calling. The goal of his religious life was the sanctification of his soul through faith, hope, and charity. He strived to achieve this by means of prayer, manual labor, fasting, and self-detachment, all to a heroic degree. For twenty-three years, he lived as a hermit, until his passing on December 24, 1898.
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Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20
Daniel 3:52-56
Matthew 13:10-17
Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20
(1) In the third month of the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt, in that day, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai (2) Thus, setting out from Raphidim, and going directly to the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents away from the region of the mountain (9) the Lord said to him: “Soon now, I will come to you in the mist of a cloud, so that the people may hear me speaking to you, and so that they may believe you continuously.” Therefore, Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord (10) who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments (11) And let them be prepared on the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over Mount Sinai (16) And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful (17) And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain (18) Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible (19) And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him (20) And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there
Daniel 3:52-56
(52) “Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers: praiseworthy, and glorious, and exalted above all forever. And blessed is the holy name of your glory: praiseworthy, and exalted above all, for all ages (53) Blessed are you in the holy temple of your glory: praiseworthy above all and exalted above all forever (54) Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom: praiseworthy above all and exalted above all forever (55) Blessed are you who beholds the abyss and sits upon the cherubims: praiseworthy and exalted above all forever (56) Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven: praiseworthy and glorious forever
Matthew 13:10-17
(10) And his disciples drew near to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables? (11) Responding, he said to them: “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them (12) For whoever has, it shall be given to him, and he shall have in abundance. But whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him (13) For this reason, I speak to them in parables: because seeing, they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand (14) And so, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said, ‘Hearing, you shall hear, but not understand; and seeing, you shall see, but not perceive (15) For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they hear heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and then I would heal them. (16) But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear (17) Amen I say to you, certainly, that many of the prophets and the just desired to see what you see, and yet they did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and yet they did not hear it
Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!
