St. Joachim

Saint Joachim

Confessor

Tradition relates that Joachim, or Joachim, was a man of some means, and like his wife Anne he was a descendant of King David. The couple had no children, so Joachim went alone into the desert to do penance and pray for a child. While Joachim was away, an angel, who may have been St. Gabriel himself, according to Venerable Mary of Ágreda, was sent to reveal to Anne that she would bear a daughter named Mary, who would conceive and bring forth the Savior. Joachim and Anne were both rather elderly when they were blessed with this miraculous pregnancy. The conception of Mary by Anne and Joachim is rightly honored as the Immaculate Conception, for Mary was conceived with no stain of original sin. Though the parents of the Immaculate Virgin have been honored in the East since ancient times, their veneration in the West is a more recent, though quite fervent, development. In the modern calendar Joachim shares Anne’s feast day of July 26th, but in the traditional calendar, Joachim is celebrated with his own feast on the day after the Assumption of his daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Traditional Roman Martyrology for August 16th

ST. JOACHIM, father of the most blessed Virgin Mary, whose birthday is the 20th of March.

At Rome, St. Titus, deacon, who, when the city was taken by the Goths, was put to death by a barbarous tribune, whilst distributing money to the poor.

At Nicaea, in Bithynia, St. Diomedes, physician, who underwent martyrdom for the faith of Christ by being beheaded, during the persecution of Diocletian.

Also, thirty-three holy martyrs.

At Ferentino, in Campania, St. Ambrose, centurion. In the persecution of Diocletian, he was subjected to different kinds of tortures, and finally passing through fire without injury, was cast into the water, and thus reached the place of eternal rest.

At Milan, the demise of St. Simplician, bishop, renowned by the testimony given of him by St. Ambrose and St. Augustine.

At Auxerre, St. Eleutherius, bishop.

At Nicomedia, St. Arsacius, confessor. Under the persecutor Licinius, he left the military service, and leading a solitary life, became so famous for working miracles, that we read of his expelling the demons and killing a huge dragon by his prayers. Finally he foretold the destruction of the city, and gave up his soul to God in prayer.

In France, near Montpelier, the demise of blessed Roch, confessor, who by the sign of the cross, delivered many cities of Italy from an epidemic. His body was afterwards transferred to Venice, and deposited with the greatest honors in the church dedicated under his invocation.

At Rome, St. Serena, who had been the wife of the emperor Diocletian.

℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

℟. Thanks be to God.