The readings this morning continue the same theme that I have spoken about this entire month; so today I'm going to do something a little different.

On this final Saturday of the month I want to look at Mary as Chosen Daughter of Israel, a theme which continues to celebrate the mystery of God's mercy and salvation. I want to look at Mary particularly as daughter of Joachim and Anne whom we honored yesterday.

Though their names are not recorded in the Bible, the tradition is as old as the New Testament itself. We know very little about them. But we see in their daughter Mary, a person deeply rooted in the religious traditions of her people: devout in prayer, obedient in faith, and strong in crisis. These attitudes indicate a close knit loving family which lived their faith.

The Bible leaves many questions for which we do not have obvious answers: What was their home like in Nazareth? Did they tell jokes? Did Mary take Jesus to market? Did she get upset about spilled milk? Did they worry about bills?

Were they patient with the neighbor's gossip? Did Joachim take Joseph to the woodshed for a father-son-in-law talk? Did Mary nag when Jesus or Joseph were late for supper? It can be very tempting for us to see the Holy Family as kind of plaster or plastic, but having no real human emotions. All of that is totally untrue to the Scriptures. They were human in every way.

That is why they can intercede for us. Their strength is in their ability to turn to God in prayer seeking wisdom, strength and protection that comes from knowing God.