Joachim and Anne are traditionally known as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.
The Bible does not name Mary’s parents or tell us about her childhood. The following stories come from old Christian traditions.
Mary’s Seven Steps
When Mary was only six months old, Anne placed her on the ground to see if she could stand.
Mary stood and took seven steps before returning to her mother’s arms.
A six-month-old taking seven steps is remarkably early. The story presents Mary as an extraordinary child from the beginning.
Mary Goes to the Temple
Before Mary was born, Anne had prayed for a child and promised to dedicate that child to God.
When Mary turned two, Joachim wanted to fulfill their promise. Mary would be brought to the Temple, left in its care, and raised there in dedication to God. This was not a known normal practice among Jewish families.
Anne asked Joachim to wait another year. Mary was still very young, and Anne feared that if they left her there, she might keep looking for her parents and want to return home. Joachim agreed.
When Mary turned three, they finally brought her to the Temple. Young women carrying lamps accompanied Mary so she would not turn back. A priest received her, and Joachim and Anne returned home.
For them, keeping their promise meant giving up the daily life they could have had with the daughter they had waited so long to have. A promise can be easy to make when asking for something, but much harder to keep after receiving it.
These stories are very different from ordinary family life today, but something in them remains familiar. Parents eventually face moments when love also means allowing a child to move beyond their care.
Saints Joachim and Anne cared for Mary during her earliest years, but eventually her life moved beyond their home. Parents today face their own versions of that moment when children begin school, leave home, choose a career, marry, or simply start making their own decisions.
Parents can prepare them, guide them, and give them values to carry. But growing up also means allowing them to take steps that are no longer ours to choose.
A family plays the opening notes. Eventually, children must find their own part in the song.
Let’s keep learning the saints’ way—day by day.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
