Saint Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Saint Roch (1327 A.D.)

  

SAINT JOACHIM

Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Confessor

SAINT ROCH

[Historical]

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
"Most blessed couple, the whole of creation is in your debt," says St. John Damascene about Joachim and Anne, the parents of Our Lady. "For it is through you that it has been possible to offer the Creator a present above all other presents, the chaste Mother, who alone was worthy of the Creator. Rejoice, Joachim, for unto us a Son is born of thy daughter."
According to tradition, Joachim was untiring in his charity. He divided what he had into three parts, of which the first was given to the upkeep of the temple, the second to the poor, and the third was all that he reserved for his own household.

INTROIT Ps. 111:9
He has distributed his wealth and given it to the poor; his justice shall endure forever; his power shall be exalted in glory.
Ps. 111:1. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You chose blessed Joachim from among all Your saints to be the father of Mary, who bore Your Son. May we sensibly feel the power of the protection of this saint whom we honor on this feast. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

LESSON Eccli. 31:8-11 [Sirach]
Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures. Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in his life. Who hath been tried thereby, and made perfect, he shall have glory everlasting. He that could have transgressed, and hath not transgressed: and could do evil things, and hath not done them: Therefore are his goods established in the Lord, and all the church of the saints shall declare his alms.

GRADUAL Ps. 111:9, 2
He has distributed his wealth and given it to the poor; his justice shall endure forever.
V. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the righteous generation shall be blessed.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Joachim, spouse of holy Anne, father of the glorious Virgin, help your servants now to attain salvation. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 1:1-16
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren. And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram. And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon. And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse. And Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias. And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa. And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias. And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias. And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias. And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon. And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor. And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud. And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 8:6-7
You have crowned him with glory and honor, and You have given him rule over the works of Your hands, O Lord.

SECRET 
O most merciful God, accept the sacrifice we offer to Your majesty in honor of the holy patriarch Joachim, father of the Virgin Mary. May his intercession, and that of his wife and most blessed child, enable us to win complete forgiveness of our sins and everlasting glory. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Luke 12:42
This is the faithful and prudent steward, whom the master has set over his household to give them their ration of grain in due time.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Almighty God, may we be worthy of Your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come through this Sacrament that we have received and through the merits and prayers of blessed Joachim, father of Mary who bore Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Saint Roch, French noble who early developed a sympathy for the poor and sick; reported to have been born with the image of a red cross on his breast. Orphaned at age 20, he gave his fortune to the poor, and became a mendicant pilgrim; may have been a Franciscan tertiary. While on pilgrimage Roch encountered an area afflicted with plague. He stayed to minister to the sick, and affected several miraculous cures, usually by making the sign of the cross over them, but contracted the plague himself. He walked into a forest to die, but was befriended by a dog. The dog fed him with food stolen from his master’s table, and Roch eventually recovered.

When Roch returned to Montpellier, France, he was arrested for being a spy. He languished in jail for five years, never mentioning his noble connections, cared for by an angel until his death.