By 
Saints Joachim and Anne- may they speak God’s Truth to our sinful world
As we celebrate Saints Joachim and Anne whose Memorial is July 26, I believe it is critical that we beg their intercession at this time in our nation and in our world. We acknowledge that their names are not mentioned in Sacred Scripture but the earliest traditions of the Church include them as the parents of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Regardless of whether their names are accurate, obviously Mary had parents and it can be presumed that they were faithful and Godly people. The fruit of their marriage as they sought to live the will of God was to bring forth the Mother of God, the Immaculate Virgin Mary. They remind us of the sanctity of the Sacrament of Marriage according to God’s Will. Put simply marriage is between one man and one woman, it is a commitment for life and it is open to children. Our society and our nation, in reality our entire world, must return to this sacred understanding of Marriage.
Sadly, as we celebrate this beautiful Memorial, our Congress is well on the way to making a human law of the land that denies God’s Law. All people of faith will agree that this is a perilous plan and can only bring more heartache. Of course living in a compassionate manner toward all of our brothers and sisters is an essential element of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ but we must remember Christ’s definition of compassion which is expressed in the Great Commandments He quotes. We are to Love God with every fiber of our being and to Love our neighbor as we Love ourselves. Jesus says if we love Him we must keep His Commandments, thus it is simply logical that denying God’s Commandments expresses that we do not Love God whether that is our intention or not.
Let us pray that our national leaders in Congress will not codify a law that is in direct opposition to the Law of God. To continue down this path is destructive to the human community now and puts our eternal salvation in jeopardy. Pray that Congress will act with the compassion of God’s Truth.
Joseph Strickland
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland was named the fourth bishop of Tyler in September of 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. Prior to being named bishop, he served a number of roles in the diocese, including vicar general, judicial vicar, and pastor of the Cathedral parish. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1985. 