Glory be to Jesus Christ!
It has been said that a country which refuses to protect its borders is not really a country. There might be a map, citizenship ceremonies and responsibilities etc., but at the end of the day it can be taken and ended. The same is case with laws. Laws which are not enforced remain thoughts and that is all. They may be thoughts written down, organized, numbered and argued about, but they are not laws until they are enforced.
A person who hears the lifesaving gospel and “believes” in it with their mind is not a Christian. Unless your “belief” leads to action in the real world, you are not actually a Christian and “the little that you think you have” (ideas, comfort, intellectual hope etc.) will be taken away from you. Our faith must generate light in the world.
And this is, after all, what baptism is- faith becoming real, faith becoming faith, a lamp being lit and placed on a lamp-stand. Our Christian life is our attempt to keep it burning and keep it on the lamp-stand.
Our two friends in this mission are patience and perseverance. Ultimately, for our faith to mature we need to rely on the Lord to bring about changes through our trust and cooperation. He is in control, we are not, but He has asked us for our participation. Who better to show us the fruits of this patience and perseverance that Sts. Joachim and Anne? Ridiculed by those closest to them, they continued in all righteousness to live God-pleasing lives in hope and trust. Through their light we also have Light, who was born of their daughter, the Most Holy Theotokos.
Let us keep those lamps burning and truly honour the grandparents of our Lord! Happy feast!
