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Righteous Joachim and Anna. Saint Anna Mother of the Virgin Mother of the Virgin Mary Saint Anna

The happiest parents of all human history were Joachim and Anna. The saints gave birth to the most beautiful and most holy child - the Mother of God, who surpasses all that exists. And if the whole world is on one side of the scale - all the stars, all the people and all the saints, and the Mother of God is on the other, then the latter will outweigh.

Saint Anna did not perform a miracle, she did not suffer martyrdom and venerable deeds. She bore other sorrows. And those that every woman carries when building her family. And the sorrow of fruitless loneliness, and the patient hope of motherhood, which had to be carried into old age. Twith patience and hope righteous Anna acquired her treasure in her earthly life. Patience and hope were crowned with the joy of Christmas and became the guarantee of eternal joy in God. And Christ the Savior commands us: “By your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19). (Priest Pavel Adelheim)

According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, the whole world was created for the sake of the Mother of God, and the Mother of God for Christ.

For Christ is the cause and purpose of creation. Christ could become a man, a God-man only with the help of the Virgin Mary. Just as a tree exists for the sake of the fruit, so all people and Angels exist for the sake of the Virgin Mother of God, Who in her greatness surpasses not only people, but also Angels and Archangels.

So, is it possible to imagine happier parents than the parents of the Virgin? St. John of Damascus glorifies these parents, saying: “O happy spouses Joachim and Anna, all creation glorifies you, for you have awarded the Creator with the greatest gift - a humble, only, worthy mother for the Creator. Wonderful is Anna's womb, which gradually grew within herself and gave birth to the Most Holy Child. This womb carried within itself the living Sky, eclipsing the boundless skies with its breadth.

Humanity is indebted to Joachim and Anna for this great gift.

They gave us the Virgin Mary. But at the same time, they are infinitely indebted to God and feel great gratitude for the great joy that He has given them.

We know other Old Testament women who miraculously recovered from infertility, but they all had sons

The name "Anna" means "grace". The Lord gave them this grace. Who was Anna? A barren woman, unable to have a child. But her prayers were answered, and she found a child. We know other Old Testament women who were miraculously healed of infertility. However, all of them had sons: Sarah had Isaac, Anna, the wife of Elkana, Samuel, Elizabeth had the prophet John.

Anna, the wife of Joachim, became the only barren woman who gave birth to a daughter. Why?

Because it was the woman, the first Eve, who, through her disobedience, gave birth to sin and death. Another woman, the new Eve, the Mother of God, with her humility gave life to the sinless Savior of the world.

Joachim and Anna were worthy of joy. They were both grateful. Christ said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). Children are the fruit, the image of the parents. Godly and believing parents produce good children. What kind of children do you expect from unbelieving, ungodly worldly parents? A rotten tree is rotten fruit, wicked parents are corrupt children. Of course, there are exceptions. However, the parents of the Mother of God led a righteous life: the holy parents are the Most Holy Child. In one of the troparions we read: “He who has life is exalted, life is the lordship, all together the parents of the former earthly ones exceeded the Incorruptible Virgin as if she gave birth” (1st song of the canon of Matins 9/22 September).

Joachim and Anna, in the purity and morality of their lives, became the greatest of all parents, since they brought the Most Pure Virgin into the world.

St. John of Damascus writes: “While leading a holy and pure life, you have borne fruit that has become an adornment of purity. Pure before birth, during birth and after birth, beautiful, remaining forever pure in mind, soul and body.

ANNA

AT 80 BC was born Joachim, father of Mary.

Anna born in 74 BC in a large family, becoming the fourteenth child. Anna's mother was then 45 years old. Anna's parents, at that time, were middle-class people. They lived in the city of Nazareth, were engaged in cattle breeding and had a small herd. In addition, Anna's father kept a small inn. There were three rooms in the courtyard where visiting merchants stayed.

Nazareth was located very well, just on the way from Egypt to India, and caravans constantly visited this town.
Very often, Simeon, a well-known soothsayer, stayed in their house. This is the same 113-year-old elder Simeon, who was waiting for the appearance of the newborn Jesus in the temple. It was he who said then: “Praise the Lord that I waited for this!” At that time, Simeon was still young. He was engaged in healing, treated with herbs and could predict the future. He did this with the help of thirteen stones and a lamb shoulder. Simeon threw them up, and then carefully studied what alignment was obtained from the stones that fell to the ground. At that moment, the unknown future of man was revealed to him. Formerly people soothsayers were treated with great respect and faith. Simeon's prophecies always came true, and people often turned to him for help.

Little Anna was then 12 years old. Anna impressed everyone with her diligence, helped her mother with all her might in the household. At such a young age, she already knew how to work like an adult: milk a cow and run a household. At the same time, she was distinguished by her great love of life, irrepressible gaiety and, most importantly, an unchildish feeling of pity for all living things. She felt sorry for everyone - old people, weak and sick wanderers and neighbors, animals, she could not calmly look at anyone's suffering. Anna had a big and kind heart. Anna simply fell in love with the soothsayer Simeon. He was so strange and mysterious. He was engaged in something incomprehensible and mysterious - a real magician-wizard ...
The room where Simeon stayed was divided into two parts by a curtain. Anna - a terribly curious girl - hid in the second half of the room and from there carefully watched Simeon from the side, fascinated by his actions. She terribly wanted to understand what their mysterious guest was doing, and she wanted to learn it herself. Simeon also drew attention to the curious child. He liked Anna for her spontaneity, kindness and obvious, undisguised thirst for new knowledge. He slowly began to teach the girl the art of healing and revealed to her some of the secrets of medicine.
Simeon was not mistaken - Anna turned out to be a capable student and grasped everything right on the fly. Soon, she herself could talk about a toothache, remove a purulent abscess from the patient’s body, or calm the pain in the stomach.
In the past, home health care was practiced everywhere. Each family had a person who could help sick household members or pets. Magic, healing and predictions of the future did not surprise or frighten anyone, they treated this calmly, with faith and understanding. No one divided medicine into official and folk.

Once Anna begged Simeon to tell her what will happen to her when she grows up, what future awaits her. Simeon, agreeing, spread the stones and for a long time silently looked at the resulting alignment. He sighed, looked at Anna and did not say anything.
The intrigued girl began to persistently pull at him, persuading him to tell her the truth. Simeon refused for a long time, but then in the end, succumbing to her persuasion, he said: “You will live through a difficult and short life. And you will die when you give birth to a child, at the age of 54 years. You will have a girl, whom you will have to name Mary. This will be an extraordinary girl. Time will pass, and she will have a son named Jesus. This man will be the Messiah, he will bring people a new faith that will save the world.”
After this prediction, Simeon began to look at the little girl with completely different eyes. From ancient prophecies, Simeon knew that someday a man would be born on the land of Judea, who in the future would turn the whole world upside down, cleanse it of filth and vice, and give people a new life. And now - wow - this prophecy is coming true right before his eyes!
Simeon now prayed for only one thing - just to live to see this. have a bright day and see the Savior of the world with your own eyes, if only you had the strength to wait for this miracle!
After all, it turned out according to the prophecy that the Mother of God Mary would be born when Simeon was almost a hundred years old! Just live to see this day!

At the age of 13, Anna was married to 19-year-old Joachim. In those days, children grew up very quickly, at the age of 13 the girl was considered to be of age and ready for marriage. They lived in the Holy Land, were well-born and rich, but they had no children. In the society that surrounded them, the absence of children in the family was tantamount to a curse, displeasure from Above, and therefore the priest stopped letting Joachim into the temple. He left home for the desert and decided not to return. Only Anna remained in the house, grieving over her misfortune. On the anniversary of her wedding with Joachim, she wept bitterly in the garden: “Woe to me, to whom I have become like, I have not become like the birds of the air, because even the birds of the air are fruitful before you, Lord! Woe to me, I have not become like the beasts of the earth, because they also have children! Even those waves will give birth to waves that play and splash, glorifying God. And I can’t compare with the earth, because the earth bears its fruits ... ”Anna’s cry was heard, the heavenly messenger - the Angel - assured Anna that soon a girl would be born to her, who would be called Mary.

Icon "Meeting of Joachim and Anna"
Images of Joachim and Anna are not uncommon in icon painting, they always represented them in the same way: Joachim - in the form of an old man with a long beard, Anna - in a long himation with a covered head. Sometimes they were included in a number of selected saints of the icon. There was also a special composition "Meeting of Joachim and Anna". Joachim and Anna hugged each other when they met after the gospel and Joachim's return from the desert to his home.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Years passed. Anna had long forgotten about the prophecy of Simeon. Business, household, life - life went on as usual. Joachim and Anna were considered in Nazareth to be a prosperous married couple of average income. They kept livestock - goats, cows, horses, bulls. And a large flock of sheep. In addition, Joachim owned a small oil mill, which produced sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. Despite his advanced 60 years of age, Joachim still worked hard, trying to do the housework everywhere.
Suddenly, the unexpected happened - his wife Anna became pregnant again. At 54! Just a miracle! And only now Anna remembered Simeon! She told all her relatives - her husband, relatives - about the prophecy she made in her childhood: that she would become pregnant at 54 and die in childbirth, and the child that appeared should be called Mary, and this girl would then become the mother of Jesus, the Messiah, who would suffer a lot and will bring new faith into this world.

Anna's relatives were simply confused. What kind of prophecy, where, what kind of Messiah, will Anna really die, how is it, and then who will raise the child?
Joachim was already 60 years old, and he is unlikely to be able to raise a girl alone.
In those days, having many children was commonplace. And none of the relatives could take little Mary to them. And then Anna remembered her distant relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth's mother was a second cousin of Anna's mother. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had no children of their own, so they agreed to take Mary with them.

Early in the morning, at 6:15 a.m., July 21, 20 BC. e. in the house of Joachim, a girl was born, who was named Mary. Anna, unable to endure a difficult birth, died, as was predicted by Simeon.

Saints Joachim and Anna
The image of the parents of the Mother of God was ordered by the icon painter, usually by families without children or expecting their first child.

The child was very sickly, and it was not certain that the girl would survive without her mother's milk. Therefore, Joachim recorded his daughter in the family pedigree lists only when the danger of an early death had passed, i.e. exactly two months later, on September 21st.
This date was considered to be Mary's birthday. In our time, on this day, September 21, one of the twelve great church holidays- Christmas Holy Mother of God.
All babies born three days before July 21 and September 21 are often gifted children, and they are all under the auspices of the Virgin Mary.
July 21 is a special day. Nature itself rejoices and celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary - the air is filled with the heady smells of summer and the sun, an extraordinary lightness settles in all people in the soul, in the morning everyone wakes up with good mood, anticipating that something extraordinary is about to happen today.

Dormition of Righteous Anna

July 25/August 7 - Dormition of Righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Icon of the Assumption of Rights. Anna, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

According to legend, Saint Anna in Jerusalem acquired two estates: the first at the Gethsemane gate, and the second - in the valley of Jehoshaphat. In the second estate, she arranged a crypt for the deceased members of the family, where she was buried along with Joachim. The most pure body of the Mother of God was buried in this family cemetery. A temple was erected on the burial site. There is a legend that St. Helena Equal to the Apostles a basilica was built here. In 614 the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God was preserved. Most of the modern building dates back to the time of the Crusaders. it underground temple, to which 50 steps lead, with chapels of Sts. Godfathers Joachim and Anna and Joseph the Betrothed, located on the sides of the stairs.

Funeral crypt of Joachim and Anna in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin

Tombs of St. Joachim and Anna in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin

In con. 10th century on Mount Athos, the monastery of St. Anna was built - the oldest of all Athos sketes. Devastated for many years by sea robbers, he was in the XVII century. was restored Patriarch of Constantinople Dionysius, who acquired from the Christians of Asia Minor the foot of the holy righteous Anna. In 1680, a cathedral church was erected there in memory of the Assumption of St. Anna. Since that time, the skete began to bear the name "St. Anna". He is famous on Mount Athos for the high ascetic deeds of the monks.
Not far from the skete of St. Anna is the so-called New Skete of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin or "Little Anna". The proximity of these fertile places emphasizes the connection between the sacred events of the conception and the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Under the holy noble Emperor Justinian (527-565), a temple was built in her honor in Devtera, and the emperor Justinian II (685-695; 705-711) renovated her temple, because the righteous Anna appeared to his pregnant wife ; at the same time, her body and the maphorium (veil) were transferred to Constantinople. The Assumption of St. Righteous Anna is celebrated on August 7 (July 25).

At present, particles of the relics of St. Anne are located:
- in Athos monasteries(left foot in the Great Skete of Righteous Anna, right foot in the monastery of Kutlumush, left hand in the monastery of Stavronikita);
- in various monasteries and churches in Greece (including the monastery of St. John the Theologian on Patmos, the church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos in Thessaloniki);
- to the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhy, Moscow;
- October 26, 2008 a particle of the relics of St. Anna was brought from Athos to temple complex Iberian icon Mother of God the city of Dnepropetrovsk, where it was placed in an ark in the lower aisle of the cathedral church in the name of Joachim and Anna;
- July 10, 2011 a particle of the relics of St. Anna was transferred to the Valaam Monastery.

Troparion of Righteous Anna

Tone 4
The life that gave birth in the womb was carried by you, the Pure Mother of God, God-wise Anno. Meanwhile, to the acceptance of Heaven, where the dwelling is rejoicing, rejoicing in glory, now you have reposed, honoring you with the love of sins, asking for cleansing, blessed.

Kontakion of Righteous Anna

Voice 2
We celebrate the memory of the ancestors of Christ, those faithfully asking for help, get rid of everyone from all sorrow, calling: our God is with us, glorify these, as if you were well pleased.

Magnification on the Assumption of Righteous Anna:

We magnify thee, holy righteous Anno pramati of Christ our God, and glorify thy dormition all-honourably.

The miraculous icon and part of the relics of the holy righteous Anna in the skete of St. Anna on Mount Athos.

On June 17, 2006, Valaam met the icon of the holy righteous Anna, the foremother of Christ, who has great grace from the Lord to heal from the ailment of infertility. This is a list with miraculous icon, which is located in the Skete of St. Anne on Mount Athos. There are now three such lists in the monastery, all of which are exact copies of the miraculous image of St. Anna, and were written directly in the skete of St. Righteous Anna. Countless letters of thanks have come to Athos from parents who have found the opportunity to have children, thanks to the intercession of the holy righteous Anna.

Prayers in marital infertility

For help from marital infertility, turn with prayers to the righteous God-fathers Joachim and Anna, the prophet Zechariah and Elizabeth, the Monk Roman, the martyr Paraskeva, named Friday.

Meeting of St. Righteous Joachim and Anna. Fragment of an icon of the 17th century.

Prayer to the Righteous Fathers of God Joachim and Anna:
About the glorification of the righteous of Christ, the holy fathers of God Joachim and Anna, coming to the heavenly throne of the Great Tsar and having great boldness towards Him, as if from your most blessed Daughter, the Most Pure Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, who deigned to incarnate!
To you, as a powerful representative and zealous prayer books for us, we resort, sinful and unworthy (names). Pray for His goodness, as if He would turn away His wrath from us, according to our deeds righteously moved on us, and let our countless sins, despising, turn us to the path of repentance, and confirm us on the paths of His commandments. Also, with your prayers, save our life in the world, and ask for good haste in all good things, all that is needed for life and piety from God, giving us from all misfortunes and troubles and sudden death by your intercession, delivering us, and protecting us from all enemies visible and invisible, as if we would live a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, and so in the world this temporary life has passed, we will achieve eternal peace, even if by your holy supplication let us be vouchsafed to the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit, all glory befits , honor and worship forever and ever. Amen.

Personal petition of the righteous Anna for the gift of a child(from the Memorials of St. Demetrius of Rostov):
Woe to me, Lord! Who will I be like? Not to the birds of the air, nor to the beasts of the earth: for they, too, bring forth their fruit to Thee, O Lord God, but I alone am unfruitful. Alas for me, Lord! I am alone, sinful, deprived of offspring. You who once gave Sarah, in her old age, the son of Isaac. You who opened the womb of Anna, the mother of your prophet Samuel, now look at me and hear my prayers. Stop the sorrow of my heart and open my womb, and make me, barren, fruitful, so that what I have born, we bring to You as a gift, blessing, singing and glorifying Your mercy.

Kissing Zechariah and Elizabeth. End of XV - beginning. 16th century

Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos, was the youngest daughter of the priest Matthan of Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Aaron, and his wife Mary, from the tribe of Judah. Her parents had three daughters: Ma-ria, So-via and An-na. Of these, the first married Mary in Beth-le-em and ro-di-la Sa-lo-miya; then she married So-viy, also in Beth-le-em and ro-di-la Eli-sa-ve-tu, mother of John Pred-te-chi; the third, Anna, the future mother of the Most Holy Bo-go-ro-di-tsy, married Joachim, who was from Gaul, in the city of Na-za-ret.

The holy righteous Joachim, the son of Varpafir, was a descendant of King David, to whom God promised that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, would be born from the seed of his descendants. Ro-do-word-of his ta-ko-vo: the son of Da-vi-da Na-fa-na had a son Levi, Levi gave birth to Melchia and Pan- fi-ra, Pan-fir gave birth to Var-pa-fi-ra, Var-pa-fir gave birth to Joachim-ma, the father of God Ma-te-ri.

The couple lived in Nazareth of Galilee (the northern part of Palestine) and dreamed of children all their lives, but, according to the special providence of God, Saint Anna was barren for a long time. They led a righteous life, they were united by tender love. Every year they gave two-thirds of their income to the Temple in Jerusalem and to the poor.

Joachim and Anna did not have children until a very old age, and all their lives they mourned and wept about it. They had to endure contempt and ridicule, since at that time childlessness was considered a shame. For 50 years of their marriage, the couple only fervently prayed to God, humbly trusting in His Will.

Once, during a great feast, the gifts that the righteous Joachim took to Jerusalem to offer them to God were not accepted by the priest Reuben, who believed that a childless husband was not worthy to offer sacrifice to God. This greatly saddened the elder, and he, considering himself the most sinful of people, decided not to return home, but to settle alone in a deserted place. He decided to spend 40 days and nights fasting and praying, praying to the Lord for mercy.

His righteous wife Anna considered herself the main culprit of the grief that befell them. When she learned about her husband's deed, she also began to mournfully ask God in fasting and prayer to give her a child, promising to bring a born child as a gift to God.

And the prayer of the holy spouses was heard: an Angel appeared to both of them and announced that a Daughter would be born to them, Whom the whole human race would bless.

The conception of St. Anna took place on the ninth day of de-kab-rya me-sya-tsa in Jerusalem (on this day - December 9 (22)- Orthodox Church celebrates The Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by Righteous Anna), and on September 8, she gave birth to a daughter, pre-chi-flock and Pre-bless-go-word-ven-naya De-va Ma-ria, about the birth of Ko- she ascended to-ra-to-va-lis both no-bo and earth-la. Joachim, on the occasion of Her birth, brought to God great gifts, sacrifices and all-burnings and received the bless-th-word-ve -the first-priest-priest-no-ka, priest-no-kov, le-vi-tov and all people for being able to beat the blah-go-word-ve -tion of God. That's why he arranged a plentiful meal in his house, and all with the best pro-glory-la-whether God.

Pod-ras-ta-yu-shchuyu De-va Mary ro-di-te-li Her be-reg-li as ze-ni-tsu of the eye, ve-daya, especially-ben-no-mu from- God's blood, that She will be the light of the whole world and the renewal of the nature of man. In this way, they re-pi-you-va-li Her with such a meticulous inspection-ri-tel-no-stu, ka-kai-do-ba-la Toi, Ko-to -paradise had to be Ma-te-ryu Spa-si-te-la of the world. They love Her not only as a daughter, wait for such a long time, but also like her mistress, remembering An - gel words spoken about Her, and seeing in the spirit that should be done over Her. She, full of Divine b-go-yes-ty, mysteriously, but o-ga-scha-la with the same b-go-da-tyu and her -their ro-di-te-lei. In addition, as the sun, with its own beams, illuminates the heavenly stars, giving them parts of its own oh world, so bo-go-of-branch Mary, like the sun, oza-rya-la lu-cha-mi given to her b-go-yes-ti Joachim-ma and An-well, so that they too would be the use of the Spirit of God, and firmly believe in the use of the words of Angels .

Until the age of three, the Most Holy Mary lived in the house of her parents, and then she was solemnly led by Saints Joachim and Anna to the temple of the Lord, where she was brought up to adulthood.

After a few years after the introduction of Mary into the temple, St. Joachim died at the age of 80. Holy An-na, left widow-howling, po-ki-nu-la Na-za-ret and came to Iera-sa-lim, where there would-be-va-la an eye-lo-lo- to her Pre-holy Do-che-ri, praying demon-pre-stand-but in the temple of God. Having lived in Jeru-sa-li-me for two years, she died peacefully at the age of 79, before the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The glory of the Daughter was revealed to her in eternal life.

Joachim and Anna are buried near the future tomb of their daughter, as well as the grave of Joseph the Betrothed, in the Garden of Gethsemane, under the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem. These tombs were located on the edge of the valley of Jehoshaphat, which lay between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

Dignity and Holiness of Righteous Joachim and Anna

The advanced age of righteous spouses shows that the birth of their Daughter was the action of a special Providence of God. In the very Conception and Birth of such a Daughter was revealed and the power of God's grace, and the honor of the Born and the dignity of the parents; for it is impossible for a barren and aged woman to give birth otherwise than by the power of the grace of God: here it is no longer nature that is at work, but God, who conquers the laws of nature and destroys the bonds of barrenness.

To be born of infertile and aged parents is a great honor for the woman herself, because she is born not from intemperate parents, but from abstinent and aged parents, such as Joachim and Anna, who lived in marriage for 50 years and had no children. Finally, through such a birth, the dignity of the parents themselves is revealed, since after a long barrenness they gave birth to joy to the whole world, which was likened to the holy patriarch Abraham and his pious wife Sarah, who, according to the promise of God, gave birth to Isaac in old age (Genesis 21:2). However, without a doubt, it can be said that the birth of the Virgin is higher than the birth of Isaac by Abraham and Sarah. As much as the born Virgin Mary herself is higher and more worthy of honor than Isaac, so much greater and higher is the dignity of Joachim and Anna than Abraham and Sarah. They did not immediately achieve this dignity, but only with zealous fasting and prayers, in spiritual sorrow and heartfelt grief, they begged God for this: and their grief turned into joy, and their dishonor was a harbinger of great honor, and the zealous petition of the leader to receive blessings, and prayer is the best intercessor.

Holy righteous Joachim and Anna are called "Godfathers" because they are the direct ancestors of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Saints Anna and Iaokim did not perform a miracle, they did not suffer martyrdom and venerable deeds. They carried other sorrows - the sorrow of barren loneliness, and the patient hope in God, which they carry until old age. Through patience and hope, the righteous Anna and Joachim acquired their treasure in earthly life. Patience and hope were crowned with the joy of Christmas and became the guarantee of eternal joy in God. And Christ the Savior commands us: "By your patience save your souls"(Luke 21:19).

Traditionally, the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos are prayed for the gift of children.

Troparion of the Holy Righteous Fathers of God Joachim and Anna
Even in the lawful grace of the righteous former,
The God-given child begotten to us, Joachim and Anna. The same day, the divine Church triumphs brightly, merrily celebrating, your honorable memory, glorifying God, who raised up the horn of salvation to us in the house of David.

Troparion of Righteous Anna, tone 4
The life that gave birth in the womb was carried by you, the Pure Mother of God, God-wise Anno. Meanwhile, to the acceptance of Heaven, where the dwelling is rejoicing, rejoicing in glory, now you have reposed, honoring you with the love of sins, asking for cleansing, blessed.

Prayer to the saints righteous Joachim and Anna
O holy righteous, God-fathers Joachim and Anno! Pray to the Merciful Lord, as if He would turn away His anger from us, according to our deeds righteously moved on us, and may our countless transgressions be despised, turn us, the servant of God (names), to the path of repentance, and on the path of His commandments, let us confirm us. With the same prayers of yours in the world, save our life, and in all good things, ask for good haste, all that is necessary for us from God to life and piety, from all misfortunes and troubles and sudden death by your intercession, delivering us and protecting us from all enemies visible and invisible, and tacos in the world this temporary life is past. we will achieve eternal rest, even if by your holy supplication let us be made worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit all glory, honor and worship befits forever and ever. Amen.

HOLY RIGHTEOUS JOAKIM AND ANNA

And the prayer of the holy spouses was heard: an Angel appeared to both of them and announced that a Daughter would be born to them, Whom the whole human race would bless.

The conception of St. Anna took place on the ninth day of de-kab-rya me-sya-tsa in Jerusalem (on this day - December 9 (22)- Orthodox Church celebrates The Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by Righteous Anna ), and on September 8, she gave birth to a daughter, pre-chi-flock and Pre-bless-go-word-ven-naya De-va Ma-ria, about the birth of Ko- she ascended to-ra-to-va-lis both no-bo and earth-la. Joachim, on the occasion of Her birth, brought to God great gifts, sacrifices and all-burnings and received the bless-th-word-ve -the first-priest-priest-no-ka, priest-no-kov, le-vi-tov and all people for being able to beat the blah-go-word-ve -tion of God. That's why he arranged a plentiful meal in his house, and all with the best pro-glory-la-whether God.

Memory Dormition of Righteous Anna July 25 (August 7) .

Dignity and Holiness of Righteous Joachim and Anna

The advanced age of righteous spouses shows that the birth of their Daughter was the action of a special Providence of God . In the very Conception and Birth of such a Daughter was revealed and the power of God's grace , and the honor of the Born and the dignity of the parents; for it is impossible for a barren and aged woman to give birth otherwise than by the power of the grace of God: here it is no longer nature that is at work, but God, who conquers the laws of nature and destroys the bonds of barrenness.

Holy righteous Joachim and Anna are called "Godfathers" because they are the direct ancestors of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Saints Anna and Iaokim did not perform a miracle, they did not suffer martyrdom and venerable deeds. They carried other sorrows - the sorrow of barren loneliness, and the patient hope in God, which they carry until old age.Through patience and hope, the righteous Anna and Joachim acquired their treasure in earthly life. Patience and hope were crowned with the joy of Christmas and became the guarantee of eternal joy in God. And Christ the Savior commands us: "By your patience save your souls"(Luke 21:19).

Traditionally, the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos are prayed for the gift of children.

Troparion of the Holy Righteous Fathers of God Joachim and Anna
Even in the lawful grace of the righteous former,
The God-given child begotten to us, Joachim and Anna.
The same day it triumphs brightly,
cheerfully celebrating the divine Church,
your honest memory,
glorify God, who raised up the horn of salvation for us in the house of David.

Prayer to the holy righteous Joachim and Anna
O holy righteous, God-fathers Joachim and Anno! Pray to the Merciful Lord, as if He would turn away His anger from us, according to our deeds righteously moved on us, and may our countless transgressions be despised, turn us, the servant of God (names), to the path of repentance, and on the path of His commandments, let us confirm us. With the same prayers of yours in the world, save our life, and in all good things, ask for good haste, all that is necessary for us from God to life and piety, from all misfortunes and troubles and sudden death by your intercession, delivering us and protecting us from all enemies visible and invisible, and tacos in the world this temporary life is past. we will achieve eternal rest, even if by your holy supplication let us be made worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit all glory, honor and worship befits forever and ever. Amen .

In the last decade, and perhaps longer, among the Orthodox with an unsettled personal life, the holy spouses, the princely couple Peter and Fevronia, have gained great popularity. This couple was even timed to coincide with the Russian national holiday, which appears on the calendar as "The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity." However, Peter and Fevronia are far from the only saints who can be approached with a prayer for help in finding a soul mate and for well-being in the already held family life. For example, the righteous Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos, are also well-versed in such matters. The Orthodox Church celebrates the day of memory of Joachim and Anna on September 22.

Help of God

Holy righteous Joachim led his genealogy from the tribe of Judah and belonged to the house of King David. He lived in the city of Nazareth. His wife Anna came from the family of Aaron, was a close relative of the mother of John the Baptist - Elizabeth and was the daughter of a priest. Both Anna and Joachim were reputed to be pious, pious people. But here's the problem: they didn't have children. And, I must say, at that time this circumstance was considered a great punishment of the Lord and an utter sin. The couple suffered because of their infertility for many years, but, nevertheless, did not grumble, and, being already in advanced years, continued to honor the Creator and pray for him to grant them the mercy to finally become parents.

One day there was a big religious holiday. On this occasion, according to tradition, Joachim brought gifts to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. But the high priest considered that a childless man was not worthy to act in this way, since he allegedly did not have the Lord's blessing for that, and rejected the sacrifice of a pious Christian. This incident plunged the husband of righteous Anna into deep sorrow. He did not return home, but went into the desert, where for 40 days he fervently prayed and fasted rigorously, weeping bitterly about his situation and begging God to grant him and his wife a child. Anna, having learned about her husband's act, was saddened and accused herself of infertility. With tears, she prayed to the Lord for healing from this illness, giving the Creator a promise to dedicate the long-awaited baby to him. After these words, an Angel of God appeared to Anna, who announced to the woman about the imminent birth of her daughter named Mary, blessed in all births. I saw the herald of the Lord and Joachim in his wilderness: an angel commanded the man to go to Jerusalem. In this city, the conception of the Virgin Mary by her parents took place.

Fulfillment of the vow and death of the saints

Time passed, and the happy spouses had a daughter, as the Angel of God foretold them. The girl was named Mary. Until the age of three, the baby lived with her parents in their house, where she bathed in the love of her father and mother. The latter treated Mary both as a daughter and as a mistress, mindful of the intended mission. When the girl was three years old, the couple fulfilled their vow: they solemnly took the child to the temple of God with lit lamps in their hands and left it in the care of the clergy. A few years later, the holy righteous Joachim reposed - he was then 80 years old. After the incident, Anna, left a widow, left Nazareth for Jerusalem, to the very temple where her daughter was brought up, and until the end of her days she remained next to her only child. All her days the woman spent in prayers addressed to God. Saint Anna lived in the city of Jerusalem for two years, and then, at the age of 79, she rested in peace.

The holy spouses were buried not far from the future tomb of their daughter and the grave of the husband of the Virgin Mary, Joseph the Betrothed, on the edge of the Jehoshaphat Valley in the Garden of Gethsemane, which everyone remembers from the Bible. This place was near the city of Jerusalem.

Veneration of Saint Anne

In the era of the reign of the right-believing king Justinian, a temple was erected in Devter in honor of the righteous Anna. Emperor Justinian II contributed to the renewal of this church in gratitude to the saint for appearing to his wife when she was in a position. The body of the mother of the Virgin, and with it the veil, was transferred to Constantinople.

On Athos there is a skete of St. Anna, dedicated to the saint. It is the largest of these monasteries in the area.

This skete is located at an altitude of 350 m above sea level, on the coast. Around it there are many sources, the water from which the monks use for the needs of the monastery and their own. The foundation of the skete of St. Anne dates back to the 14th century and was carried out by the last abbot of the monastery of Vulevtirion, the Monk Gerontius. This monastery is located 30 kilometers from the Great Lavra, to which, in fact, it is subordinate. Its monks lead a cenobitic way of life. In the past, their occupations included making kamilavkas and rosaries, copying books, woodcarving, raising livestock, bookbinding, today they also sew with icon painting.

In 1680, at the direction of Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysius III on the territory of the monastery was built big temple. The main holy relic of this church was the left foot of the righteous Anna, which at one time was brought from Asia. This shrine is like other parts of the relics of the saints of God, somehow the hand of the holy martyr Marina or the hand of a saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, always has a constant temperature equal to that of a living human body. From the relics of the righteous Anna, many miracles happened and now happen. There are especially many cases of healing from female infertility. It must be said that the monks of the Athos skete regularly receive letters from grateful married couples with photos of newborn babies born thanks to the help of the saint. And the inhabitants of the monastery carefully keep these indisputable proofs of the miracles taking place, offering thanks to God.

What do they pray to Saints Joachim and Anna?

You can pray to the righteous Godfather Joachim and Anna in the temple or at home at the corresponding icon depicting this married couple. They ask them, as you already understood, for healing from infertility, but saints also help women who want to start a family, but are unable to do so. It is necessary to offer prayers to the righteous Joachim and Anna with deep faith, having previously sincerely repented of their past sins, best of all as part of confession in the church. It is good to read the akathist to the saints for 40 days, but before that it is very desirable to take from your spiritual father or any priest in the temple blessing for the implementation of this event. If there is no proper endurance, you can read a prayer every day addressed to this married pious couple, as well as troparia, the texts of which are given below.

Troparion of the Holy Righteous Fathers of God Joachim and Anna

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Thy righteous ones, O Lord, celebrate the memory, / by those we pray to Thee // save our souls.

Troparion of Righteous Anna

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You bore the life that was born in the womb, Pure Mother of God, / God-wise Anno. / However, to the acceptance of Heaven, where the rejoicing dwelling, / rejoicing in glory, now has passed away, / honoring you with love / sins asking for purification, / / blessed.

According to your faith, you will be rewarded!

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