Family - Saints Anna and Joachim
![[Saints Anna and Joachim]](/images/st_anna_and_joachim.jpg)
Saintly Lives June and July: Repose of St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos
(Commemorated July 25th)
The icon depicts St. Anna and St. Joachim, following the birth of the Virgin Mary. Their mutual gesturing proclaims the centrality of Mary—her role as “Theotokos”—as well as the joy of two parents thankfully offering their “miracle-child” to the Lord.
Apolytikion for St. Anna (sung each year on December 9th, commemorating the birth of St. Anna)
Against all hope, the bonds of barrenness are loosed today. For God has hearkened unto Joachim and Anna clearly promising that they would bear a godly maiden. He who commanded the angel to cry out to her, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you," will be born of her, the infinite One Himself, becoming man
According to the ancient tradition of the Church, since St. Anna was unable to conceive, she and her husband, Joachim, remained without children until old age. With great sorrow and even greater hope, they besought God with a promise that, if He were to grant them the fruit of the womb, they would offer their offspring to Him as a gift. The Lord heard their supplication; and through an angelic visit, informed them about the coming birth of their own daughter, the Virgin Mary. God kept his promise: soon-after, Anna conceived a child, and was found worthy to become the mother of the Mother of our Lord.
Making it real.
Sometimes it seems as if God is not hearing our prayers—if nothing else, sometimes it seems like he's at least not answering them. God's sense of timing and our sense of timing are often different—this can be frustrating, and sometimes we all feel like we might as well stop hoping. Use the example of Joachim and Anna to spark a discussion about this issue with your son or daughter. Concentrate on these important points: (a) pray only for vital things that speak to our salvation; and (b) have patience, trusting that the Lord hears us, loves us, cares about us, and will bless us in His own way, and in His own time. What we "get" may not be what we thought we wanted or imagined must be, but we will always receive exactly what we need.
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