The Life of Saint Anne.

Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to Saint Jerome, was the daughter of Stolanus Gazyrus and Emerentiana, pious and God-fearing parents from the tribe of Judah, of the family of King David, residing in Bethlehem. When Saint Anne emerged from infancy, her virtuous parents presented her to the Temple, where, according to the custom of the time, virgins under the guidance of priests studied Holy Scripture, the service of God, and pious chanting, and learned manual labor and a holy life from women consecrated to God. Thus, Saint Anne, dividing God's day between spiritual learning supported by meditation and manual labor, grew more and more in the grace of God. In the fifteenth year of her life, she left the house of priestly upbringing and returned to her parental home. However, in that very same year of her return to her parental home, her father died, and shortly thereafter, her mother as well. The holy virgin bore this double, sorrowful blow with humble submission to God; and dedicating herself to prayer and work, she practiced various virtues. Finally, by the decree of Divine Providence, she entered into matrimony with the equally pious, virtuous, and holy Joachim from the city of Nazareth, of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David. Because of their singular virtues, both were well-pleasing to God. Their married life was also most happy and full of mutual edification; yet, for the complete happiness of this holy couple, the comfort of offspring was lacking. Nevertheless, they did not despair but placed all their hope in God and surrendered themselves to Him, patiently bearing all the mockery, contempt, and even ignominy inflicted upon them for this reason. For in those times, when the Messiah was so eagerly awaited, barrenness was a great misfortune and shame for anyone who, being married, had no offspring. Therefore, whenever people saw a childless marriage, they not only mocked them but suspected that they must have committed some great sin for which God punished them with barrenness. Saint Joachim was also subject to this suspicion. For when, according to custom, he went to the feast of the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem and, having brought with him an offering according to his means, wished to present it to God, Issachar, the High Priest at that time, knowing that Joachim had been childless for so many years, refused to accept the offering; moreover, he declared that his offerings might not be worthy before God since God had not granted him offspring.

Deeply ashamed by this, Joachim did not return home, lest his neighbors mock him; instead, he went to the place where his cattle and flocks were kept, and there he dwelt among his shepherds, earnestly beseeching the Lord God that, in His mercy, He might deign to bless him with offspring, just as He had blessed old Abraham. Likewise, Saint Anne, not finding her spouse at home, grieved greatly, observed strict fasts, and constantly prayed to God, asking for offspring if He saw it to be for His glory and her salvation, while making a vow that if they received the desired child, they would offer it to God and consecrate it to His service. The Heavenly Revelation After a twenty-year trial of tribulation, God regarded their humble prayers and informed Saint Joachim through an Angel in a dream: "Your prayers have been heard by God, who has seen your unjust shame, and your wife Anne shall conceive and bear a daughter, who shall be blessed among all women. God Himself gives Her the name Mary, whom, as you have vowed, you shall give and offer in the temple for His glory, for God has resolved to perform a wondrous mystery through Her."

Next, the Angel commanded him to go to the temple to thank God, and as a sign of the truth of this revelation, he declared to him that he would meet his wife Anne at the Golden Gate, through which she would pass to the temple, and that she would be greatly rejoiced by this sight. Similarly, while Saint Anne was praying, an Angel appeared to her not in a dream like to Saint Joachim, but by day in a visible human form and said: "Fear not, Anne! Your prayers have been heard. God has chosen you to be the mother of the Mother of the Divine Son, who shall be a wondrous virgin, in whom the whole world shall rejoice; you shall bring forth a daughter named Mary. Arise, go to Jerusalem to the temple, and as a sign of the truth of this revelation, you shall meet your husband Joachim at the Golden Gate."Fulfilling the angelic command and decree, they went to the temple and found everything just as it had been revealed. Having given thanks to God and renewed their vow to offer their daughter in the temple of the Most High Lord, they returned to Nazareth, their usual dwelling.

The Birth and Consecration of Mary Shortly thereafter, Saint Anne conceived and gave birth to Mary, the very joy and expectation of the whole world, who brought forth for us God the Savior. With all parental devotion, they took care of the nurturing and early upbringing of Mary, and in the third year of her life, they brought her to the Temple of the Lord and, according to their vow, offered her to the service of God. During her stay there, Saint Joachim died, and two years later, her mother, Saint Anne, also ended her earthly life at the age of seventy-eight. She was buried in the tomb of her fathers alongside Saint Joachim, and now she intercedes for us with God in Heaven.