St. and Venerable Anne. The Most Holy Mother of God. Guardian Angel 102.101

A small locket with images of St. and Venerable Anne and the Most Holy Mother of God on the obverse, and the Guardian Angel on the reverse is round-shaped. Circle is the symbol of eternity, of Heaven and of God, the sign of God praised saints abiding with Him in eternity at Heaven.

             On the locket obverse we see the icon of St. and Venerable Anne clasping tenderly her Daughter, the Most Holy Mother of God to her bosom.

             St. and Venerable Anne and her spouse, St. Joachim, the parents of the Most Holy Mother of God are called “the fore-parents of God-man” and are prayed for intercession and help at the end of each liturgy. Their life history an the history of their daughter, the Most-Pure Mother of God coming into the world is narrated in the Holy Tradition text and in Protevangelium of James.

Told is that Joachim and Anne descended from noble house but lived as common Israelis and never enjoyed any advantages. Joachim was King David descendant, Anne being that of the high-priest Aaron.  They were diligent and God-fearing, had got plenty of everything and would have been quite happy except being God deprived of raising up seed. At Old Testament time childlessness was considered the greatest visitation of God. The Law even prohibited offerings and sacrifices to be accepted from childless persons as from being God rejected and disdainable therefore. And this “disgrace of childlessness” the pious couple endured till their old ages. After all Joachim decided to leave for desert in order to obtain the act of God by prayer and severe fasting. Remaining alone Anne went to the garden. And looking up to the heaven she espied a nest of sparrows in the laurel-tree, and made a lamentation within herself, saying: “Woe unto me, who begat me? And what womb brought me forth for I am become a curse before the children of Israel, and I am reproached, and they have mocked me forth out of the temple of the Lord? Woe unto me, unto what am I likened? I am not likened unto the fowls of the heaven, for even the fowls of the heaven are fruitful before thee, O Lord. I am not likened unto the beasts of the earth, for even the beasts of the earth are fruitful before thee, O Lord. I am not likened unto these waters, for even these waters are fruitful before thee, O Lord. I am not likened unto these waters, for even these waters are fruitful before thee, O Lord. I am not likened unto this earth, for even this earth bringeth forth her fruits in due season and blesseth thee, O Lord”.

And then the archangel Gabriel appeared before her and proclaimed that she will dive birth to a daughter. Joachim was proclaimed the same. Rejoiced couple met and vowed to consecrate the daughter to God.

For three year little Mary was brought up by the elders and then was votively sent to the Temple of Jerusalem. Some years later St.Joachim aged 80 deceased, and St. Anne passed to the Temple for living where spent two year with her daughter, and aged 79 reposed in peace.

She was buried in Jerusalem. But under the Emperor Justinian I her relics and kerchief were as a solemn event moved to Constantinople.

St. and Venerable Anne is commemorated on August 9 (25), September 22 (9), December 22 (9).