Posted on 12/09/2010 4:28:11 AM PST by Kolokotronis
Synaxarion:
According to the ancient tradition of the Church, since Saint Anna, the Ancestor of God, was barren, she and her husband Joachim remained without children until old age. Therefore, sorrowing over their childlessness, 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. And God, hearkening to their supplication, informed them through an Angel concerning the birth of the Virgin. And thus, through God's promise, Anna conceived according to the laws of nature, and was deemed worthy to become the mother of the Mother of our Lord.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
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.
Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
Today the world rejoices in the conception of Anna, wrought by God. For she bore the One who beyond comprehension conceived the Logos.
Conception of the Theotokos ping!
Do you happen to have an icon of the feast? I love the tenderness it shows between Mary's parents.
It must have great to have the angel inform them in advance that their child would turn out well.
Thanks, Kolo!
Don’t even the colors (maybe especially of the clothes) havae meaning in icons?
That’s the icon I meant. Thank you.
Thank you for posting this.
You are both very welcome.
Thank you for posting this. I love the Kontakion. Would you add me to your Orth list?
Hello again!
What a beautiful icon depicting the meeting at the Golden Gate!
My Mom became ill when I was a baby. She went all over, for 6 months, trying to find out what was wrong. It turned out to be cancer, a large tumor behind her breastbone and in her lymph nodes above the waist. She was considered terminally ill when admitted to a cancer hospital with double pneumonia and was blasted with radiation and chemo. 3 1/2 months passed.
At Christmastime she was sent home with a tracheotomy, weighing 88 pounds. She was told to go home and have an early Christmas, then return. My Dad was told to be as happy as he could around her, because she was not going to be alive to see Christmas.
The Prayers in Preparation for Chistmas had been mimeographed and sent out by my Mom’s sisters. The priest who Baptized me brought her a relic of St. Peregrine, the “Cancer Saint.” And my parents promised to make a pilgrimage every year to a Shrine of St. Anne if my Mom lived. No one gave up!
Well, when Christmas came, my Mom was alive to see it, and celebrate all over again. We made that pilgrimage every year until my Dad was unable to travel. The parents of Our Lady, the Theotokos, are very dear to my heart.
My Mom and Dad have passed into eternity, but not until my mother had seen her 70s! They never did figure it out, and even tested her further over the years to find out why the tumor suddenly stopped growing. It was still there. We all knew why. And nothing can stop me from believing God gave us a miracle.
Thank you for listening to my story. I share it, as my mother did, to praise and thank God for a miracle that came from St Anna, a Christmas journey of prayer, St. Peregrine, and the faith, hope and love of so many people.
May God bless you and give you peace; may His Name be praised for all eternity!
I would also be honored to be added to your list. Thank you!
I’m so sorry, my post about being added to the list was directed at our kind contributor of the article on St Anna. Can you tell I’m new here? God bless you!
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