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This is the day of the Lord : rejoice, ye people.
For lo, the Bridal Chamber of the
Light, the Book of the Word of Life, has come
forth from the womb, and the East Gate,
newly born, awaits the entrance of the Great
Priest. She alone brings into the world
the one and only Christ, for the salvation of
our souls.
(From Great Vespers of the Nativity
of Our Lady)
The story of Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim, echoes the stories of
Hannah and Elka’nah and Elizabeth and Zachariah. Each story concerns
a much-loved wife who cannot have children but does have faith and whose
faith is pleasing to God. Hannah and Elizabeth are Biblical characters
but the story of Anna is only told in the non-canonical Protoevangelion
or Gospel of St James which dates from the second century long after the
canon of Scripture had been closed. However, simply because a text
is non-canonical doesn’t mean it is also non-historical.
From the very beginning of the plan of salvation Mary was chosen to
be the Mother of God. Like other significant people in Israel’s history
such as Samuel and John the Baptist her birth involved the direct intervention
of God. Her parents, Joachim and Anna, were descended from the royal
house of David and tradition is undecided as to whether they were rich
or poor but always agreed on the great sorrow they suffered because of
their childlessness. Judaism was very family oriented and devout
Jews consoled themselves with the fact that even if they did not live to
see the Messiah that at some point in the future their children’s children
would. Anna and Joachim had no such comfort. Finally, according
to the Protoevangelium of St James, Joachim was turned away from the temple
by the High Priest because he considered their childlessness such a disgrace.
Devastated by the rejection Joachim went out into the wilderness without
saying anything to Anna and fasted there for forty days. Anna was
left not only to grieve for her childlessness but her husband because she
eventually believed him to be dead. She put on mourning but her maid,
Judith, convinced her that Joachim was not dead and persuaded her to put
on her wedding clothes for the Sabbath. Dressed joyfully Anna went
into her garden and prayed once more for a child. An angel appeared
to her and told her her prayers had been heard and that she would have
a daughter who would surpass all the holy women of Israel, “many daughters
have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all” (Proverbs 31). At the
same moment an angel made the same announcement to Joachim as he wept in
the desert. With perfect happiness restored Anna ran to the city
gates looking for Joachim and met him returning from the desert with same
good news.
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith,
Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.
(Hebrews 10:5)
Today God who rests upon the spiritual thrones
has made ready for Himself
a holy throne upon earth.
(Great Vespers of the Nativity
of Our Most Holy Lady)
From the beginning of God’s plan of salvation Mary was chosen to be
the mother of the Redeemer. The birth of Christ was not a sudden
event: the whole of the Old Testament points towards it, the entire history
of Israel culminates in it. As the canticles of Mattins put it, she
is “the preordained tabernacle of our reconciliation with God,” and it
is appropriate that her birth should be a miracle – the direct intervention
of God in nature – as it points us onward to the birth of Christ.
The baby born to Anna and Joachim grew up to be the girl who, despite the
stoning commanded in the law of Moses for unmarried mothers, had the courage
to be utterly and ungrudgingly obedient to the saving will of God, “behold
the handmaid of the Lord.”
She who was preordained to the Queen of all and
habitation of God, has come forth
today from the barren womb of joyful Anna.
She is the divine sanctuary of the
eternal Essence; through her cruel hell has been
trampled under foot, and Eve with
all her line is established secure in life.
It is meet and right that we should cry aloud to
her, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed
is the fruit of thy womb.”
(From Great Vespers of the Nativity
of Our Lady)
Mary is glorified not for herself but because she is the mother of the
Redeemer of the world and because she gave free, joyful and trusting assent
to the words of the angel:
“Be it unto me according to thy word.”
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to the Virtual Shrine
Bibliography: Orthodox Feasts of Christ and Mary,
Hugh Wybrew; The Festal Menaion, ed. Bishop Kallistos Ware and Mother Mary;
The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God, St John Maximovitch.
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