Saint Anne is celebrated by Orthodox Christians every year on 9 September. The Assumption of St Anne is also celebrated on 25 July. Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, is celebrated in the Orthodox calendar with her husband, Saint Joachim.
Saint Anne is the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and also the grandmother of Jesus. According to church writings, St Anne is said to have come from a priestly lineage, the youngest daughter of the great priest Matan.
St Anne was married to the wise man Joachim of Galilee. The Gospel says that Joachim, despised for not having children, did not rebel against God. But on the contrary said: “I will retire into the wilderness and sit and eat nothing, but only pray. And weep until God gives the fruit of my wife’s womb.” Hannah also wept for childlessness and prayed to the Lord. And after a long time of fasting and prayer, by God’s ordinance, they had a child in their old age, the Virgin Mary.
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Who was Saint Anna?
According to some church writings, St. Anne would have entrusted her to the Temple as a righteous offering when her child was still a baby. Thus, the Virgin Mary was orphaned at an early age, although her mother lived to be 69 and her father 80.
Saint Anna is said to have been the grandmother of Jesus, who devoted her whole life to prayer and fasting. She did much good to suffering people, to fulfill the word of the Lord. The relics of St Anne are kept in the hermitage of St Anne in Mount Athos. It is said among the people that Saint Anne was the sister of Saint Elijah.
She is the woman who asked for consolation for herself and her husband, Joachim, and God. Through them, gave relief for all of us, giving the human race the Blessed Virgin Mary. We ask God for little things, but God wants to provide us with more important things. We ask God for items linked to life’s immediate challenges. But God has in mind our distant future, the depths of our human beings.
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Is Saint Anne mentioned in the Bible?
According to biblical accounts, God sent the Archangel Gabriel to tell Joachim that his prayers would be answered. Gabriel told him to go home to his wife and gave him the great news that they would soon have a son.
In the Bible, Saint Anne was mentioned in the Books of the New Testament as the mother of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ. Anna was of the tribe of Levi and was the daughter of Mary and Nathan, a priest of the line of Aaron. They lived in the time of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, and Anna had two sisters who lived in Bethlehem: Mary and Soviet.
So was the mother of Elizabeth, the mother of St John the Baptist. Anna married Joachim in Galilee and gave birth to the Virgin Mary. Salome, Elizabeth, and Saint Mary were cousins, and Christ was a second cousin of Saint John the Baptist.
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Was Saint Anne the mother of Mary?
Her name comes from Hebrew and has the meaning “Yahweh (God) had mercy” or “Yahweh was merciful.” From it also derived names – Anette and Anne-Marie and more compound names.
Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus Christ and came from the priestly lineage of Levi. His father was the priest Matham, and his mother, Mary, lived during the time of Empress Cleopatra and the Persian Emperor Sapporo. The priest had three daughters, Maria, Sovi, and Anna.
Her husband passed away at 69 after devoting the last part of his life to his faith. Her husband, Saint Joachim, dies at 84, and their daughter Mary is orphaned at 11.
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What is the story of St Joachim and Anne?
Joachim and Anna were from their youth and respected in their community; they were hardworking and thrifty. Joachim was supposedly descended from the line of King David of the tribe of Judah. And Anna was from Matan’s family and Elizabeth’s sister. Who gave birth to the Prophet John the Baptist.
The story of Joachim and Anna starts with the fact that they are both very faithful. And they were attached to moral values and community life. They respected ancient Jewish traditions, helped the poorest around them, and one-third of their wealth went to the temple. Unfortunately, in their youth, they failed to have children, and as time passed, people began to despise them. Joachim and Anna prayed daily that they would have a son and a real family. But their prayers were late in coming true.
Years passed, and they grew older, but they never lost hope. Unfortunately, the community turned them away, and the rabbis in the temple refused to receive their offerings. Seeing that the two were failing to have a family until God gave them the blessing of being the grandparents of the Highest.
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What is Saint Anne the patron saint of?
Saint Anne was the human grandmother of Jesus Christ. At age 3, the Virgin Mary was taken to the temple in Jerusalem. She was given teaching, housing, and care in a temple room. Saint Joachim went to the kingdom of God at the age of 84. After the death of her husband, Saint Anne went to Jerusalem with the Virgin Mary, where she spent the rest of her life fasting, praying, and doing good works. Saint Anne went to the Lord at 69 and the Virgin Mary at 11, when she was still in the temple and orphaned by both parents.
Saint Anne has remained in church history as the patron saint of children, and the faithful call on her for help, especially when they cannot give birth to children or their family is under great strain.
Just one aspect of Saint Anne’s life to keep in mind to understand her sacrifice and patience. Considering that she married at 15-16 years old and gave birth to Prince Maria at about 60, we know that her prayer to God to have a child did not stop for nearly 45 years.
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Was Anne the grandmother of Jesus?
According to historical sources, Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, is considered the patroness of children and motherhood because she gave birth to a child in her old age after many prayers, tears, and fasting. Her relics are kept in the hermitage of Saint Anne on Mount Athos.
By God’s grace, Saint Anne became the grandmother in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because God, seeing her faith, patience, and steadfastness, gave St. Anne more than she asked for.
Anne is also one of the most common female surnames and comes from an ancient Hebrew name, Hannah, associated with the verb Hanah which means to have mercy, to be gracious. In the Orthodox calendar, St Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated on 9 September, the day dedicated by the Church to Saints Joachim and Anne, the righteous Fathers of the Mother of God.
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Representation of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and Saint Anne
Prayer to St Anne, the mother of Mary
“In a time of sorrow, Holy Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I come to you now with the hope that you will help me and with a heart full of reverence. You are a beloved creature of the faithful, especially of women, because by the holiness of your life, you have been chosen by God to be worthy, to be the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is blessed among all women and the Mother of God.
Full of confidence and reverence for the beautiful graces you have received, I ask you, O merciful Saint Anne, to be so kind as to welcome me into the group of those whom you especially protect. Take me under your mighty guardianship and obtain from God the grace to have a happy marriage until old age, to have children, and to protect me from the affliction of foolishness.
I want to give to the poor as you and your gentle husband Joachim did. Keep me in life, Most Holy Anne, from every danger of body and soul, and be by my side in times of sickness, trouble, and distress until the end of my life. With your help, I want to reach heaven, where I can praise the Virgin Mary, your daughter, with you.”
Amen
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St. Anne Catholic Church
With a monument of architecture belonging to the neo-Gothic style located in the center of the city, the Catholic church of St. Anne was built long ago, designed by an Italian architect. Sculptures and paintings by Austrian and Italian artists complement the artistic value of the monument.
St. Anne Catholic Church can be found at 2337 Irving Ave. San Diego, CA. 9211 and is built in a lovely setting. It sits on the shore of a lake, its waters reflecting fir forests. The landscape is of particular beauty. A cemetery and a chapel also flank St. Anne Catholic Church.
The first mention of the initiative to build St Anne’s Catholic Church is found in an authentic document dated 1349. The first construction of the chapel was made of wood. Local legends say that the invasion of the wars destroyed the little church, and the new and beautiful St. Anne’s Catholic Church was built over it.
Primary Takeaways
- Saint Anne, a descendant of Levi, was the daughter of the priest Mathan and Mary. This couple lived in the time of Cleopatra and Sosipater, king of Persia. Saint Anne also had two sisters, Mary and Sauvin.
- Mary married in Bethlehem and gave birth to Salomea, the midwife. Sauvin also married in Bethlehem and gave birth to Elizabeth. Anna married Joachim, lived in Galilee, and gave birth to the Mother of God. So Salome, Elizabeth, and the Virgin Mary are first cousins.
- During the church year, we celebrate St Anne several times: 9 December, the Assumption of St Anne, 9 September, the Meeting of Joachim and Anne; and 25 July, her Assumption.
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Conclusion
Saint Anne, who by the grace of God became the grandmother after the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, was descended from the family of Levi. The last born of the great priest Matan and his wife, Mary. Who had two other daughters: Maria and Sovi. The elder, Maria, married in Bethlehem and gave birth to Salomi, the midwife. So also married in Bethlehem and gave birth to Elizabeth. The mother of St. John the Baptist. Anna married the wise man Joachim of Galilee and gave birth to Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Thus Salome, Elizabeth, and the Mother of the Lord were cousins according to her bodily descent. Our Lord was the second cousin of St. John the Baptist.
This saint experienced the abomination of childlessness. In Jewish society, it was a shame for a woman not to be able to have children. Studying the Holy Fathers of the Church, we find that Saint Anne was endowed with many virtues, righteousness, justice, and humility. Mercy, obedience to God’s will, and regular worship participation.
Having all these gifts, God required that she become the grandmother of the Saviour Christ in the flesh. Therefore, seeing these gifts of Saint Anne, her patience, and her strong faith in Him. He gave her a beautiful daughter, Mary, whom, after her third birthday, she dedicated to the Temple of God “as a pure and innocent gift.”