In the city of Nazareth there dwelled a God-fearing elderly couple, Joachim, from
the house of David, and Anna, from the priestly tribe of Aaron. In those days
Hebrews, awaiting the Messiah, believed that any one who did not have children
had in some way offended God and was being punished by having no descendants to
be part of the Messiah's kingdom. Joachim and Anna grieved greatly because they
were childless. Despite the ridicule and reproaches that Joachim and Anna
received from their neighbors, they did not lose hope but continually prayed
that God might grant them a child, which they promised to dedicate to the
service of God. For their patience, their faith and their love of God and of
each other, their prayers were heard: a daughter was born to them in their old
age. An angel directed them to name the child Mary, which in Hebrew means
"lady and hope." The one who was to be the Mother of God was born
into a righteous family, known more throughout the generations for its goodness
than for its royal blood. The importance of this feast, the first in the Church
calendar year (which begins September 1/14) is that it was the first step in
preparing mankind for its promised salvation.
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