The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary When the time for the birth of the Savior of the world drew near, Joachim, a descendant of King David, lived with his wife Anna in the Galilean city of Nazareth. Both were pious people, known not for their royal lineage, but for their humility and mercy. Their entire lives were imbued with love for God and for others. They lived to a ripe old age and were childless. This greatly grieved them. But despite their old age, they never ceased asking God to send them a child. They made a vow (promise): if they had a child, they would dedicate it to the service of God. At that time, every Jew hoped, through their offspring, to share in the kingdom of the Messiah, that is, Christ the Savior. Therefore, every childless Jew was despised by others, as this was considered a great punishment from God for their sins. It was especially difficult for Joachim, as a descendant of King David, because Christ was to be born into his line. For their patience, great faith, and love for God and each other, the Lord granted Joachim and Anna great joy. Toward the end of their lives, they had a daughter. At the direction of an Angel of God, she was given the name Mary, which means "Lady, Hope" in Hebrew. Mary's birth brought joy not only to her parents but to all people, for she was destined by God to be the Mother of the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Holy Orthodox Church as one of the great feasts on September 8th (September 21st, New Style).