Basic facts of the biography of Joachim and Anna
The Church gives special honor to the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are not mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, and information about them came from Tradition. Also, some of the facts are indicated in the Protoevangelium of James, which is an apocryphal text written in the middle of the 2nd - early 3rd centuries.
It is said about Holy Father Joachim that he was extremely rich and, since he was a true righteous man, he was distinguished by the fact that he used material wealth for good and presented double gifts to God. If others sacrificed an animal to the Almighty, then the righteous Joachim sacrificed two animals. The exception was the case when, on one of the holidays, all the Jews traditionally came to the Jerusalem Temple to present gifts, and the Godfather was pushed aside, not allowed to approach with gifts.
The ban was voiced by the director of church services and explained this by the fact that Joachim did not have children at that time, and at that time the number of children was directly related to the righteousness of the family.
Saint Anna on her father's side belonged to the tribe of Levi - the ministers of the church, and on her mother's side - to the tribe of Judah. Before the birth of the child, Anna, like Joachim, was treated with contempt. At the same time, childlessness was not condemned in itself. If a married couple could not have children, this was considered a punishment from the Almighty. For many years the couple could not have a child, and only during the most difficult period did the Lord hear their prayers.
In addition to the common facts of the couple’s biography, there are several lesser-known nuances. Including:
- The modern center of veneration of the holy parents of the Virgin Mary is located in Palestine. Next to the pool of Bethesda in Bethlehem was the house of the saints. According to legend, it was in this house that Joachim and Anna died.
- According to Palestinian legend, Saint Joachim prayed to the Lord for the granting of offspring to him in the cave of the prophet Elijah. The cave was located on the territory of the Khoziva monastery. To the east of the monastery, founded in the 5th century, there was the Khozevita cave, where the mother of the Virgin Mary lived for a long time. Both caves were named the monastery of Anna the Righteous.
- The holy relics of Anna and Maforius were transported from Jerusalem to Constantinople in 719. Records of pilgrims from the medieval era indicate that the palm and shoulder of Anna the Righteous are kept in the Cyprus monastery of Stavrovouni.
- By the beginning of the 12th century, Temples in honor of the righteous Anna began to be created on the territory of Rus'. Her name by that time had become one of the most common among the princely family.
So who is Mary's father?
While studying world religions, I came across one very interesting question.
The fact is that all existing world religions call the father of Mary differently.
Not to mention the status of Mary, some call her the Mother of God, some simply Mary, and some Maryam.
So, what does Orthodoxy say?
The parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, are not mentioned in the Bible. According to Christian tradition, these were Joachim and Anna.
Mary's mother, Anna, is told only in apocryphal works, in particular in the Proto-Gospel of James, as well as in the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Golden Legend. The tradition was also influenced by the “Word on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary” by Andrew of Crete (VII-VIII centuries).
Joachim , according to legend, lived in Nazareth. He married Anna, the daughter of the priest Matthan from the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron. In the marriage, when the couple reached old age, an only child was born - Mary, who became the mother of Jesus Christ. According to his life, Joachim lived 80 years.
Joachim's body was buried in Jerusalem in an underground tomb over which the Church of the Holy Family was later built. The apocryphal works mentioned above can be found by searching the Internet.
Orthodox and Catholic doctrines state that Mary herself was conceived by her parents immaculately, i.e. her mother was a virgin when Mary was in her womb.
It should be noted that if the Virgin Mary were as holy and immaculate as the Lord Jesus, then the fact that she was conceived immaculately would have been mentioned in the Bible, since this is an incredible event in the history of mankind.
Since the Fall, no person has been born sinless.
The first incident recorded in the Bible is the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:35). If there were other people who gave birth sinless, that is, from the virgin birth, then the Bible would certainly have given space to this unique event.
However, what do we find in the Bible? Nothing!
Not only is the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary herself not described there, but her parents are not mentioned at all, although the father of Jesus’ stepfather, Joseph, is mentioned (Matthew 1:16).
The Providence of God is clearly visible in this. The all-seeing Author of the Bible foresaw that people would try to deify the mother of Jesus and deliberately belittled Mary’s parents, and herself, by relegating them to the background in the gospel narratives.
There is not a single mention in the Bible of Mary's divinity or sinlessness or any hint of her virgin birth. Any information of this kind comes from church traditions and legends, the authenticity of which cannot be verified.
It is also said that JOAKIM the Godfather (1st century BC), saint, righteous, husband of Saint Anna, father of the Most Holy Theotokos. Mary's parents, the righteous Joachim (see JOAKIM the Godfather) and Anna (see ANNA (righteous)) were childless until old age.
Let's move on...
What do respected Jehovah's Witnesses, who also consider themselves Christians, say about this...
Thus, on the pages of their Bible we first read about Mary, the daughter of Eli from the Galilean city of Nazareth. In a sense, a turning point is coming in her life.
Mary is engaged to the carpenter Joseph, a poor man, but a man faithful to God. It seemed that her future was easy to predict: she would lead a simple life, help her husband, raise children. And suddenly a stranger appears before her and tells her that God has a special task for her.
What do Muslims say about this?
The third sura of the Qur'an is called Ali Imran ("family of Imran").
It tells the story of Imran and his pious family. “Verily, Allah has chosen over the worlds Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim (Abraham) and the family of Imran.” (3:33 - Kuliev).
“And also Maryam (Mary), the daughter of Imran, who preserved chastity, and We breathed through it (through the opening on her robe) through Our Spirit (Jibril).
She believed in the Words of her Lord and His Scriptures and was one of the submissive.” (66:12 - Kuliev) Both the Bible and the Koran mention two different characters with the name Amram-Imran.
One of them matches. This is the father of the brothers Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. In the Koran, without sufficient explanation, Imran also refers to the father of Maryam (the mother of the prophet Isa), that is, in the Christian understanding, Saint Joachim.
The Bible mentions a second Amram, the son of Banij, who separated from his non-Jewish wife, whom he married in exile (Ezra 10:34).
So, who really is Mary's father? Mother of Issus? Joachim, Elijah or Imran?
What do the saints ask?
In the history of the Orthodox Church there are a number of examples of righteous married couples, among which Anna and Joachim stand out. Through their lives, they demonstrated to all believers many positive qualities that are worth following. Icons of saints are revered by many Christians with sincerity and special respect. Most often, believers turn to the parents of the Mother of God with prayers on topics related to marriage and life in family relationships. They also ask that the Almighty help them give birth to a child or improve their relationship with their spouse.
The icon of the mother of the Mother of God - righteous Anna, is considered a symbol of female humility, endurance and harmony in the home. This is due to the fact that during her life Anna had to endure many trials that arose due to a long period of childlessness. Despite the surrounding contempt, Anna did not lose hope and continued to pray, thanks to which a miracle happened and she became the mother of the Virgin Mary.
Joseph the Betrothed - the named husband of the Virgin Mary
Author Yuri Nosovsky
03/19/2012 17:40 (Updated: 03/18/2019 22:15)
Religion » Other » Catholicism
On March 19, the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of a saint who is often undeservedly relegated to the shadows. Joseph, nicknamed the Betrothed, the named husband of the Virgin Mary, the stepfather of Jesus Christ, in fact, does not occupy much space in the New Testament. But it is difficult to overestimate the role of Joseph in the life of the Mother of God and Savior, who was even called “the carpenter’s son.”
When the Virgin Mary, given by her parents to serve God, began to reach adulthood, the question arose about her future fate. After all, only young virgins—in fact, children—were allowed to live in the Jerusalem Temple. After reaching adolescence, they were usually married off to worthy husbands, setting up their future lives. However, these girls had a choice - to preserve their virginity for the glory of God further. This is exactly what the Virgin Mary did when her term of service in the Temple expired.
Of course, it was not customary for temple servants to be “thrown out into the street” to the mercy of fate. And the priests found a way out - the young woman, who decided to continue to observe her vow of virginity, left the sacred walls, but they found her named husband. Which was supposed to support Mary in later life - without, however, touching her as a wife in the full sense of the word.
Of course, finding a person capable of meeting such a goal was not easy. Relatively young people fell away immediately - in order to avoid temptation while living together with a young beautiful girl. The choice fell on Joseph, known for his righteous life, who had the necessary profession - he was a carpenter. And, most importantly, he was 80 years old at the time of his marriage to the Virgin Mary. This man entered church history under the name Joseph the Betrothed.
True, it should be noted that the Orthodox Church insists on Joseph’s advanced age. On the contrary, in the Catholic tradition, the Betrothed is a young (or middle-aged) man (which can be seen at least in the film “Mary, Mother of Jesus”). If in the Orthodox tradition Joseph treated Mary more like a father, because she was good enough to be his granddaughter, then Catholics are sure that the service of the “said husband” was of a real knightly nature. It was in imitation of St. Joseph that knights served their beautiful ladies in the Middle Ages.
Lyrics
When making requests to the holy parents of the Mother of God, believers read the texts of the troparion, kontakion and several prayers. In order to correctly address the holy parents of the Mother of God, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the content of prayers and chants.
Troparion
In the Orthodox Church, a troparion is understood as a prayer chant. It glorifies and calls for help the saints. The troparion to Anna and Joachim is as follows:
“Who was righteous in legal grace, gave birth to the God-given Child to us, Joachim and Anna. “Meanwhile, today the Divine Church brightly triumphs, cheerfully celebrating your honorable memory, glorifying God, who raised the horn of salvation for us in the house of David.”
Prayer
At church services and at home, most Orthodox believers turn to the holy parents of the Mother of God with the help of prayers. They contain petitions for the birth of children, resolution of family difficulties and harmony in married life.
First
To address the parents of the Mother of God, several prayers are used. The first contains prayers for protection from troubles and enemies, achieving peace, forgiveness from sins. During prayer the following words are said:
“O holy righteous woman, Godfathers Joachim and Anno! Pray to the Merciful Lord, that He may turn away His anger from us, who is righteously moved towards us by our deeds, and may, despising our countless sins, turn us, the servant of God (names), to the path of repentance, and may He establish us on the path of His commandments. Also, with your prayers in the world, save our life, and in all good things, ask for good haste, all that we need from God for life and piety, from all misfortunes and troubles and sudden death, through your intercession, delivering us and protecting us from all enemies, visible and invisible, and So in the world this temporary life has passed. Let us achieve eternal rest, where through your holy prayer may we be worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to whom, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be due all glory, honor and worship forever and ever.”
Second
The text of the second prayer partially coincides with the first, but is supplemented and is often said during church services. The second prayer says:
“O the ever-glorifying righteous women of Christ, the holy Godfathers Joachim and Anno, standing before the heavenly throne of the Great King and having great boldness towards Him, as from your most blessed Daughter, the Most Pure Mother of God and the Ever-Virgin Mary, who deigned to be incarnate! To you, as a powerful intercessor and zealous prayer books for us, we, sinners and unworthy (names), resort to you. Pray for His goodness, that He may turn away His anger from us, righteously moved against us by our deeds, and may, despising our countless sins, turn us to the path of repentance, and may He establish us on the path of His commandments. Also, with your prayers, preserve our life in the world, and in all good things, good haste and ask, everything we need from God for life and piety, freeing us from all misfortunes and troubles and sudden death, and protecting us from all enemies, visible and invisible. , as if we will live a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, and so in the world this temporary life has passed, we will achieve eternal peace, where, through your holy prayer, may we be worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit, all befits glory, honor and worship forever and ever. Amen".
For infertility
Women who have problems conceiving a child turn to prayer for infertility. The prayer contains the following words:
“Woe is me, Lord! Who will I be like? Neither to the birds of the air, nor to the beasts of the earth: for they too bring You, O Lord God, their fruit, but I alone am barren. Woe is me, Lord! I am alone, sinful, without offspring. You, who once gave Sarah the son Isaac in her old age. You, Who opened the womb of Anna, the mother of Your prophet Samuel, look now upon me and hear my prayers. Stop the sadness of my heart and open my womb, and make me, barren, fruitful, so that we bring what I have born to You as a gift, blessing, singing and glorifying Your mercy.”
Kontakion
A short chant performed at church services is called a kontakion and is intended to glorify the saints. Honoring the parents of the Mother of God, believers chant the following text: “Now Anna rejoices. The infertility is resolved by the sow, and nourishes the Most Pure One, convening all to sing the praises of the One who was bestowed from her womb by man, the One Mother and the Inexperienced One.”
Memory of Saint Joseph, betrothed to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Memory 26 December
Saint Joseph was of a royal family, from the house of David and Solomon, the grandson of Matthat, the great-grandson of Eliezer, the son of Jacob by nature, and Eliin by the law of life. For his grandfather Mattath died after the birth of his father Jacob. The wife of Matthat, the mother of Jacob, was taken in marriage by Melchi, from the tribe of Nathan, the son of David, and begat Elijah. And Eli married and died childless, and after him Jacob, who was his brother from the same mother, but not from the same father, took his wife for himself, because the law prescribed that if anyone dies without children, then let his brother He will take his wife in marriage and raise up his brother's offspring. According to this law, Jacob took his brother's wife for himself and gave birth to this holy Joseph the betrothed, and Joseph, as has already been said, was the son of both: by nature - Jacob, and by law - Elijah. That's why St. The Evangelist Luke, outlining the genealogy of Christ, called Elijah the father of Joseph, speaking of Christ like this: “the son was, as they thought, the son of Joseph, Heli, and Matthat” (Luke 3:23–24), naming Elijah instead of Jacob. – There are different opinions about this Saint Joseph among Western and Eastern Christians. Westerners say that he was a virgin until his death, never entering into marriage, while Easterners say that he had a wife and fathered children. Thus, Nicephorus, the ancient Greek historian, following St. Hippolytus, reports that he married Salome, but do not think (he adds) that this is the same Salome who was in Bethlehem and was the betrothed grandmother of the Lord, this was a different Salome. For she was a relative of Elizabeth and the Most Holy Theotokos, and this was the daughter of Haggai, the brother of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, while Haggai and Zechariah were the sons of the priest Barachiah. Having in marriage this Salome, the daughter of Haggai, Saint Joseph gave birth to four sons: Jacob, Simon, Judah, Josiah, and two daughters Esther and Tamar, or, as others say, Martha; and the synaxarion of the week of the holy myrrh-bearers also adds a third daughter named Salome, who was married to Zebedee. And George Kedrin, mentioning Joseph’s two daughters, says that one of them, Mary, was given in marriage to Cleopas, Joseph’s brother, after Joseph’s return from Egypt, but that Mary, it seems, is the same person as Martha or Tamar8778 . Whatever daughter she was, and no matter how many daughters Joseph had, in any case it is certain that Joseph was married and had sons and daughters. After the death of his wife Salome, Saint Joseph lived in widowhood for quite some time, spending his days in purity. In the Holy Gospel, his holy and immaculate life is testified by the following, although brief, but very commendable words: “Joseph, her husband, was righteous” (Matthew 1:19). And what could be greater than such evidence? He was so righteous that in his holiness he surpassed other righteous forefathers and patriarchs. For who was worthy to become the betrothed and imaginary husband of the Most Pure Virgin, Mother of God? And who was given such an honor - to become the named father of Christ? Truly, the Lord found this man after His own heart, to whom He revealed His “unknown and secret wisdom” (Ps. 50:8), making him a minister of the sacrament of our salvation. Truly, he was worthy of such honor and such service, for the sake of his life perfect in virtue. When he was already old, about eighty years old, the Most Pure Virgin Mary was betrothed to him and was given to him to preserve Her virginity (and not for a carnal, actual marriage). And he, with all reverence and fear, served Her as the Mother of God, and his and the whole world’s Mistress and Lady (being assured of this from the Angel who appeared to him in a dream), also the Infant God born of Her, both during the flight to Egypt and upon his return from there, and during his stay in Nazareth, he obtained food from the labors of his hands, for he was a carpenter and a poor man, although of a royal family. For the Lord wanted to be born in poverty, borrowing only flesh from the royal family, but not royal glory, wealth and dominion. Therefore, He deigned to have His Most Pure Mother as a beggar, and His imaginary father as a beggar, giving an image of humility. Having lived only one hundred and ten years8779, St. Joseph died peacefully and went to his fathers, who were in Sheol, 8780, bringing there the joyful and faithful news that the desired Messiah had come, who would liberate and save the human race, Christ the Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Troparion, tone 2:
Bring to Joseph, to David the miracles of the God-father: you saw the virgin who gave birth, you praised the shepherds, you worshiped the wise men, you received the news as an angel: pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3:
David is filled with divine joy today, and Joseph brings praise with Jacob: for they rejoice in the crown of the kinship of Christ, and ineffably sing on the earth of the one born: Generous, save those who honor Thee.
