Saint Joachim, the son of Barpathir, was of the tribe of Judah, and was a descendant of King David, to whom God had revealed that the Savior of the world would be born from his seed. Saint Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the tribe of Levi. Saint Anna’s family came from Bethlehem.
The couple lived in Nazareth in Galilee. They were childless into their old age and all their life they grieved over this. They had to endure derision and scorn, as childlessness was considered a disgrace at that time. Despite this, they never complained but fervently prayed to God, humbly trusting in Him.
During a great feast, the gifts that Joachim took to Jerusalem as an offering to God were rejected by the priest Reuben, who believed that a childless man was unworthy to offer sacrifice to God. This deeply hurt Joachim, and feeling sinful, he decided to live in solitude in a desolate place instead of returning home.
Upon learning of her husband’s humiliation, Saint Anna prayed and fasted, asking God to grant her a child. Similarly, Joachim prayed for this in his solitude. Their prayers were answered when an angel informed them that they would have a daughter who would be blessed above all women, remain a virgin, be dedicated to the Lord, live in the Temple, and give birth to the Savior. Following the angel’s instructions, Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem, and as promised, they had a daughter named Mary.
Saint Joachim passed away at the age of 80, a few years after Mary went to live in the Temple. Saint Anna died at the age of 70, two years after her husband’s passing.
Saints Joachim and Anna are often invoked by couples seeking to have children.
St. Joachim, a descendant of King David, and Anna, from the lineage of Levi, had lived together for fifty years without children. They were devout and generous, sharing their income with the poor and the Temple. When they were reprimanded and humiliated for their childlessness, they prayed to God for a miracle, and an angel announced the birth of a blessed daughter, Mary, who would bring salvation to the world.
Joachim lived to be eighty years old, and Anna lived to be seventy-nine, both passing away in the Lord.
Source: oca.org / westserbdio.org