FEAST OF THE BIRTH OF THE MOTHER OF GOD.
The Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged
parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the lineage of David,
and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, she was of royal birth
by her father, and of priestly birth by her mother. In this, she
foreshadowed Him Who would be born of her as King and High Priest.
Her parents were quite old and had no children. Because of this they
were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility they
prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in their old age by
giving them a child, as He had once given joy to the aged Abraham and
his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac. The Almighty and All-seeing God
rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their expectations and
all their most beautiful dreams. For He gave them not just a
daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only with
temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just one
daughter, and she would later give them just one grandson-but what a
daughter and what a Grandson! Mary, Full of grace, Blessed among
women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Altar of the Living God,
the Table of the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God's Holiness, the Tree
of the Sweetest Fruit, the Glory of the race of man, the Praise of
womanhood, the Fount of virginity and purity-this was the daughter
given by God to Joachim and Anna. She was born in Nazareth, and at
the age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young
womanhood she returned again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter
heard the Annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the
birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure
virgin body.
Respectfully Taken From the:
"The Prologue of Ohrid"
by St. Nikolai of Zica, Serbia(Velimirovic)
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