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September 08: The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

September 7, 2026 · 1 min read

Our Lady the Theotokos was a descendant through her father Joachim of the royal tribe of David. Because a child was not born to him, and he was reproached for this, for this reason he did not cease offering to God a double portion of his gifts, being that he was wealthy and a lover of God. Her mother Anna, who also was a descendant of the royal tribe of David, was more noble than anyone else in both her body and her soul.

Because they both grieved over the reproach of childlessness, Joachim went to a mountain, and Anna went into the garden. And both supplicated God with tears to grant them the fruit of the womb. For this they were granted what they longed for, and gave birth to Mary the Theotokos, who is more saintly than all the saints. And so they bore an incomparable and most-excellent beautiful child, for she exceeded all the beautiful children of humanity. Truly they were blessed for their virtuous and God-loving judgment, rather they became more blessed by the incomparable grace and divine childbirth of which they were made worthy. For by their daughter, namely the Ever-virgin Mary, the birth of the Son of God took place.

Now in what manner Anna was of the royal tribe of…

Source: Site: Μητρόπολις Χονγκ Κονγκ · Read the full story →

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Katherine Johnson

I always notice how the article says both Joachim and Anna went off separately to pray — him to the mountain, her to the garden — and still got the same answer. Makes me think about the times I’ve prayed alone in the backyard while my husband was at work. Their story feels so ordinary until you remember what came from it.

Elizabeth Wright

That's a lovely observation, Katherine. I remember doing the same thing years ago — pruning the roses out the back while my husband was on the late shift at the warehouse, just quietly asking for help with the boys. Makes you realise how God meets people right where they are, even in the everyday bits of the yard.

Margaret Evans

That part about Anna praying in the garden always sticks with me too. I’ve done the same thing out back by my tomato plants when the kids were small, just talking to God while I pulled weeds. It’s funny how ordinary spots like that end up mattering more than we think.