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Righteous Joachim and Anna · Ven. Joseph of Volotsk
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Solemn Vespers for the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin in Nea Malgara, Thessalonikitranslated

September 8, 2026 · 1 min read

On Monday, September 7, in the afternoon, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Veroia, Naoussa and Campania, Mr. Panteleimon, officiated at the solemn Vespers and preached the divine word at the celebratory Holy Church of Genesis of Theotokos in Nea Malgara. A holy Litany followed.

His Excellency's Speech:

Through an excess of purity, the church of God becomes alive".

Our Church rejoices and rejoices today, honoring the Genesis of the Most Holy Theotokos, honoring this great miracle. Because the birth of our Virgin Mary was a miracle of God. It was a miracle, because her parents, Saints Joachim and Anna, had not had a child throughout their marriage. And while they were already at an advanced age and would not be able to have children under normal circumstances, they continued to pray and ask God to give them a child.

However, God did not turn a deaf ear to their long-standing prayers. He was not indifferent to their just request. He let them wait for two reasons.

The first reason was to test their patience and faith, because if they did not believe in God's omnipotence, they would not have persisted in their prayer for so many years. They would have stopped asking him,...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency  ·  Read the full story →
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Sophia Bennett
The part about God testing Joachim and Anna's patience really stuck with me. We've been praying for years for my aunt's health with no clear answer yet, so it's good to be reminded that the waiting isn't pointless. Thanks for sharing the homily.
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