St. Joachim Orthodox Saint History and Name Day Information
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There’s no doubt that the saints are important to the Orthodox Church. We study the lives of the saints because their stories are important to the history of the church and we can learn from them. Some of us are even named after one of the saints. Each year, we celebrate the saint on his or her feast day, and those who are named after that particular saint will celebrate their name day on the saint’s feast day.
Saint Joachim is one of the saints whose lives we celebrate. His feast day is celebrated on September 9th of each year alongside his wife, Saint Anna. Joachim and Anna are most known for being the grandparents of Christ. Here’s more information:
About Saint Joachim
According to genealogical information, Saint Joachim was a member of the tribe of Judah and was therefore descendant from King David. Saint Anna was the daughter of a priest. The couple served the Lord, but they had been barren for fifty years. They spent their days accepting the fact that they were not going to have children. They gave a third of what they earned to the poor, a third to the church, and kept the rest for them to live on. they were both ridiculed for being childless, but they also both prayed to God that they would be granted a child.
The Lord sent the angel Gabriel to appear before both of them to tell them that they would, in fact, be having a child. He said that they would be granted, “a daughter most blessed, by whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and through whom will come the salvation of the world.” Saint Anna became pregnant shortly after this and gave birth nine months later to Mary, the Theotokos. Saint Joachim and Saint Anna are the grandparents of Jesus Christ.
Hymns of Saint Joachim
Saint Joachim’s feast day is held on September 9th. Both he and Saint Anna have special hymns that are sung on this feast day. Here’s a look at the hymn of Saint Joachim, as it is translated into English:
Troparion (Tone 5)
- Let us sing praises to Joachim and Anna,
- the couple honored by God
- (and they are His kinsmen).
- They have borne for us the Maiden
- who in a manner beyond understanding
- gave birth to Him Who though fleshless,
- became the incarnate to save the world.
- With her they intercede for our souls.
Kontakion (Tone 2)
- Anna rejoices, released from her barrenness,
- and nurses her most pure child.
- She calls all people to glorify Him
- Who gave the Virgin Mother to mankind from her womb.
As you can see, Saint Joachim has an important place in the history of the Orthodox Church. He is the grandfather of Christ and the father of Mary, the Theotokos, and his feast day is on September 9th along with his wife, Saint Anna. Check the Name Day page for more information about other Orthodox Christian name days.
Source:
Saints Joachim and Anna – OrthodoxWiki (Also Image Credit)
Categorized in: Ancient Greek History, Greek Orthodox Religious Information
This post was written by Greek Boston
