In EnglishΣυναξαριακές Μορφές

September 9th

9 Σεπτεμβρίου 2011

September 9th

Saints Joachim and Anna

St. Joachim was of the lineage of Judah and a descendant of King David. Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, from the lineage of Levi, as was Aaron the high priest. Matthan had three daughters: Mary, Sophia and Anna. Mary married, lived in Bethlehem and gave birth to Salome; Sophia married, also lived in Bethlehem, and gave birth to Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Forerunner; Anna married Joachim in Nazareth, and in old age gave birth to Mary, the Most-holy Theotokos. Joachim and Anna had lived together in marriage for fifty years, and yet had remained barren. They lived devoutly and quietly, and of all their income they spent one third on themselves, distributed one third to the poor and gave the other third to the Temple, and they were well provided for. Once when in their old age they came to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice to God, the high priest Issachar reprimanded Joachim, saying: “You are not worthy that a gift be accepted from your hands, for you are childless.” Others, who had children,…

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pushed Joachim behind them as one unworthy. This greatly grieved these two aged souls and they returned home in great sorrow. Then the two of them fell down before God in prayer, that He work a miracle with them as He once had with Abraham and Sarah, and give them a child as a comfort in their old age. Then God sent His angel, who announced to them the birth of “a daughter most-blessed, by whom all nations on earth will be blessed and through whom the salvation of the world will come.” Anna straightway conceived, and in nine months gave birth to the Holy Virgin Mary. St. Joachim lived for eighty years and Anna lived for seventy-nine, at which time they reposed in the Lord.

The Commemoration of the Third Ecumenical Council

This Council met in Ephesus in 431 at the time of Emperor Theodosius the Younger. There were two hundred Holy Fathers present at this Council. This Council condemned Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, for his heretical teachings concerning the Most-holy Virgin Mary and the birth of the Lord. Nestorius did not want to call the Holy Virgin the Theotokos (Birth-giver of God), but rather the Christotokos (Birth-giver of Christ). The Holy Fathers condemned the teachings of Nestorius and confirmed that the Holy Virgin be called the Theotokos. Besides this, the Council confirmed the decisions of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils-especially as regarding the Nicaean-Constantinopolitan Creed, commanding that no one take from or add to the Creed.

The Holy Martyr Severian

Severian was a nobleman from Sebaste. During the martyrdom of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9), he visited them in prison, encouraging and ministering to them. After their glorious repose he too was arrested, beaten and tortured for Christ. Finally, he was hanged from a tree with a heavy stone around his neck and another dangling from his feet. Giving thanks to God for everything, Severian gave up his spirit. This was during the reign of Emperor Licinius, in the year 320.

Saint Theophanes the Confessor and Faster

After a God-pleasing life and much suffering, Theophanes reposed peacefully in the year 299.

Saint Nicetas the God-pleaser

Nicetas lived in Constantinople in the twelfth century. He so pleased God by his life that the church doors opened of themselves before him, and the icon lamps lit by themselves. Such was the power of his prayer. At the wish of Deacon Sozon, and by the prayer of Nicetas, a priest appeared from the other world, from whom Sozon had been estranged and had remained unreconciled. There first appeared a row of priests vested in white and then another row of priests in red vestments. Sozon recognized his former opponent among them, and made peace with him. This occurred at night, in the Blachernae Church.

Prologue from Ochrid