Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened. (Mathew 7:7-8)
There is an ancient Christian tradition where people
commissioned icons to be painted, donated jewels and precious stones, or silver
or gold icon cases. At the same time they asked the saints to pray to God for
them and help them in their time of need. The icon-painting studio of St.Elisabeth Convent will soon begin painting the icon of the holy and righteous
Joachim and Anna as well as Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth for one of the
churches at the convent. You can help as well by making a small donation and
assist with a creation of a beautiful icon. As the icon is being painted, new
blog posts will show how the icon is created. The holy and righteous Joachim
and Anna as well as Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth are considered a great
example of holy families who have lead a pious life and demonstrated patience
and love. Here a few facts about the saints:
The holy and righteous Joachim, was the son of
Varpafira, who was an ancestor of King David. God promised to King David that
the Savior of the world would be born from his descendants. Saint Anna was the
daughter of Matthan, who was from the tribe of Levi. They lived in Nazareth for
fifty years but did not have any children. They were often laughed at and
shamed for not having children. Yet, the blessed couple never complained to God
and always humbly accepted their burden, while always praying and relying on
God’s providence. Once during a major feast, the high priest but the name of
Issachar did not accept the gifts that Joachim brought to him, because a man
without an offspring was not worthy to bring gifts to God. 
Joachim was heartbroken and upset by this event and
having left the city with a feeling that he was a great sinner. He even
considered not to come home and remain in a desolate place in the desert. When
Saint Anna heard about what happened, she began to fast and pray asking God for
help and to give her a child. Joachim was asking for the same thing in the
secluded place that he chose. Soon enough, their prayers were answered. God
sent the Archangel Gabriel to each of them, who gave them tidings of the birth
of "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." Each
promised to have their child raised in the Temple as a holy vessel of God. The
archangel told St. Joachim to return home, where he would find his wife waiting
for him in the city gate. St. Anna he told to wait at the gate. When they saw
one another, they embraced, and this image is the traditional icon of their
feast. Saint Joachim passed away several years after his daughter’s entrance
into the temple at the age of 80 while Saint Anna passed away two year after
that, and spending her last years at the temple with the Virgin Mary. |
Holy Righteous Anne |
Saint Zechariah and Elizabeth
Saint Zechariah and Elizabeth were the parents of St. John the Baptist. They were descendants from the high priest Aaron. Zechariah served as a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem and Saint Elizabeth was Saint
Anna’s sister (the mother of the Mother of God). The pious couple was “
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless” (Luke 1:6) but did not have any children, which was considered as a
punishment in the Old Testament. Once an Angel appeared to Zechariah while
serving in the temple. He told Zechariah that his wife will give birth to a
son who will be “great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15) and will be”in the
spirit and power of Elias” (Luke 1:17). However, Zechariah began to doubt these words because he and his wife were quite of age. He was punished for his
lack of faith and was unable to speak until his son was born. When Elizabeth
gave birth to their son, she chose the name John, although no one among their
family ever had that name. Zechariah confirmed the same name in writing and he
was instantly able to speak. According to the Gospel, “Zechariah was filled
with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied” (Luke 1: 67) about his son as the
forerunner of Christ.
When King Herod heard about the birth of Messiah, he
ordered for all children up to 2 years of age to be murdered. He was hoping
that Christ would be among them. Herod also knew about the miraculous birth of
St. John and wanted to kill him as well, because he thought he might be the
next king. However, Elizabeth his herself and the child in the mountains.
According to tradition, when she saw the murderers approaching she began to
pray to God and the mountains opened up and hid her and St. John the Baptist.
In the meantime,Zechariah was serving his term in the temple, when the
soldiers sent by Herod to find out from him where the child was hidden. After
he refused to tell then he was killed between the temple and the altar (Mathew
23: 35). Saint Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, while St. John
remained in the dessert, protected by God until he grew up and his time came to preach
repentance and prepare people for Christ.
Holy Righteous Elizabeth
 |
CONVERSATION