Feast Day of St Joachim and St Anna

According to the Protogospel of James, a Jewish couple, Joachim and Anna had everything in life except a child they they longed for. An angel communicated to them that they would be gifted with a child and that this “offspring shall be spoken of throughout the whole world”. (PJ 4.1). The elated Anna made a promise to the angel “If I should give birth to a boy or girl, I shall present the child as a gift to the Lord my God and it shall be a servant to God all the days of its life.” (PJ 4.1). A baby girl was born to the couple and they named her Mary – who went on to become the Mother of God. (taken from A.O Leary pbvm, Nano Nagle and an Evolving Charism).