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From Holy Tradition we learn that the Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the lineage of David, and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, she was of royal birth by her father and of priestly birth by her mother. In this, she foreshadowed him who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Her parents were quite old and had no children. Because of this they were ashamed before the people and humble before God. In their humility, they prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in their old age by giving them a child, as he had once given joy to the aged Abraham and his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac.

The Almighty and All-seeing God rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their expectation and all their most beautiful dreams. For he gave them not just a daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only with temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just one daughter and she would later give them just one grandson, Jesus Christ. Tradition further holds that Mary was born in Nazareth, and at the age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young womanhood she was betrothed to Joseph, and shortly thereafter heard the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure body. Please see the related article in “Father Quotes.”

The Epistle for this day does not mention Mary, but it is clear that this text has the very closest bearing on her. Saint Paul speaks of the Incarnation of the Son of God, and it is through Mary that the descent of Christ in our flesh became possible.

At the threshold of the liturgical year, we not only encounter the Virgin Mary but also the Cross of our Lord. The Church today begins to prepare us for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross later this week in the Gospel reading for today in which we read: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must he Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.