Day 25 · The Nativity Fast
The Conception of the Mother of God
“I prayed for this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.”1 Samuel 1:27
Reflection
On December 9 the Church celebrates the conception of the Mother of God by St Anna. The Protoevangelium of James, an early Christian writing that is not part of the Bible, tells how Joachim and Anna were childless for many years and prayed with tears until God answered. Their story echoes Hannah's in the Old Testament, who prayed for a son and was given Samuel. The Orthodox Church honours this conception as God's gift to a faithful married couple; it is not the same as the Roman Catholic teaching of the Immaculate Conception, which the Orthodox Church does not share. The feast is about prayers answered in God's time.
A prayer
Lord, you heard the tears of Joachim and Anna, and of Hannah, and gave them children who served your plan. Hear the prayers I have long been praying. Through the prayers of the holy and righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, give me patience and trust. Amen.
Carry this with you
Bring to God a prayer you have been praying for a long time.