The Dormition of St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos (July 25)
Contemporary Icon of Dormition of St. Anne Edited by Bp. Joseph ( Ancient Church of the West ) Today, the Western Orthodox Church commemorates the Dormition of St. Anna, the grandmother of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. St. Anna hailed from the tribe of Levi, the daughter of Mathan the priest and his wife, Maria. Mathan, serving as a priest during the reign of Cleopatra and before Herod the Great, had three daughters: Maria, Sobe, and Anna. Maria married in Bethlehem and became the mother of Salome the midwife. Sobe also married in Bethlehem and gave birth to Elizabeth. Anna, marrying in Galilee, gave birth to Mary, the Theotokos. Thus, Salome, Elizabeth, and Mary the Theotokos were first cousins, daughters of three sisters. St. Anna, having given birth to Mary, who would bear the Savior of the world, dedicated her daughter to the Temple as a pure and holy offering. St. Anna's life was marked by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. She passed peacefully to the Lor...
