In the icons Saints Joachim and Anne are usually depicted with hands folded in prayer; their eyes are also directed upward as they contemplate the Mother of God, Who stands in the air with outstretched hands; under her feet is an orb encircled by a serpent, the devil, which strives to conquer all the universe by its power. There are also icons in which Saint Anne holds the Most Holy Virgin on her left arm as an infant, and on Saint Anne’s face is a look of reverence.

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is the belief that Mary was conceived naturally by her parents, but that God, at that moment, supernaturally preserved her from the stain of original sin.

Galatians 4:4 says “In the fullness of time God sent forth his Son born of a woman.” That “fullness of time” also reflects back on the Conception of the Blessed Virgin. That “fullness of time” was the epitome and climax of God’s providential hand at work throughout human history in the supernaturally inspired history of the Hebrew people. God began his promise with Abraham and brought it to fulfillment in Joachim and Anne. That is why the Blessed Mother is understood by theologians to be not only the embodiment of the Church, but also the embodiment of the Hebrew nation. She is the Mother of all the faithful and the fulfillment of all God’s promises to the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. God brought us to a point where two saintly people would bring forth the One who would be the Mother of the Redeemer. The feast day is December 8.

(from Fr. Dwight Longenecker and Royal Doors)

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