The gospels tell us little about the family and home of our Lord’s mother. She is thought to have been of Davidic descent and to have been brought up in a devout Jewish family that cherished the hope of Israel for the coming kingdom of God, in remembrance of the promise to Abraham and the forefathers.

In the second century, a devout Christian sought to supply a fuller account of Mary’s birth and family, to satisfy the interest and curiosity of believers. An apocryphal gospel, known as the Protevangelium of James or The Nativity of Mary, appeared. It included legendary stories of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne. These stories were built out of Old Testament narratives of the births of Isaac and of Samuel (whose mother’s name, Hannah, is the original form of Anne), and from traditions of the birth of John the Baptist. In these stories, Joachim and Anne—the childless, elderly couple who grieved that they would have no posterity—were rewarded with the birth of a girl, whom they dedicated in infancy to the service of God under the tutelage of the temple priests.

Many provinces of the Anglican Communion celebrate September 8 rather than August 15 as their primary Marian feast.

Although we do not know the truth of Mary’s parentage or birth, we nevertheless rejoice for those who brought her into this world, and who raised her in such a way that even as a young woman she was able to give a courageous “yes” in response to her call from God.

Excerpted directly from “Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2022,” p. 398-399.