St. Anne was the spouse of St. Joachim, and was chosen by God to be the mother of Mary, His own blessed Mother on earth. They were both of the royal house of David, and their lives were wholly occupied in prayer and good works. One thing only was missing from their marriage — they were childless, and this was held as a bitter misfortune among the Jews. After a long wait, when Anne was an older woman, Mary was born, the fruit of grace and then of nature, a child more of God than of man. With the birth of Mary the aged Anne began a new life: she watched her every movement with reverent tenderness, and felt herself sanctified by the presence of her immaculate child.
Ann had promised her daughter to God, and she, with Joachim, led their child Mary up the Temple steps and saw her pass by herself into the inner sanctuary and then saw her no more. Thus Anne was left childless in her lone old age, and deprived of her purest earthly joy just when she needed it most.
She humbly adored the Divine Will, and began again to watch and pray, until God called her to unending rest with the Father and the Spouse of Mary in the home of Mary’s Child.