Joachim

Joachim was a righteous man, who lived in the hill country of Judea. He was married to Anne, and they were both very old. They had been married for many years, but they had no children. One day, Joachim went to the temple to offer sacrifices. The priest told him that he was not allowed to offer sacrifices, because he had no children. Joachim was very sad, and he went out into the wilderness to pray. Anne also went to the temple to pray. She prayed that God would give her a child. An angel appeared to her and told her that she would have a daughter, who would be the mother of the Messiah. Anne and Joachim were overjoyed. They returned home and lived happily ever after. Their daughter, Mary, was the mother of Jesus.