..the pure and righteous woman Hannah, the mother of our Lady, the holy
Virgin Mary, the God-bearer. This holy woman was a native of the city of Jerusalem, and
she was the daughter of Matat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, of the sons of Aaron the
priest, and of the tribe of Levi. Matat had three children, and the name of the eldest was
Mary; the name of the second was Sofia, and the name of the third was Hannah. And
Mary married and brought forth Salome, the midwife who received our Lady Mary when
she brought forth Christ our God. And Sofia married and brought forth Elisabeth, the
mother of John the Baptist, and this holy woman Hannah married the righteous man
Joachim, who was of the tribe of Judah, and she brought forth our Lady Mary. Our Lady
Mary and Salome and Elisabeth were sisters. Now the history of the strife of this holy
woman Hannah we know of nothing whatsoever which we can record, but we know and
we are convinced that she was the most honored of women because she was held to be
worthy to become the mother of the mother of God in the flesh. And had she not
possessed many virtues, and great righteousness, which was superior to the righteousness
of every other woman, she would never have been worthy of this act of grace. Now this
righteous woman was barren, and she used to pray and to entreat God continually to give
her children, and God gave her a beautiful daughter, one to be revered, and she and all her
people rejoiced, that is to say our Lady Mary. Therefore it is meet for us to honor her, and
to celebrate a festival to her, because of the exalted gift, which God gave her. Salutation to
thee O Hannah, thou ladder of the prayers of the righteous.
salutations to saint Anne!