Saint Anna and Her Son John

Life

Taken as an orphan into the house of a certain nobleman, she was raised and educated in that house as an adopted daughter. Finding her a worthy girl, the nobleman married her to his son. When the old nobleman died, the relatives pressed his son to dismiss his wife because of her lowly birth and to marry another who would be more fitting for him in birth and wealth. The nobleman's son feared God and would not do this. Seeing her husband in conflict with his relatives, Anna secretly left him and fled to a distant island where there was not a living soul. But she came to that island pregnant and soon bore a son. On this island she struggled ascetically for thirty years with fasting and prayer. Then, by the Providence of God, a certain hieromonk landed on that island, who baptized her son and gave him the name John. This holy soul struggled in the fifth century and peacefully departed this life.