Most of the Church's tradition concerning Mary's birth, her parents names, her being presented in the temple are contained in an apocryphal gospel, called the Protoevangelium of St. James which was compiled sometime around the year 175.

According to the account in the Protoevangelium, there was an old, childless couple, named Joachim and Anna, who were righteous and very devout. They were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, but suffered public shame because they were without child. As was the case with many other childless couples in scripture, an angel appeared to Joachim saying: "Joachim, rejoice! God has heard your prayer and your wife Anna shall conceive and give birth to a daughter, whose nativity will become joy for the entire world."

Her birth became indeed a source of great joy, not only for the old couple, but for the whole world because it inaugurated the beginning of our redemption. Consequently, the feast is celebrated in the spirit of general rejoicing and exaltation, and we join in singing the words of our Psalm reading today, "I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me." We learn to imitate Joachim and Anna, and also Joseph in today's Gospel, who, again the words of our psalm verses, trusted in God's steadfast love, and whose hearts rejoiced in God's salvation.