The righteous Anna the Prophetess came from the tribe of Asher, was the daughter of Phanuel. After marrying, she lived with her husband for 7 years, after which she was widowed and remained childless. Instead of marrying again, the righteous Anna accepted the feat of dedicating her life to God and, having settled near the temple in Jerusalem, she was constantly with him, spending her days in fasting and prayer. The widow Anna led a strict, pious life until her old age, "did not leave the temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer," for which she was honored by the Lord with great joy — to see God the Son with her own eyes and to announce to all the people in Jerusalem the birth of the Savior. For her strict abstinence, fasting and unceasing prayer, she was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, who revealed to her the truth about the Baby brought to the temple, and endowed with the Divine gift of prophecy. When righteous Anna was 84 years old, she was honored to see the Baby Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem temple, brought to be consecrated to God as the firstborn according to the law of Moses. It was on the fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ, when the Most Pure Virgin Mary and Her Betrothed Joseph came to the temple to perform the rite prescribed by Jewish law — to present their Divine Firstborn before the Lord and offer the prescribed sacrifice. Then the righteous elder Simeon, who was also destined to be convinced of the correctness of the holy Scriptures and see God in the flesh, took the Infant into his arms, blessing the Mother of God and Joseph.
Saint Anna was nearby. When she came to the Holy Family, she began to praise the Lord and prophesied about Him to all the people who were waiting for deliverance in Jerusalem. Anna the prophetess was the last righteous woman of the outgoing Old Testament, who was blessed to meet in the temple the Bearer of the New Testament, in Whose Person the Deity and humanity had already met. All the people knew about her holiness and her righteous service to the Almighty, and therefore this event served as one of the first omens of the coming deeds of Jesus Christ.
The Church considers this moment in the life of Jesus Christ, described in the Gospel of Luke, to be so significant that it dedicated one of the twelve most important feasts of the church year to him. This holiday is called Candlemas (Meeting). The memory of the righteous Anna the Prophetess also falls on February 3, when she is remembered with the righteous Simeon the God-receiver on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
According to popular belief, the righteous Anna the Prophetess is especially prayed for the health of infants.