Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Mother of God... Her parents, Joachim and Anna, were righteous and God-fearing people. They were of noble birth, for they came from the house of David. Although they were pious, they were nevertheless very unhappy because they were childless. As you know, childlessness was considered a great vice among Jewish couples. And so these pious, innocent parents lived to a ripe old age; they fervently prayed to the Holy Spirit that the Lord would grant them a child. Once, when Saint Joachim wished to bring a sacrifice to the altar, the high priest refused him. He said to him: "You are unworthy to have your sacrifice on the altar: you are childless... You probably have some secret vice..." Then a young man reproached him: "Why are you coming with a sacrifice? Don't you know that your sacrifice is not pleasing to God?
Righteous Joachim soon went into the desert and wept bitterly; and Saint Anna also wept, both for her husband and for herself. She envied the birds and animals: "The birds and animals are more fortunate than I: they have young, but I have no children and must endure great reproach." And so, for their faith and patience, the Lord announced to them great joy: they had a daughter, who was deemed worthy to become the Mother of the Lord God Savior Jesus Christ Himself.
Yes, the Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, bore great sorrows. But, brothers, who among us can say that his life passes without sorrow and suffering? The world is full of sorrows and suffering! Unexpected death snatches away our loved ones, people suffer, and suffering constantly lies in wait for us. Everything cries out to us that our life is not here, but there, in Heaven, here are only phantoms, a preparation for eternity. Here we must prepare for the future life, we must strive to cleanse our souls of all evil, we must educate ourselves and protect ourselves from evil surroundings and, preparing, like a good warrior for battle, pray and always remember that here is the beginning, there is the end, here is the sowing, there is the harvest! Here is the time of suffering, the struggle with sin – there is the time of rest! Thus cries the Lord God, thus teaches us to live in the Gospel.
Unfortunately, there are so many people today who view life from the opposite perspective, saying, "Life is given to you for joy and pleasure: make the most of it!" This is how they strive to live and how they teach others to live. But look closely: life itself shows that it offers not only joy, but also suffering. And the more people strive for joy and pleasure, the more sorrows they experience. And so, hatred, malice, and curses are born in their souls... They become burdened by their lives and often give up on them; and after the temporary hell they created for themselves here on earth, they pass into eternal hell.
But this is not how Jesus Christ teaches us to live and view life. He says: whoever wants to be My follower must take up their cross and bear its burden—that is, bear all sorrows and sufferings. After all, suffering here is necessary for the future eternal life. Here, suffering is temporary, but there lies the Lord, and eternity, and peace: there, through the prayers of the Mother of God, they will receive such light and joy.
Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Trifon_Turkestanov/propovedi-i-molitvy/2_23