O Glorious Saint Anne! =)

I'd like to say a few things about my glorious heavenly patron, Saint Anne! because today is her feast day! =)

All information on Saint Anne is taken from a little booklet on her, entitled Good Saint Anne, published by TAN publishers.

From St John Damascene, a Doctor of the Church, he declares in his writing that "Saint Anne, is a generous mother, a compassionate mother, a gracious mother, because the word 'Anne' means 'generous, merciful, gracious'."

This Saint Anne, is the mother of the most Blessed Virgin Mary! How full of sanctity she was to be honoured by God, this singular grace, to be the mother of the mother of God, the Grandmother of the Saviour! This favoured Saint definitely ranks high in merit and glory, near to the Word Incarnate and to His most holy Mother. Certainly, then, St. Anne has great power with God. Yes, assuredly the mother of the most powerful and amiable Virgin is likewise full of power and mercy.

Tradition, the history of the Church and the chronicles of various places of pilgrimage have recorded countless miracles wrought by Christ through the intercession of His sainted grandmother. Nor have they ceased to this day. Yearly, thousands of thousands of persons visit the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Canada alone. (here's a picture of how the interior of the basilica of Saint Anne of Beaupre looks)

A little more about the Church of Saint Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, Canada.

The Church of St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, Canada has long been privileged to possess a rare relic of the Saint. It is a fragment of the wrist bone of St. Anne, about two or three inches in length, with the skin and flesh still adhering to the bone and showing the joint near the thumb. When the precious relic arrived in New York from Rome on May 1, 1892, a holy enthusiasm seized the busy metropolis. Crowds of the faithful began to flock to the church of St. Jean Baptisete, where the relic was temporarily deposited for the veneration of the faithful. It was a spectacle never before witnessed in the New World.

After obtaining this relic, the Redemptorist Fathers, guardians of the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre, sought to obtain the possession of the forearm from which the wristbone had been detached in 1892. This relic had been venerated for centuries in the Major Basilica of St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls in Rome. In May, 1960, this cherished desire of the Redemptorist Fathers was realised when the Benedictines in charge of the Basilica of St. Paul donated the entire forearm of St. Anne to the Basilica of St. Anne de Beaupre. This relic measures seven inches in length by two inches at the base.

On the occasion of its translation, splendid spiritual celebrations again took place in the church of St. Jean Baptiste in New York and at the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre. On July 3, 1960, the first Sunday of the month of St. Anne, the new relic was solemnly enthroned in the Basilica of St. Anne, where it has since been venerated by the crowds of pilgrims who come to the shrine.

(more on St. Anne de Beaupre later ...)

All information on Saint Anne is taken from a little booklet on her, entitled Good Saint Anne, published by TAN publishers.

-------

Here's an extract of a sermon by Archbishop M. Lefebvre

you can learn a little more about what he has to say about Saint Anne here.

As taken from http://www.sspxasia.com/Documents/Archbishop-Lefebvre/Apologia/Vol_three/Chapter_35.htm

Appologia pro Marcel Lefebvre

Volume 3, Chapter XXXV
Extract from a Sermon pronounced by His Excellency Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on the Pardon1 at Lanvallay (Brittany), France27 July 1980

My dear friends,
It was with great joy and great satisfaction that a few minutes ago we blessed this chapel dedicated to Saint Anne. We thank God that we are able to provide these places for Catholic worship, and to place this chapel under the protection of St. Anne, heavenly patroness of Brittany. We thank all who have had a part in the establishment of this chapel, in making such places as this truly worthy of the Holy Sacrifice and of the Holy Mysteries which are to be celebrated here, making them worthy of St. Anne.
Since we are honoring St. Anne, Patroness of Brittany, let me say a few words which the occasion calls to mind. It seems to me that St. Anne, by her example, gives us three great lessons: she asks those who are joined in the bonds of matrimony to live as Christians and to have Christian families. St. Anne has set us an example, as we are told in the Gospel. She lived with St. Joachim sine querela (without quarreling) for many years in peaceful marriage. St. Anne and St. Joachim lived in the faith. Where Christian marriage is concerned, they are models for Christian spouses. This is the first important lesson that St. Anne gives us by her example.
And by her example she also shows how Providence blesses Christian homes. Although she was barren, look how God gave her a child in her old age: Mary, who would be the mother of Jesus. This is why St. Anne is often represented, as you see her in this statue here, pointing out in a Bible the passages referring to Mary. She was no doubt inspired by the Holy Ghost to do this: a virgin will have a son. So Mary herself received a profoundly Christian education.
The second lesson that St. Anne gives us is Christian education of children – Christian homes, Christian education.
And finally, a third point: St. Anne gives true priests. For let us not forget that Mary was born and chosen by God to give birth to the Eternal High Priest. St. Anne also had the great privilege, at an advanced age, of having a child who would become the mother of the great High Priest. She was therefore the grandmother of Jesus – Jesus the Eternal High Priest. So St. Anne’s message for us is that, in Christian homes, there are vocations – holy vocations, vocations to the priesthood, to the religious life. This, I think, is the great thing St. Anne teaches us and spreads her blessings over Brittany.

... ... ...

So we beg you to join your prayers to ours; let us pray together for the graces we need from God. Without God we can do nothing, without the graces of Christ we can do nothing. He it is Who saved us on the Cross and gives all graces possible to us.
Let us ask St. Anne, His grandmother, let us ask His Mother Mary to obtain these graces for us, so that we may remain faithful children of Our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin and St. Anne.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

-------

yups! =) Have a nice day all!

God Bless!