I've found over the years that it can't hurt to plan ahead. Looking at my calendar, the Feast of Saint Ann is July 26th. That means a novena to St. Ann begins July 17.
Within the last two months I have come to have a very special appreciation
for our Heavenly Grandmother, St. Ann.
We know that St. Ann was the wife of a man named Joachim. They were wealthy,
very pious, but also childless in their older age. They prayed most fervently that God would
give them a child and that, if so, they would dedicate their child to the service of God. Their prayer was
heard. At the age of 58, (according to a modern mystic) Ann gave birth to a beautiful girl, Mary, who
was to become the mother of Our Savior, Jesus. According to the same mystic mentioned above, St. Ann
died before Mary was betrothed to Joseph.
I shall quote to you what I’ve read about St. Ann in hopes that an increased
knowledge of her will contribute to your greater love of her.
"According to an ancient and uninterrupted tradition, the body of St. Ann was
carried to what is now France by Lazarus and his sisters who had been banished from Palestine for
their Faith. St. Ann’s remains were taken to the city of Apt, France. Her body was buried in an
underground Church due to the storms of persecution in the Roman empire. For centuries, hordes of
barbarians overran the country and the exact spot where Ann had been buried was lost in obscurity.
"In the eighth century after the great emperor Charlemagne destroyed the
power of the barbarians, he set about rebuilding the holy places.
"It was at this time that the body of St. Ann was miraculously discovered.
During Easter services at the Cathedral of Apt, a 14 year old boy, deaf, mute, and blind since birth,
became suddenly very excited, and made signs with his staff that they should dig beneath the steps
of the main altar.
"The officials dug there and found a walled cavern. A burning lamp flooded
the place with unearthly splendor. No sooner had they entered than the light went out. More
wondrous still, at that very moment, the boy could see, speak and hear. ‘The body of St. Ann, mother
of the Virgin Mary, is in yonder recess’ were his first words. As the recess was thrown open, a sweet
fragrance like oriental balm filled the air and they discovered a cypress casket. It contained the body of
St. Ann, wrapped with folds of precious cloth. On the casket was the inscription: ‘Here lies the body of
blessed Ann, mother of the Virgin Mary.’ Charlemagne had a narrative of the occasion sent to the Pope to
report the astounding event. The letter and the Pope’s answer are still in existence. Since then
for eleven centuries the Cathedral at Apt has been a great attraction for pilgrims. Visitors there
will find piles of testimonials to the wonders wrought by Christ at the intercession of St. Ann." (Taken from a
booklet about St. Ann.)
Great saints of the Church such as St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Thomas
Aquinas, and St. Teresa of Avila had great devotion to St. Ann, calling on her in desperate
cases.
St. Ann is very powerful in interceding for healings of mind, soul and body.
How can Jesus refuse the wishes of his grandmother? How can Our Lady refuse
the wishes of her mother?
I have personally experienced the powerful effects of St. Ann’s intercession.
I urge you to call on St. Ann to aid you in your needs. Our Heavenly Grandmother loves each of us
very much. Remember, the novena to St. Ann begins on July 17. You might like to check out a website on
St. Ann that I recently discovered which will help you observe this special novena.
God bless you!