On the Feast of Our Good Saint Anne, the Mother of the Mother of God

Today, Tuesday, July 26, 2022, is the Feast of our Good Saint Anne.

The grandmother of the King of Kings, Good Saint Anne, sought always to defend the honor and majesty and the glory of the God Whom she would hold in her very arms.

Yes, Good Saint Anne is the mother of the Immaculate Conception and the grandmother of the Word Who was made Flesh in her daughter's Virginal and Immaculate womb. Saint Anne was privileged to carry within her own womb the woman who would make possible the salvation of us all by her perfect fiat to the Holy Will of God the Father at the Annunciation. Saint Anne is the model not only for good Catholic mothers but also the model of all Catholic grandmothers. Saint Anne teaches parents to train their children for eternity and always to defend the honor and glory and majesty of God.

Our Lady told the Venerable Mary of Agreda how her mother was prepared for her great responsibility to be the mother of the Mother of God:

177. The petitions of Sts. Joachim and Anne reached the throne of the most blessed Trinity where they were accepted, and the will of God was made known to the holy angels. The three divine Persons, according to our way of expressing such things, spoke to them as follows: “We have in our condescension resolved that the Person of the Word shall take human flesh, and in it He shall remedy the entire race of mortals. We have manifested and promised this to our servants the Prophets so they could prophesy it to the world. The sins of the living and their malice are such that We are obliged to execute the rigor of our justice; yet our goodness and mercy exceed all their evil works, and they cannot extinguish our charity. We shall look upon the works of our hands, whom We have created according to our image and likeness to be inheritors and participators of our eternal glory (I Peter 3:22). We shall respond to the services and pleasure which our servants and friends have given us, and to the many who shall raise themselves and become great in our praises and approbation. And singularly do We have Her before our eyes who is to be chosen among thousands, and above all creatures is to be acceptable and designated for our delights and complaisance, and who is to receive the Person of the Word in her womb and vest Him in the mortality of human flesh. Since there must be a beginning of this work by which We shall manifest to the world the treasures of our Divinity, now is the acceptable and opportune time for the execution of this sacrament. Joachim and Anne have found grace in our eyes; therefore We look upon them kindly and prepare them with the power of our gifts and graces. In the tests of their truthfulness they have been faithful, and by their sincere simplicity their souls have become acceptable and pleasing in our presence. Let Gabriel our ambassador go with new tidings of joy for them and for the whole human race, and announce to them how our condescension has looked upon them and chosen them.”

178. The celestial spirits recognized this will and decree of the Most High. The holy archangel Gabriel, adoring and reverencing His Highness in the manner which befits those most pure and spiritual beings, humbled himself before the throne of the most blessed Trinity, from whom an intellectual voice proceeded, saying to him: “Gabriel, enlighten, vivify and console Joachim and Anne, our servants, and tell them their prayers have come into our presence, and their pleas are heard by our clemency. Promise them they shall receive the fruit of benediction by the favor of our right hand, and Anne shall conceive and give birth to a Daughter, to whom We give the name of MARY.”

179. Together with this mandate of the Most High many mysteries and sacraments pertaining to this message were revealed to St. Gabriel. With it he descended from the vault of the empyrean heaven and appeared to St. Joachim while he was in prayer, saying to him: “Just and upright man, the Most High from his royal throne has seen thy desires and heard thy sighs and prayers, and makes thee happy on earth. Thy spouse Anne shall conceive and give birth to a Daughter who shall be blessed among women (Lk. 1:42, 48), and the nations shall know Her as the Blessed. He who is the eternal God, uncreated and the Creator of all, and in his judgments most righteous, powerful and strong, sends me to thee because He has accepted thy works and alms. Charity has softened the bosom of the Almighty and hastened his mercies, and in his liberality He desires to enrich thy house and thy family with a Daughter whom Anne shall conceive. The Lord himself has chosen for Her the name of MARY. From her childhood let Her be consecrated to the temple, and in it to God, as thou hast promised. She shall be great, chosen, powerful, and full of the Holy Ghost. Due to the sterility of Anne her conception shall be miraculous. She shall be a Daughter entirely prodigious in her life and works. Praise the Lord, Joachim, for this benefit, and magnify Him, for in no other nation has He wrought such a work. Go to give thanks in the temple of Jerusalem, and in testimony that what I announce to thee is the truth and new joy thou shalt meet in the Golden Gate thy sister Anne, who shall go to the temple for the same purpose. I give thee notice that most marvelous is this message, for the conception of this Child shall rejoice heaven and earth.”

180. All this happened to St. Joachim in sleep into which he fell in his prolonged prayer so in it he could receive this message, in the manner which afterward happened to St. Joseph, spouse of most holy Mary, when it was made known to him that her pregnancy was the work of the Holy Ghost (Mt. 1:20). The most happy St. Joachim awoke with special rejoicing of his soul, and with candid and sagacious prudence he concealed within his heart the sacrament of the King (Tob. 12:7). With living faith and hope he poured forth his spirit in the presence of the Most High, and transformed in tenderness and gratitude he rendered Him thanks and praise for his inscrutable judgments. In order to do this in greater fashion he went to the temple as he had been ordered.

181. While this was happening with St. Joachim, the most happy St. Anne was in most exalted prayer and contemplation, entirely elevated in the Lord and in the mystery of the Incarnation in which she expected the eternal Word, and regarding which the Lord himself had given most high understanding and special infused light. With profound humility and living faith she was pleading with His Majesty to hasten the coming of the Repairer of the human race in the following prayer: “Most high King and Lord of all creation, I, a vile and despicable creature (yet made by thy hands), desire at the price of my life (which from Thee, Lord, I have received) to urge Thee by thy condescension to hasten the time of our salvation. O if thy infinite kindness would incline to our necessity! O if our eyes already gazed upon the Repairer and Redeemer of men! Remember, O Lord, the ancient mercies which Thou hast worked with our people, promising thy Onlybegotten, and obliging Thyself by this determination of infinite kindness. Come now, O come, this day so desired. Is it possible that the Most High shall descend from his holy heaven! Is it possible that He is to have an earthly Mother! What woman shall She be so happy and blessed! O who shall be allowed to see Her! Who shall be worthy to be the servant of her servants! Blessed be the generations which shall see Her, and be able to prostrate themselves at her feet to reverence Her. How sweet shall be the sight of Her and her conversation! Happy the eyes which shall see Her, and the ears which shall hear her words, and the family which the Most High shall select to have his Mother in it. Execute now, O Lord, this decree; fulfill thy divine pleasure.”

182. In this prayer and colloquy St. Anne occupied herself after having received enlightenment regarding this ineffable mystery, and she compared all of her reasonings with those things said to her by her Guardian Angel, for her Angel had many times manifested himself to her, and on this occasion with greater clearness. The Most High ordained that the message of the conception of his holy Mother would be somewhat similar to the one which would afterward be given at his ineffable Incarnation; for St. Anne was meditating in humble fervor upon her, who was to bear the Mother of the incarnate Word, and the most holy Virgin was making the same reflections upon Her, who was to be the Mother of God, as I will relate in its place (Inc. 117). It was also the same Angel who brought both messages, and in human form, though he showed himself in a more beautiful and mysterious appearance to the Virgin Mary.

183. The holy archangel Gabriel appeared to St. Anne in human form more beautiful and resplendent than the sun, and said to her: “Anne, servant of the Most High, I am an Angel of the council of His Highness, sent from the heights by his divine condescension, He who looks upon the humble of the earth (Ps. 137:6). Good is incessant prayer and humble confidence. The Lord has heard thy petitions, since He is nigh to those who call upon Him with living faith and hope (Ps. 144:18), and who wait for Him with submission. If He defers the fulfillment of their prayers, and delays the recognition of the petitions of the just, it is to further dispose them and more highly oblige Himself to give much more than they ask and desire.* Prayer and almsgiving open the treasures of the omnipotent King, and incline Him to be rich in mercies toward those who implore Him (Tob. 12:8-9). Thou and Joachim have prayed for the fruit of benediction, and the Most High has resolved to give thee wonderful and holy fruit, and by to enrich thee with celestial gifts, granting thee much more than thou hast requested. Because thou hast humbled thyselves in prayer the Lord desires to magnify Himself in conceding to thee thy petitions, for those who pray with humility and confidence, without restricting his infinite power, are very pleasing to Him. Persevere in prayer, and ask without ceasing for the remedy of the human race in order to oblige the Most High. Moses by unceasing prayer brought victory to the people (Ex. 17:11). Esther by prayer and confidence obtained for herself and the people liberation from death (Esther 4:11ff.). Judith by the same type of prayer became valiant in such an arduous task she attempted in order to defend Israel; and she accomplished it, being a weak and frail woman (Judith 9:1ff.; 13:6ff.). David came out victorious against Goliath because he prayed, invoking the name of the Lord (I Kg. 17:45). Elias drew fire from heaven for his sacrifice (III Kg. 18:36-38), and by prayer opened and closed the heavens. The humility, faith and alms of Joachim and of thyself have come before the throne of the Most High, and now He sends me, his Angel, to announce news of joy for thy spirit, because His Majesty desires thee to be happy and blessed. He chooses thee as mother of She who is to conceive and give birth to the Onlybegotten of the Father. Thou shalt bring forth a Daughter, who by divine disposition shall be called MARY. She shall be blessed among women and full of the Holy Ghost. She shall be the cloud which shall drop the dew of heaven for the refreshment of mortals (Ib. 44), and in Her shall be fulfilled the prophecies of thy ancestors. She shall be the gate of life and salvation for the children of Adam. Know also I have revealed to Joachim that he shall have a Daughter who shall be happy and blessed, yet the Lord has reserved the sacrament from him, not manifesting to him She is to be the Mother of the Messiah; hence thou must guard this secret. Go therefore to the temple to give thanks to the Most High, because He has so generously favored thee by his powerful right hand. In the Golden Gate thou shalt meet Joachim, where thou shalt confer with him about this news. Yet to thee, blessed of the Lord, his grandeur desires to visit and enrich with more singular blessings. In solitude He shall speak to thy heart (Osee 2:14) and give a beginning to the law of grace, giving being in thy womb to Her who is to vest in mortal flesh the immortal Lord, giving Him human form. And in this humanity united to the Word He shall write with his blood the true law of mercy” (Heb. 9:11ff.).

184. So the humble heart of St. Anne might not faint away with admiration and joy at these tidings of the holy Angel she was strengthened by the Holy Ghost, and thus she heard it and received it with magnanimity and incomparable joy. She then arose and they were enlightened anew by the grace of the divine Spirit, and full of divine consolation they returned to their home conferring about the favors they had received from the Most High, and how the holy archangel Gabriel had spoken to each one individually, promising on behalf of the Lord they would be given a Daughter who would be very happy and blessed. On this occasion they also told each other how the same Angel, before their espousal, had commanded each to accept the other so together they could serve God according to his divine will. This secret they had kept from each other for twenty years without communicating it until the same Angel promised them the issue of such a Daughter. Anew they made the vow to offer Her to the temple, and that each year on this day they would come to the temple to offer special gifts, spend the day in praise and thanksgiving, and give many alms. This vow they fulfilled to the end of their lives, spending this day in great praise and exaltation of the Most High.

185. The prudent matron Anne never disclosed the secret that her Daughter was to be the Mother of the Messiah, either to St. Joachim or to any other creature, nor did that holy father in the course of his life know any more than She was to be a grand and mysterious woman. However, in the last moments of his life the Almighty made the secret known to him, as I shall relate in its place (Con. 666). Although great revelations have been made to me concerning the virtues and the holiness of the two parents of the Queen of heaven, I shall not dilate upon that which all the faithful must presuppose, but rather come to my principal intention.

186. After the first conception of the body which was to be that of the Mother of Grace, and before creating her most holy soul, God granted a singular favor to St. Anne. He gave her a vision or apparition of His Majesty intellectually and in a most exalted manner, communicating in it great understanding and gifts of grace which disposed and prepared her with blessings of sweetness (Ps. 20:4). Entirely purifying her, He spiritualized the inferior part of her body and elevated her soul and spirit in such a way that from that day on she never attended to any human affair which could impede her from placing in God all the affection of her mind and will, without ever losing sight of Him. In this vision the Lord said to her: “Anne, my servant, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. My blessing and eternal light is with thee. I formed man in order to raise him from the dust and make him the inheritor of my glory and participator of my Divinity. And although I deposited in him many gifts, and established him in a place and state of high perfection, yet he listened to the serpent and lost all. In my benevolence, forgetting his ingratitude, I desire to repair the damages incurred by him and fulfill that which I have promised to my servants and Prophets by sending my Onlybegotten, their Redeemer. The heavens are closed and the ancient Fathers are detained, without the sight of my face; I desire to give them the gift of eternal life I have promised them. The inclination of my infinite goodness is as it were violated in not communicating itself to the human race; but now I desire to exercise by it my generous mercy and give them the Person of the eternal Word so He can be made man, being born of a Woman who shall be Mother, Virgin, immaculate, pure, blessed and holy above all creatures; and of Her, my chosen and only One (Cant. 6:8), I make thee mother.”

187. I cannot easily explain the effects these words had on the candid heart of St. Anne, she being the first of those born of men to whom was revealed the mystery of her most holy Daughter, who was to be the Mother of God and chosen for the greatest sacrament of the divine power. It was appropriate for her to know of this mystery and properly estimate the Treasure which she was to possess and to whom she was to give birth and existence. She heard with profound humility the voice of the Most High, and with a submissive heart she answered: “Lord, eternal God, it is the nature of thy immense goodness and the work of thy powerful arm to raise from the dust those who are poor and despised (Ps. 112:7). I acknowledge myself, Lord most high, a creature unworthy of such mercies and benefits. What shall this vile worm do in thy presence? I can only offer Thee in thanksgiving thy own Being and grandeur, and my soul and faculties in sacrifice. Work in me, my Lord, according to thy will, since to it I resign myself entirely. I would like to be as worthy of this favor as Thou dost ask of me; yet what shall I do, since I do not merit to be the slave of She who is to be the Mother of thy Onlybegotten and my Daughter? This I know, and shall confess always, that by myself I am poor; yet at the feet of thy greatness I am awaiting Thee to make use of me according to thy mercy, since Thou art a kind Father and omnipotent God. Make me, O Lord, what thou dost desire me to be according to the dignity Thou dost bestow upon me.”

188. In this vision St. Anne was rapt in a most wonderful ecstasy in which she was granted most exalted understanding of the natural, written and evangelical laws. She recognized how the divine nature of the eternal Word would become united to our own, how the most holy humanity would be raised to the being of God, and many other mysteries which would be accomplished in the Incarnation of the divine Word. By these enlightenments and other gifts of divine grace the Most High disposed her for the conception of the body and creation of the soul of her most holy Daughter, the Mother of God. went to the temple of Jerusalem and met St. Joachim as the Angel had foretold to them both. Together they gave thanks to the Author of this wonder and offered special gifts and sacrifices. (Venerable Mary of Agreda, The New English Edition of The Mystical City of God, The Conception, Book One, Chapter 13.)

Good Saint Anne was permitted to endure some severe trials, including attacks by the adversary himself, as she was carrying within the Mother of God, the August Queen of Heaven and Earth, Our Lady, until the day of her nativity on September 8:

314. The most happy mother St. Anne passed the days of her pregnancy altogether spiritualized by the divine operations and the sweet workings of the Holy Ghost in all her faculties. Divine Providence, however, in order to direct her course to greater merit and reward, ordained that the ballast of trouble be not lacking, for without it the cargo of grace and love is scarcely ever secure. In order to understand better what happened to this holy woman, it must be remembered that the demon, after he was hurled with the other bad angels from heaven into the infernal torments, never ceased during the reign of the old Law to search through the earth, hovering with lurking vigilance above the women of distinguished holiness, in order to find Her whose sign he had seen (Apoc. 12:1) and whose heel was to bruise and crush his head (Gen. 3:15). The wrath of Lucifer against men was so fierce that he would not trust this investigation to his inferiors alone, but leaving them to operate against the virtuous women in general, he himself attended to this matter and assiduously hovered around those who signalized themselves more particularly in the exercise of virtue and in the grace of the Most High.

315. Filled with malice and astuteness he observed closely the exceedingly great holiness of the excellent matron Anne and all the events of her life, and although he could not estimate the richness of the Treasure which was enclosed in her blessed womb (since the Lord concealed this as well as many other mysteries from him), yet he felt a powerful influence proceeding from St. Anne. The fact that he could not penetrate into the source of this activity threw him at times into great fury and rage. At other times he quieted himself with the thought that this pregnancy arose from the same causes as others in the course of nature, and hence there was no special cause for alarm, for the Lord left him to his own hallucinations and to the vagaries of his own fury. Nevertheless the whole event was a source of great misgiving to this perverse spirit when he saw how quietly her pregnancy took its course, and especially when he saw that many Angels stood in attendance. Above all he was enraged at his weakness in resisting the force which proceeded from St. Anne, and he suspected that it was not she alone who was the cause of it.

316. Filled with this mistrust the dragon determined, if possible, to take the life of most blessed Anne; and if he could not succeed in this, at least try to obtain some wicked joy out of her pregnancy, for the pride of Lucifer was so boundless as to persuade him of his ability to overcome or take away the life of Her who was to be the Mother of the incarnate Word, or even the life of the Messiah and Redeemer of the world, if only he could obtain knowledge of their whereabouts. His arrogance was founded upon the superiority of his angelic nature to the condition and power of mere human nature, as if both were not subject to grace and entirely dependent upon the will of their Creator. Audaciously therefore he set about tempting St. Anne with many suggestions, misgivings, doubts and hesitations about the truth of her pregnancy, alleging her protracted years. All this the demon attempted in order to test the virtue of the Saint, and to see whether these temptations would give some opening for the perversion of her will.

317. But the invincible matron resisted these onslaughts with humble fortitude, patience, continual prayer, and vivid faith in the Lord. She brought to naught the perplexing lies of the dragon, and because of them only gained additional grace and protection from on high, for

besides the protection abundantly merited by her past life she was defended and freed from the demons by the great Princes who were guarding her most holy Daughter. Nevertheless in his insatiable malice the enemy did not desist on that account, and since his arrogance and pride far exceed his powers he sought human aid, for with such help he always promises himself greater ease of victory. Having at first tried to overthrow the dwelling of Sts. Joachim and Anne so she might be frightened and excited by the shock of its fall, but not being able to succeed due to the resistance of the holy Angels, he incited against St. Anne one of the foolish women of her acquaintance to quarrel with her. This the woman did with great fury, insolently attacking St. Anne with reproach and scorn. She did not hesitate to make a mockery of her pregnancy, saying that she was the sport of the demon in being thus found pregnant after so many years and at so great an age.

318. St. Anne was not disturbed by this temptation, but rather with all meekness and charity suffered the injuries and cherished those who dealt them. From that time on she looked upon these women with affection and lavished upon them greater benefits. But their wrath was not immediately pacified, for the demon had taken possession of them, filling them with hatred against the Saint; and since any concession to this cruel tyrant always increases his power over his victims, he incited these miserable dupes to even plot against the person and life of St. Anne. But they could not put their plots into execution because divine power interfered to foil their natural womanly weakness. They were not only powerless against the Saint, but they were overcome by her admonitions and brought to the knowledge and amendment of their evil course by her prayers.

319. The dragon was repulsed but not vanquished, for he immediately availed himself of a maid who served the saintly couple, and exasperated her against the holy matron. Through her he created an even greater annoyance than through the other women, for she was a domestic enemy and more stubborn and dangerous than the others. I will not stay to describe what the enemy attempted through this servant, since it was similar to that of the other woman, only more annoying and malicious. But with the help of God St. Anne won a more glorious victory than before, for the watcher of Israel slumbered not, but guarded his holy City (Ps. 120:4) and furnished it so well with sentinels, chosen from the strongest of his hosts, that they put to ignominious flight Lucifer and his followers. No more were they allowed to molest the fortunate mother, who was already expecting the birth of the most blessed Princess of heaven, and who, enriched by heroic acts of virtue and many merits in these conflicts, had now arrived at the fulfillment of all her highest desires. I too desire to come to an end with this chapter in order to hear the salutary instructions of my Mistress and Teacher, who besides assisting me in all that I write also favors me with her maternal admonitions which I receive with highest joy and exultation of my spirit. (Venerable Mary of Agreda, The New English Edition of the Mystical City of God, The Conception, Book I, Chapter XX)

The Venerable Mary of Agreda gave a most beautiful and moving account of this day, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she who was filled with every grace from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception and who was surrounded by a thousand angels as she, the fairest flower of the human race, saw the light of day:

325. The day of the parturition of St. Anne and for the birth of most holy Mary, who was consecrated and sanctified to be the Mother of God, had arrived, a joyous day for the world. This birth happened on the eighth day of September, completing nine months since the Immaculate Conception of our most holy Queen and Lady. St. Anne was prepared by an interior voice of the Lord which informed her that the hour of her parturition had come. Full of the joy of the Holy Ghost at this information, she prostrated herself before the Lord and besought the assistance of his grace and his protection for a happy deliverance. Presently she felt a movement in her womb similar to that which is proper to creatures being born to the light. The most blessed child Mary was at the same time by divine Providence and power ravished into a most exalted ecstasy; hence She was born into the world without perceiving it by her senses, for their operations and faculties had been suspended. Since She had the use of her reason She would have perceived it by her senses if they would have been left to operate in their natural manner at that time; however, the Almighty disposed otherwise so the Princess of heaven would be spared the sensible experience otherwise connected with birth.

326. She was born pure and stainless, beautiful and full of grace, thereby demonstrating that She was free from the law and tribute of sin. Although She was born substantially like other daughters of Adam, yet her birth was accompanied by such circumstances and conditions of grace that it was the most wonderful and miraculous birth in all creation and will eternally redound to the praise of her Maker. At twelve o’clock in the night this divine Luminary issued forth, dividing the night of the ancient Law and its initial darkness from the new day of gracewhich was now dawning. She was clothed, handled and dressed like other infants, though her soul dwelt in the Divinity, and She was treated as an infant, though She excelled all mortals and even all the angels in wisdom. Her mother did not allow Her to be touched by other hands than her own, but she herself wrapped Her in swaddling clothes, and in this St. Anne was not hindered by her present state of childbirth, for she was free from the toils and labors which other mothers usually endure in such circumstances.

327. Then St. Anne received Her into her arms, She who being her Daughter was at the same time the most exquisite Treasure of all the universe, inferior only to God and superior to all other creatures. With fervent tears of joy she offered this Treasure to His Majesty, saying interiorly: “Lord of infinite wisdom and power, Creator of all that exists, the fruit of my womb, which I have received from thy bounty, I offer to Thee with eternal gratitude, for without any merit of mine Thou hast vouchsafed Her to me. Dispose Thou of the mother and Child according to thy most holy will, and look down propitiously upon our lowliness from thy exalted throne. Be Thou eternally blessed, because Thou hast enriched the world with a creature so pleasing to thy bounty, and because in Her Thou hast prepared a dwelling place and a tabernacle for the eternal Word (Wis. 9:8). I tender my congratulations to my holy forefathers and to the holy Prophets, and in them to the whole human race, for this sure pledge of Redemption which Thou hast given them. But how shall I be able worthily to treat Her whom Thou hast given me as a Daughter, I who am not worthy to be her servant? How shall I handle the true Ark of the Testament? Give me, O my Lord and King, the necessary enlightenment to know thy will and to execute it according to thy pleasure in the service of my Daughter.”

328. The Lord answered the holy matron interiorly that she was to treat her heavenly Child outwardly as mothers treat their daughters, without any demonstration of reverence, but to retain this reverence inwardly, fulfilling the laws of a true mother toward Her, and raising Her with all motherly love and solicitude. With all this the happy mother complied; making use of this permission and her rights as mother without losing her reverence, she regaled herself with her most holy Daughter, embracing and caressing Her in the same way as other mothers do with their daughters, but it was always done with a proper reverence and consciousness of the hidden and divine sacrament known only to the mother and Daughter. The Guardian Angels of the sweet Child with others in great multitudes showed their veneration and reverence to Mary as She rested in the arms of her mother; they joined in heavenly music, some of which was audible also to St. Anne. The thousand Angels appointed as guardians of the great Queen offered themselves and dedicated themselves to her service. This was also the first time in which the heavenly Mistress saw them in a corporeal form with their devices and emblems, as I shall describe in another chapter (Con. 360ff.), and the Child asked them to join with Her in the praise of the Most High and exalt Him in her name. (Venerable Mary of Agreda, The New English Edition of The Mystical City of God, The Conception, Book One, Chapter XXI.)

Ever obedient to God’s Holy Will, Saint Anne and her husband, Saint Joachim, knew that they had to part with their beloved daughter, for whose conception and birth they prayed for so long before the events described in an earlier passage from The New English Edition of The Mystical City God, were prompt in their duty to present Our Lady in the Temple when she was three years of age:

420. The three years decreed by the Lord having been completed, Joachim and Anne set out from Nazareth accompanied by a few of their kindred and bringing with them the true living Ark of the Covenant, most holy Mary, borne on the arms of her mother in order to be deposited in the holy temple of Jerusalem. The beautiful Child, by her fervent and loving aspirations, hastened after the ointments of her Beloved (Cant. 1:3), seeking in the temple Him whom She bore in her Heart. This humble procession was scarcely noticed by earthly creatures, but it was invisibly accompanied by the angelic spirits, who in order to celebrate this event had hastened from heaven in greater numbers than usual as her bodyguard, and were singing in heavenly strains the glory and praise of the Most High. The Princess of heaven heard and saw them as She hastened her beautiful steps along in the sight of the highest and the true Solomon. Thus they pursued their journey from Nazareth to the holy city of Jerusalem, and also the parents of the holy child Mary felt in their hearts great joy and consolation of spirit. 

 421. They arrived at the holy temple, and St. Anne, in order to enter into it with her Daughter and Lady, took Her by the hand, St. Joachim giving particularly assistance to them. All three offered a devout and fervent prayer to the Lord, the parents offering to God their Daughter, and the most holy Child, in profound humility, adoration and worship, offering up Herself. She alone perceived that the Most High received and accepted Her, and amid divine splendor which filled the temple She heard a voice saying to Her: “Come, my Beloved, my Spouse, come to my temple, where I desire to hear thy voice of praise and worship.” Having offered their prayers they rose and went to the priest. The parents consigned their Child into his hands and he gave them his blessing. Together they conducted Her to the portion of the temple buildings where many young girls lived to be brought up in retirement and virtuous habits until old enough to assume the state of matrimony. It was a place of retirement specially selected for the first-born daughters of the royal tribe of Juda and the sacerdotal tribe of Levi.

422. Fifteen stairs led up to the entrance of these apartments. Other priests came down these stairs in order to welcome the blessed child Mary. The one who had received them, being according to the law one of a minor order, placed Her on the first step; She, with his permission, turned and knelt down before her parents Joachim and Anne, asked their blessing and kissed their hands, and recommended Herself to their prayers before God. The holy parents in most tender tears gave Her their blessing, whereupon She ascended the fifteen stairs without any assistance. She hastened upward with incomparable fervor and joy, neither turning back, nor shedding tears, nor showing any childish regret at parting from her parents. To see Her in so tender an age so full of strange majesty and firmness of mind excited the admiration of all those present. The priests received Her among the rest of the maidens, and St. Simeon consigned Her to the teachers, one of whom was the prophetess Anne. This holy matron had been prepared by the Lord by special grace and enlightenment in order to take charge of this Child of Joachim and Anne, and thus she did by divine disposition, meriting by her holiness and virtue to have Her as a disciple who was to be the Mother of God and Mistress of all the creatures.

423. Sorrowfully her parents Joachim and Anne retraced their journey to Nazareth, now poor since deprived of the rich Treasure of their house. But the Most High consoled and comforted them in their affliction. The holy priest Simeon, though he did not at this time know of the mystery enshrined in the child Mary, obtained great light regarding her sanctity and special selection by the Lord; also the other priests looked upon Her with great reverence and esteem. In ascending the fifteen stairs the Child brought to fulfillment that which Jacob saw happening in sleep (Gen. 28:12), for here too were Angels ascending and descending, the ones accompanying, the others meeting their Queen as She hastened up, whereas at the top God was waiting in order to welcome Her as his Daughter and Spouse. She also felt by the effects of her overflowing love that this truly was the house of God and the portal of heaven. (Venerable Mary of Agreda, The New English Editon of The Mystical City of God: The Conception: Book Two, Chapter 1.)

Saints Anne and Joachim provide us models of the serene acceptance of God’s Holy Will and of the necessity of obeying without delay no matter the suffering that could be entailed as it is only the royal road of victory that is the Holy Cross by which we can save our souls. We must be ready to sacrifice everything for the cause of the Kingdom of God, including giving up our children to the priesthood or consecrated religious if this be their calling. Indeed, it is the duty of parents to foster a priestly or religious vocation in the souls of their children. Although our children have free will, it is nevertheless the duty of parents to pray for them to give  their lives in the service of Christ the King and His Holy Church no matter what vocation they may wind up choosing. Saint Anne and Saint Joachim gave back unto God the great Treasure He had given them until the time appointed for their daughter to be presented in the Temple. Such selfless love and detachment from one’s own will and legitimate earthly affections teach us that we must pray to discern and then to do God’s ineffable will at all times no matter our own preferences.

Dom Prosper Gueranger’s narrative of Good Saint Anne’s holy life amply these points far more cogently, eloquently and poetically thanthis poor sinner and his prosaic style could even wish to aspire:

Uniting the blood of kings with that of pontiffs, the glory of Anne’s illustrious origin is far surpassed by that of her offspring, without compare among the daughters of Eve. The noblest of all, who have ever conceived by virtue of the command to “increase and multiply,” beholds the law of human generation pause before her as having arrived at its summit, at the threshold of God; for from her fruit God himself is come forth, the fatherless Son of the Blessed Virgin, and the grandson of Anne and Joachim.

Anne was, as it were, the starting-point of redemption, the horizon scanned by the prophets, the first span of the heavens to be empurpled with the rising fires of dawn; the blessed soil whose produce was so pure as to make the angels believe that Eden had been restored to us. But in the midst of the incomparable peace that surrounds her, let us hail her as the land of victory surpassing the most famous fields of battle; as the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, where our humiliated race took up the combat begun before the throne of God by the angelic hosts; where the serpent's head was crushed, and Michael, now surpassed in glory, gladly handed over to his sweet Queen, at the first moment of her existence, the command of the Lord's armies.

What human lips, unless touched like the prophet's with a burning coal, could tell the admiring wonder of the angelic Powers, when the Blessed Trinity, passing from the burning Seraphim to the lowest of the nine choirs, bad them turn their fiery glances and contemplate the flower of sanctity blossoming in the bosom of Anne? The Psalmist had said of the glorious City whose foundations were now hidden in her that was once barren: The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains, and the heavenly hierarchies crowning the slopes of the eternal hills beheld in her heights to them unknown and unattainable summits approaching so near to God, that He was even then preparing His throne in her. Like Moses at the sight of the burning bush on Horeb, they were seized with a holy awe on recognizing the mountain of God in the midst of the desert of this world; and they understood that the affliction of Israel was soon to cease. Although shrouded by the cloud, Mary was already that blessed mountain whose base--i.e., the starting-point of her graces--was set far above the summits where the highest created sanctities are perfected in glory and love.

How justly is the mother named Anne, which signified grace, she in whom for nine months were centred the complacencies of the Most High the ecstasy of the angelic spirits, and the hope of all flesh! No doubt it was Mary, the daughter, and not the mother, whose sweetness so powerfully attracted the heavens to our lowly earth. But the perfume first scents the vessel which contains it, and even after it is removed, leaves it impregnated with its fragrance. Moreover, it is customary to prepare the vase itself with the greatest care; it must be all the purer, made of more precious material, and more richly adorned, according as the essence to be placed in it is rarer and more exquisite. Thus Magdalen enclosed her precious spikenard in alabaster. The Holy Spirit, the preparer of heavenly perfumes, would not be less careful than men. Now the task of blessed Anne was not limited, like that of a material vase, to containing passively the treasure of the world. She furnished the body of her who was to give flesh to the Son of God; she nourished her with her milk; she gave to her, who was inundated with floods of divine light, the first practical notions of life. In the education of her illustrious daughter, Anne played the part of a true mother" not only did she guide Mary's first steps, but she co-operated with the Holy Ghost in the education of her soul and the preparation for her incomparable destiny; until, when the work had reached the highest development to which she could bring it, she, without a moment's hesitation or a thought of self, offered her tenderly loved child to Him from whom she had received her.

Sic fingit tabernaculum Deo--'Thus she framed a tabernacle for God.' Such was the inscription around the figure of St. Anne instructing Mary, which formed the device of the ancient guild of joiners and cabinet-makers; for they, looking upon the making of tabernacles wherein God may dwell in our churches as their most choice work, had taken St. Anne for their patroness and model. Happy were those whose times when the simplicity of our fathers penetrated so deeply into the practical understanding of mysteries which their infatuated sons glory in ignoring. The valiant woman is praised in the Book of Proverbs for her spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidering, and household cares: naturally, then, those engaged in these occupations placed themselves under the protection of the spouse of Joachim. More than once, those suffering from the same trial which had inspired Anne's touching prayer beneath the sparrow's nest, experienced the power of her intercession in obtaining for others, as well as for herself, the blessing of the Lord God. . . . .

More fortunate than the wife of Elcana, who prefigured thee both in her trial and by her name, thou, O Anne, now singest the magnificent gifts of the Lord. Where is now the proud synagogues that despised thee? The descendants of the barre none are now without number; and all we, the brethren of Jesus, children, like Him, of thy daughter Mary, come joyfully, led by our Mother, to offer thee our praises. In the family circle the grandmother's feast day is the most touching of all, when her grandchildren surround her with reverential love, as we gather around these to-day. Many, alas ! know not these beautiful feasts, where the blessing of the earthly paradise seems to revive in all its freshness; but the mercy of our God has provided a sweet compensation. He, the Most High God, willed to come so nigh to us to be one of us in the flesh; to know the relations and mutual dependencies which are the law of our nature; the cords of Adam, with which He had determined to draw us and in which He first bound Himself. For in raising nature above itself, He did not eliminate it; He made grace take hold of it and lead it to heaven; so that, joined together on earth by their divine Author, nature and grace were to be united for all eternity. We, then, being brethren by grace of Him who is ever thy grandson by nature, are, by this loving disposition of Divine Wisdom, quite at home under thy roof; and to-day's feast, so dear to the hearts of Jesus and Mary, is our own family feast.

Smile then, dear mother, upon our chants and bless our prayers. To-day and always be propitious to the supplications which our land of sorrows sends up to thee. Be gracious to wives and mothers who confide to thee holy desires and the secret of their sorrows. Keep up, where they still exist, the traditions of the Christian home. Over how many families has the baneful breath of this age passed, blighting all that is serious in life, weakening faith, leaving nothing but languor, weariness, frivolity, if not even worse, in the place of the true and solid joys of our fathers. How truly might the Wise Man say at the present day: Who shall find a valiant woman? She alone by her influence could counteract all these evils; but on condition of recognizing wherein her true strength lies: in humble household works done with her own hand; in hidden and self-sacrificing devotedness; in watchings by night; in hourly foresight; working in wool and flax, and with the spindle; all those strong things which win for her the confidence and praise of her husband; authority over all, abundance in the house, blessings from the poor whom she has helped, honour from strangers, reverence from her children; and for herself is the fear of the Lord, nobility and dignity, beauty and strength, wisdom, sweetness and content, and clam assurance at the latter day.

O blessed Anne, rescue society, which is perishing for want of virtues like thine. The motherly kindness thou art ever more frequently bestowing upon us have increased the Church's confidence; deign to respond to the hopes she places in thee. Bless especially thy faithful Brittany; have pity on unhappy France, for which thou hast shown thy predilection, first, by so early confiding to it thy sacred body; later on, by choosing it to be the spot whence thou wouldst manifest thyself to the world; and again, quite recently entrusting to its sons the church and seminary dedicated to thy honour in Jerusalem. O thou who lovest the Franks, who deignest still to look on fallen Gaul as the kingdom of Mary, continue to show it that love which is its most cherished tradition. Mayest thou become known throughout the whole world. As for us, who have long known thy power and experienced thy goodness, let us ever seek in thee, O mother, our rest, security, strengthen every trial; for he who leans on thee has nothing to fear on earth, and he who rests in thy arms is safely carried. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year: Time After Pentecost, Volume IV, Book 13, pp. 188-196.)

Would Good Saint Anne have us be silent when the honor and majesty and glory of her Divine Grandson are put into question by acts esteeming false religions, no less by a putative "pontiff's" walking into mosques or the very sort of synagogue in which she and her Most Holy daughter and Divine Grandson are mocked and reviled?

Would not Saint Anne exhort us to make our own these words from Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, who wrote so eloquently about the glories of her own Virginal and Immaculate daughter?

"And when there is question of the divine honour, we should be not be frightened by the dignity of the man who offends God; let us say to him openly: This is sinful; it cannot be done." 

We have the Heavenly help provided us by our Good Saint Anne to overcome human respect and to defend the Divine honor no matter who on this earth is offended. Saint Anne herself wants us to do all we can to speak in defense of the Catholic Faith when it is mocked by blasphemers, including those posing as Catholics in the counterfeit church of conciliarism and she wants us to make reparation for our many sins by offering up our prayers and sufferings and penances and humiliations to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of the one who was conceived without stain of sin in her own womb.

Most especially, however, Saint Anne wants us to make good use of the Our Lady's Most Holy Rosary each and every day of our lives to combat the forces of the world, the flesh and the devil in order that the seeds we plant for the restoration of the Church and of the Social Reign of Christ the King, Whose Kingship.

When there is question of Divine honor, my friends, we must not be in doubt. We must call upon the Heavenly helpers to speak out without fear of the consequences, and the ones celebrated yesterday and today are ready to assist us if we call upon them.

As we want to enjoy the glory of the Beatific Vision in Heaven with these saintly helpers, it is a wonderful resolution to make on this great fesat day to pray for the restoration of a true pope on the Throne of Saint Peter so that all Catholics universally will have ready access to that which is wanting now: nearby valid offerings of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and each of the other Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

Isn't it time to pray a Rosary now?

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Saint Anne, Mother of the Mother of God, pray for us.

Saint Joachim, pray for us.

The Litany of Saint Anne (for private use only)

Lord have mercy on us.

Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
 Holy Mary, Queen of Angels and Saints, pray for us.
St. Anne, instrument of the Holy Ghost, pray for us.
St. Anne, faithful spouse of St. Joachim, pray for us.
St. Anne, mirror of the married, pray for us.
St. Anne, example of widows, pray for us.
St. Anne, miracle of patience, pray for us.
St. Anne, mother of confidence, pray for us.
St. Anne, mother of constancy, pray for us.
St. Anne, mother of prayer, pray for us.
St. Anne, mother of blessing, pray for us.
St. Anne, vessel of sanctity, pray for us.
St. Anne, merciful mother, pray for us.
St. Anne, comfortress of the afflicted, pray for us.
St. Anne, help of the poor, pray for us.
St. Anne, protectress of virgins, pray for us.
St. Anne, support of the oppressed, pray for us.
St. Anne, refuge of thy clients, pray for us.
We sinners, we beseech thee, hear us.
Through thy love for Jesus and Mary, we beseech thee, hear us.
Through thy virtues and merits, we beseech thee, hear us.
Through thy goodness and mercy, we beseech thee, hear us.
Through thy compassion and charity, we beseech thee, hear us.
Through the graces bestowed on thee by God, we beseech thee, hear us.
Through the joys thou didst experience with Jesus and Mary, we beesech thee, hear us.
Through the happiness thou dost enjoy for all eternity, we beseech thee, hear us.

Through the honor given thee by the Saints in Heaven, we beseech thee, hear us. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, St. Anne
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, Who didst vouchsafe to endow blessed Anne with grace so that she might be worthy to become the mother of her who brought forth Thine only-begotten Son, mercifully grant that we who devoutly venerate her memory may also be helped by her powerful intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Viva Cristo Rey!