The Holy Parents of The Blessed Virgin Mary & Grand parents of our Lord Jesus Christ — they should be thought of as our Spiritual Grandparents.  During their married life together, they were thought to be barren, which was a great shame, and they suffered greatly from this.  They were not poor, but they gave one third of their wealth to the Temple, one third to the poor, and they kept only one third for their needs.  Saint Anne knew who Her Daughter was to become, and Saint Joachim found out shortly before he died.  They allowed their Holy Daughter to consecrate Herself and Her Most Holy Virginity to our Lord in the Temple, when She was only three years old.  The Blessed Virgin Mary remained a Virgin in the Temple until She was 14 years old.  Then, the Elders of the Temple decided that The Blessed Virgin Mary needed to leave the Temple and marry, to administer the property, which Her Holy Parents had left Her.  All of the eligible men of the Davidic Line in Jerusalem were brought together, and the Elders asked our Lord for a sign to show which one should marry The Blessed Virgin Mary.  St. Joseph’s dead walking staff blossomed into a lily, which showed that he was to marry The Blessed Virgin Mary.

(This information and many other facts about the forerunner to The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are found in the wonderful 4‑volume Mystical City of God, by Venerable Mary of Agreda, a Franciscan Abbess, who received a series of visions of The Blessed Virgin Mary 1600’s.  Several Popes have approved these visions.  They can be found for a lower price, used, on various websites, such as at Amazon.com.)

NOVENA TO STS. ANNE & JOACHIM — 7/17 — 7/26:

DAILY PRAYER TO SAINT ANNE:

O Glorious St. Anne, Thou art filled with compassion for those who invoke Thee and with love for those who suffer!  Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at Thy feet and humbly beg of Thee to take the present intention which I recommend to Thee in Thy special care.  Please recommend it to Thy Daughter, The Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the Throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue.   Continue to intercede for me until my request(s) is/are granted.  But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God, Face to face, and with Thee and Mary and all of the Saints to praise and bless Him for all Eternity.  Amen.  Pray one “Our Father” & “Hail, Mary”.  O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Anne, help me now and at the hour of my death.  Good St. Anne, intercede for me.  (Then, pray the specific prayer for each day.  Go to the end of these prayers and pray the prayer to Saint Joachim, each day, as well.  His traditional Feast is on August 16th, and this novena would begin on August 7th.)

FIRST DAY
Dear St. Anne, though I am but a prodigal child, I appeal to Thee and place myself under Thy great (grand)motherly care.  Please listen to my prayers and grant my requests.  See my contrite heart, and show me Thine unfailing goodness.  Deign to be my advocate and recommend me to God’s Infinite Mercy.  Obtain for me forgiveness of my sins and the strength to begin a new life that will last forever.  O Blessed St. Anne, I also beg of Thee the grace to love, to serve, and to honor Thy Daughter, The Most Holy Virgin Mary.  Please recommend me to Her and pray to Her for me.  She refuses none of Thy requests but welcomes with loving kindness all those for whom Thou intercedest.  O Good Jesus, be merciful to the faithful servants of Thy Grandmother St. Anne.

SECOND DAY
From the depths of my heart, O Good St. Anne, I offer Thee my homage this day and ask Thee to shelter me under the mantle of Thy (grand)motherly care.  Thou knowest, good (grand)mother, how much I love Thee, how gladly I serve Thee, how happy I am to praise Thee, how eager I am to call on Thee in time of distress.  O Good St. Anne, be pleased to extend Thy helping hand in all my wants.  Listen to my prayers, for I place my trust in Thy gracious bounty.  Make all my thoughts and desires worthy and righteous.  O Jesus, I thank Thee for all of the graces which in Thine Infinite Goodness Thou hast lavished upon St. Anne; for having chosen Her, among all women, to be Thy Grandmother on earth and exalted Her in Heaven with such great and miraculous powers.  In the name of Her Merits, I humbly recommend myself to Thine infinite mercy.

THIRD DAY
Hail, Good St. Anne, who first responded to the needs of Mary, Mother of our Savior and Queen of Angels.  Hail to Thee and to Thy husband, St. Joachim, who watched over Her Infancy, presented Her to The Lord in the temple and, according to Thy promise, consecrated Her to The Service of God.  Hail St. Anne, good (Grand)mother!  I rejoice in the marvels Thou continually performest, because they encourage all to seek Thine intercession.  O Good St. Anne, by the great power that God hath given Thee, show Thyself my (grand)mother, my consoler, my advocate.  Reconcile me to The God I have so deeply offended.  Console me in my trials; strengthen me in my struggles.  Deliver me from danger in my time of need.  Help me at the hour of death and open to me the gates of Paradise.

FOURTH DAY
O Good St. Anne, Thou offeredst Thy Pure and Holy Daughter, Mary, in the Temple with faith, piety and love.  By the happiness which then filled Thy heart, I beg Thee to present me to Thy Grandson, Jesus.  Offered by Thee, I will be agreeable in His Sight.  O Kind St. Anne, take me forever under Thy protection.  Deliver me from the temptations which continually assail me.  Above all, attend me in my last hour.  As I lie on my deathbed, be present with Thy Daughter to console and strengthen me.  O Holy Mary and good St. Anne, show yourselves to be Mothers indeed by obtaining for me the grace of a good death.  When my soul goes forth, lead it to God’s tribunal so that, by Thy powerful help and  intercession, it may obtain a favorable judgment.

FIFTH DAY
Hail, all-powerful Lady.  By God’s Special Favor, grant consolation to those who invoke Thee.  Procure for them the eternal riches of Heaven, and like a good (grand)mother, success in their temporal affairs as well.  O Good St. Anne, obtain my deliverance from the punishment which my sins deserve.  Obtain for me success in my temporal affairs; especially see to the salvation of my soul.  O St. Anne, by Thine influence with Mary’s Son, Jesus, Thou hast won the gift of conversion for many sinners.  Wilt Thou then abandon me, who have chosen Thee as my (grand)mother?  No, St. Anne.  Thy name alone, which signifies grace, assures me of the help of Thy prayers, and these prayers will surely procure pardon and mercy from Jesus.  Thou wilt pray for me now and at the hour of my death.

SIXTH DAY
O Good St. Anne, do not allow my soul, a masterpiece of God’s creative power, to be lost forever.  Free my heart of pride, vanity, and self-love.  May I know myself as I really am and learn meekness and simplicity of heart.  God’s great love for me leaves me cold and unresponsive.  I must reflect this love through works of mercy and charity toward my neighbor.  In Thy boundless charity, good St. Anne, help me to merit the glorious crown, which is given to those, who have fought the good fight against the world, the devil and the flesh.  Assist me to preserve purity of heart and body.  With Mary and Her Divine Son, protect me always.

SEVENTH DAY
Once again, O Good St. Anne, I choose Thee for my advocate before the Throne of God.  By the power and grace that God has placed in Thee, extend to me Thy helping hand.  Renew my mind and my  heart.  O Dear St. Anne, I have unbounded confidence in Thy prayers.  To Thy blessed hands I entrust my soul, my body and all my hopes for this world and the next.  Direct my actions according to Thy goodness and wisdom.  I place myself under Thy (grand)motherly care.  Receive me, good (Grand)mother.  Cover me with the mantle of Thy love.  Look kindly on me.  By Thy powerful intercession, may I obtain from God grace and mercy.  Obtain for me remission for sin and release from the punishment my offenses have deserved.  Pray that I may receive grace to lead a devout life on earth and that I may obtain the everlasting reward of Heaven.

EIGHTH DAY
Hail, St. Anne!  I rejoice at Thine exalted glory.  Thou gavest birth to Mary, whose Divine Son brought salvation to our lost world, by conquering death and restoring life and hope to sinners.  Pray to Him who, for love of us, clothed Himself with Human Flesh in the Chaste Womb of Thy Daughter.  O Glorious St. Anne, with Thy Blessed Daughter, deliver me from everything that is displeasing in the Sight of God.  Pray to Thy Gentle and Powerful Grandson, that He may cleanse my soul in His Precious Blood, that He may send His Holy Spirit to enlighten and direct me in all that I do, always obedient to His Holy Inspirations.  Good Grandmother, keep a watchful eye on me.  Help me bear all of my crosses.  Give me the fullness of Thy bounty and sustain me with courage.

NINTH DAY
O Good St. Anne, I have reached the end of this novena in Thine honor.  I have asked and ask again.  Good Grandmother, let not Thy kind ear grow weary of my prayers, though I repeat them so often.  O Bounteous Lady, implore for me from Divine Providence all of the help I need through life.  May Thy generous hand bestow on me the material means to satisfy my own needs and to alleviate the plight of the poor.  O Good St. Anne, fortify me by the Sacraments of The Church at the hour of my death.  Admit me into the company of the Blessed in The Kingdom of Heaven, where I may praise and thank The Adorable Trinity, Thy Grandson, Christ Jesus, Thy Glorious Daughter, Mary, and Thyself, Dear St. Anne, through endless ages.

Prayer to St. Joachim, Father of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Grandfather of Jesus Christ:

O Great Patriarch, Saint Joachim, deserving by Thy singular virtue to be chosen of old by Divine Providence to give to the world that Immaculate Queen, in whom all nations were to be blessed, and who, in Her Virginal Bosom, was to bear The Savior of the human race: we, who are Thy devout clients, rejoice with Thee in this Thy great privilege, and implore Thee to extend Thy special protection to ourselves and our families.  Do not, Dear Saint, suffer the devil and sin to find a place in our hearts, nor the false maxims of the world to lead us astray; permit us not to live unmindful of eternity, for which we have been created. Obtain for us from God a firm and unshaken faith in opposition to the impieties and errors which are ever being spread abroad by the enemies of Holy Church and the Apostolic See; a sincere and constant devotion to the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Roman Pontiff; and an unfailing courage in refuting calumnies against those things which are most sacred and venerable in our holy religion.  Do Thou, who art powerful by reason of that love, which Thy Holy Daughter Mary bears toward Thee, assist the cause of The Church, gain for Her the victory for which She sighs, scatter the powers of darkness, destroy their pride and grant that the light of The True Faith may shine resplendent in all minds.  Grant us, above all, a tender and filial devotion to Thy Beloved Daughter and our Mother, Mary Most Holy, so that we, honoring Her daily with our devout homage, may be made worthy to be numbered by Her amongst Her children; and after the miseries of this exile may be brought to praise and bless The Mercy of God forever in Heaven.  Amen.
Pray one “Our Father”… “Hail, Mary”.… 3 “Glory Be’s”.  Offer these prayers for nine days for your petitions and intentions.
(Raccolta, #492)