Novena in Honor of St. Anne (Nine Days)

FIRST DAY

FAITH

Faith is the foundation, the source or root of all supernatural life, and of all Christian virtues. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but with it nothing is difficult. Then why should we not have great faith in God, since He is all powerful and everything comes from Him? He has created heaven and earth and everything that is on earth by a mere act of His will. He has created our bodies and infused into them an immortal soul. He is our most generous benefactor, our most loving Father. He has already conferred numberless benefits on us without any prayers or merits of ours. Every moment of our life is marked by His renewed favors towards us. He loves us with a love greater than that of a mother for her own child. “Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee.” God has solemnly promised to grant us whatsoever graces we ask; and, being Almighty, He is able to grant us all, even far more than we can ask. He is so willing to bestow His favors on us that He complains of our not asking Him for them: “Hitherto,” He says, “you have not asked anything in My name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” He even commands us to ask Him for His favors: “Ask, and you shall receive.” Therefore God can do anything for us, no matter how hard it may seem, if we only have faith. Then let our faith in God be strong. Let us fully understand, at the very beginning of the novena, that St. Anne of herself can do nothing for us, because she is strong only in as much as God is with her.

Practice—I will ask St. Anne to strengthen my faith in God.

PRAYER

O! great St. Anne, I am about to make this novena, in thy honor, and for my own spiritual good. During the coming nine days I will thank God, for the many graces He has given thee especially for your great faith. Good St. Anne, how far am I from resembling thee! My faith is weak. Come to my help and strengthen me; make me strong in the service of God and obtain that I may constantly recall to mind that I was created for heaven and not for earth. I ask above all the salvation of my soul, which is assured to all who pray well and persevere in prayer.

Ejaculation—Good St. Anne, obtain for me a lively faith.

(Litany and Prayers.)

SECOND DAY

CONFIDENCE

St. Anne seems to be the saint through whose agency it has pleased heaven to confer temporal favors upon man. Her very name, which was inspired by an angel, signifies: gracious or full of mercy. The birth of this heavenly child was a subject of rejoicing for the whole country; far and wide and during many years were repeated the marvels which marked her coming forth. Among other prodigies which happened at this time, tradition relates the sudden cure of a knight of Nazareth named Seral, blind from his infancy, who, having repaired to the house of Stollam, fell on his knees beside St. Anne’s cradle and lovingly and confidingly taking her two little hands in his, said to her: “CHILD OF GOD, OPEN MY EYES SO THAT I MAY BEHOLD IN THEE THE WONDERS OF HEAVEN.” Immediately he regained the use of his eyesight. From that day this merciful power has been manifesting itself in the world. This is so true that in any part of the world where a shrine has been erected to her honor and where people have come to pray with faith and confidence, wonderful favors have been recorded at that sanctuary. It is not surprising that it should be so, when we consider that the nearer the saints are to God, the more agreeable they are to Him and the more He loves them. After St. Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin, none can be nearer to Him than St. Anne, the mother of Mary. How he must love her and what attention must He not give to her prayers and supplications. We must come to her, in all confidence, and ask her all the things that we may need and be assured that God will grant them, if it be for our greater good and for His greater glory.

Practice—One of the greatest graces we can ask of God, through St. Anne’s intercession, is an unshaken confidence in the promises made by Jesus Christ to prayer.

PRAYER

O! St. Anne, thou whose name signifieth grace and mercy, it was never known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help and sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, good and kind Mother; before thee I kneel, sinful and sorrowful, O great St. Anne, Mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, despise not my petitions, but hear and answer my prayer. Amen.

Ejaculation—We fly to thy patronage, ever glorious and blessed Mother, good St. Anne.

(Litany and prayers.)

THIRD DAY

PURITY OF HEART

It is only with a pure heart that we should approach Our Blessed Lord and the saints, with a heart that is at perfect peace with God. Because the man whose heart is not clean is powerless to raise his soul to God, for when he begins to pray, thoughts and images of sin crowd in upon his mind and hold it captive upon earth. He who prays with an impure heart is like a man with mud-stained garments who enters the presence of a king, to implore a favor. It is only just that he who will not conform to the divine precepts should be excluded from a share in the divine benefactions. The moment mortal sin enters into our soul we become the enemies of our Divine Master, and as long as we are in that state we are objects of aversion to Him. Then how can we expect God to do great things for us when we are His enemies? Listen to the commands of God, if you would have Him listen to your supplications. But as soon as the sinner is sincerely contrite, he may hope to obtain a hearing; God will receive his petitions as graciously as if he had never offended. In this He is unlike man, who is prone to cast former offences in the face of those who ask a favor. God looks at the present intention, not at the past action. Remember how the prayer of the penitent publican in the temple was accepted. Therefore, before beginning the novena, let us purify our hearts by a good confession.

Practice—I will avoid the dangerous occasions of sin and live in the presence of God.

PRAYER

Great St. Anne, my life so far has not been what it ought to be. Instead of following God and fulfilling His holy law, I have resisted His grace, so that I must have grieved thee very much, dear St. Anne. But now is the time of grace and blessing, now Almighty God will second thy efforts in my behalf, I will turn from my bad habits and lead a better life. Thou, O good St. Anne, art certainly interested in my eternal welfare. Give me light on my path through this life. It is not always through malice that I commit sin, but frequently from ignorance. If I had the light I would, with the grace of God, do better. Then, great St. Anne, obtain it for me.

Ejaculations—Great St. Anne, obtain that I may always abhor and detest sin.

(Litany and prayers.)

FOURTH DAY

CONFESSION

Of all the means bestowed by the Saviour of the world for converting sinners, sustaining the just and conducting them to perfection, the most efficacious and most indispensable is confession. By it man learns to know and humble himself, to measure the wounds of his soul and to heal them. In the sacrament of penance he finds light, counsel and fortitude to combat the perverse maxims of the world and the irregular propensities of the heart, to discover the wiles of the enemy of salvation and to elude them, to rise from his falls; nay, even how to profit by his faults. In that sacred laver in which he mingles repentant tears with the blood of the Redeemer, he purifies and sanctifies his soul and recovers the most precious of all wealth—peace with God and with his own conscience. If many persons do not derive fruit from confession, it is because they do not bring to the reception of the sacrament of penance the requisite dispositions; some do not examine their consciences, others feel no contrition for the past, and adopt no firm resolutions for the future, others dare even to conceal some sins from their confessors. Unhappy souls, they find death where they ought to find life.

Practice—In order to be a worthy child of St. Anne, I will approach regularly the tribunal of penance and use the means of salvation there provided and taught me.

PRAYER

Pray for me, O holy St. Anne, that I may make a good confession. Having bewailed my sins and past transgressions, I beg of thee to obtain for me from God a true conversion, that I may be a new man and a man of God. Almighty God, according to his ordinances, expects that I shall make a good confession, that I shall tell my sins plainly to a priest so that I may obtain their forgiveness. Effect in me a firm purpose of amendment, so that beginning once more a new life I may persevere to the end.

Ejaculation—St. Anne, obtain for me the full remission of my sins and the salvation of my soul.

(Litany and prayers.)

FIFTH DAY

COMMUNION

In the holy Eucharist, Jesus imparts to us the most precious gift He can bestow. Having to depart from this world after He had completed our redemption, our loving Saviour would not leave us desolate, therefore he bequeathed to us His own most precious body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. His mortal life had been one uninterrupted evidence of charity towards men; but not satisfied with this, not content even with shedding the last drop of His blood for our salvation. He determined, when the hour of His return to the Father had arrived, to leave us another and a stronger pledge of His devoted love. The same night on which He was betrayed, He took bread, and giving thanks, broke, and said to His disciples, “Take ye and eat, this is my body.” And taking the chalice, He gave it to them, saying “Drink ye all of this, for this is My blood which shall be shed for the remission of sins.”

At the very time that men prepared for Him scourges, thorns and a cross to crucify Him, our compassionate Redeemer wished to leave us the last proof of His love. St. Augustine, when considering the greatness of the gift which the Saviour makes to us in the holy Eucharist, declares that Jesus, though an Omnipotent God, has nothing more valuable to give. “Of all the sacraments,” says St. Liguori, “the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar is the most excellent. The other sacraments contain the gifts of God, but the holy Eucharist contains God Himself. The principal effect of this sacrament is to preserve, in the soul, the life of grace.” The Eucharist is, according to the Council of Trent, the divine medicine which purifies the soul from venial, and preserves her from mortal sins. The angelic doctor teaches that the holy Communion gives us strength to overcome all the attacks of the devil. St. Chrysostom asserts that when we receive the holy Eucharist the devils are put to flight and the angels run to our assistance. Moreover, this sacrament infuses into the soul great interior peace.

Practice—Blessed shall we be if the desire of being united to Jesus animates our whole life; if we often feast at His heavenly banquet in which Christ is received.

PRAYER

Good St. Anne, I wish to beg of thee, help to make a good Communion during this novena and ever afterwards. I am about to approach the Lord in the holy Sacrament. I have prayed to thee, Great St. Anne, and my heart is inflamed with love of thee, I must above all, love my dear Lord Jesus, whom I am going to receive, that I may be strengthened in piety and holiness by His sacred presence. I will thank Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament, for the many graces He has given thee, which have enabled thee to lead a holy life, and for the glory which has been a reward for thy faithfulness. I will beg Jesus in holy Communion to give me strength and perseverance that I may make great progress in the difficult affair of my salvation and obtain everlasting happiness.

Ejaculation—St. Anne obtain for me great love towards our Lord Jesus Christ present in the Most Holy Eucharist.

(Litany and prayers.)

SIXTH DAY

PRAYER

Prayers and supplications, arising from our heart and ascending to the very throne of God, must needs be the principal exercise of any novena. It is not the prayer we say that counts so much, but it is the way that we pray. We have learned our prayers at our mother’s knee and we have learned them so well that we are liable to utter them without ever thinking of what we are saying. Then they become a mere formula and surely such mockeries will not transport mountains or move God, to do great things for us. Then let us be sure that our prayers come from the heart and not merely from the lips. We should begin our prayers by putting ourselves in God’s presence. We should say to ourselves: We are about to speak to the Great and Eternal Creator—to Him on whom we depend for every breath we draw. He, the Immense, the All Holy God is looking at us now; all the saints and angels are looking at us, pleased that we are going to speak to Him, and interested in what we are going to say. What are we before so glorious a God? Poor, little, weak, helpless creatures, wholly dependent on Him for even the breath with which we speak to Him; and more than this, we have sinned against Him, not once or twice, but again and again. We should be sincere in what we say to God. It is useless to read page after page out of our prayer book and not mean one word of what we have read. God does not care for that sort of prayer. We must not treat Him as we would be ashamed to treat a neighbor, turning away even while we were greeting Him. We must look at God and speak to Him in His presence. We must mean what we say. When we read our prayer book, let us stop from time to time and ask ourselves: “Do I really mean what I am saying?” If we do this we will soon begin to love prayer. God is more pleased with ten words from our heart than with ten pages read carelessly. These are the things we should take home to think about. First prayer is necessary for us; there is neither happiness nor salvation without it. Second, prayer must be real in the presence of the All Holy God; we must mean what we say. Third, it must be humble.

Practice—I know that God will comply with my wishes in prayer only in proportion as I comply with His commandments.

PRAYER

O Great St. Anne, I cannot pray, I am continually assailed by distractions that force my thought from God and thee. The world, that looks so dull all day, glows bright to me at prayer. Often, when my voice goes up in pleading, my heart remains here below. There are so many things I need that God might grant if I could only pray from my inner heart. O Great St. Anne, obtain that I may have the spirit of prayer; that my heart may burn with love for God and thee. Thou who art so powerful with God, direct, guide and help the powers of my soul that I may pray and do God’s holy will.

Ejaculation—Great St. Anne, obtain that the Holy Spirit breathe anew through all my prayers.

(Litany and prayers.)

SEVENTH DAY

PENANCE

Our prayers and supplications should be accompanied by works of penance and sacrifice, because penance is the principal element of the Christian life.

There are two forces in man that are continualy warring against each other; a material force and a spiritual force. His body coming from the earth ever tends towards earthly things but his soul, coming from God, tends towards spiritual things. If the lower force is the stronger, then man will be more material and earthly, but if on the other hand, the higher force is the stronger, then he will be more spiritual and God like. Then it is of the greatest importance for every man, to weaken this lower material force and to strengthen the higher spiritual force. This can be done only by depriving the material force of those things for which it craves. This is what we call penance or mortification. Then the spiritual force will dominate and man will be more pleasing to God and in consequence his prayers and supplications will be more efficacious. Hence the necessity of penance and mortification for those who are seeking the favors of God through a novena.

Practice—Observe faithfully the fasts and abstinence, unless lawfully excused.

PRAYER

Great Saint! Thou didst join severe penance to admirable innocence of life; and I, who have so often offended God and deserved hell, hardly know the meaning of penance. What confusion for me and what folly if I leave the rigorous expiation of my sins to a future life when I can more easily obtain pardon for them here. My powerful Protectress, I stand in urgent need of thy help in this matter. Aid me to practice at once Christian mortification. Assist me to keep the fasts and abstinences of Holy Church and to flee all sinful pleasures.

Ejaculation—St. Anne, obtain for me a spirit of compunction and the courage to do penance.

(Litany and prayers.)

EIGHTH DAY

SACRIFICE

Another essential element of a successful novena is sacrifice. History teaches that when Christians sought favors at a Shrine, they prepared themselves for the pilgrimages by works of penance and sacrifice. They journeyed on foot to some distant shrine, begging on their way the few morsels of bread necessary for their sustenance. They prayed long hours before the altar. They denied themselves all worldly pleasures. Their hearts were fixed on heaven alone. They rightly believed that if they wished great favors from God, they must show intense earnestness and make sacrifices. Nothing pleases God more and makes Him better disposed towards us than sacrifices that are prompted by a generous heart. Let us then perform during this novena some kind of sacrifice. What shall it be? Shall we journey on foot from our homes to the sanctuary? Or shall it be works of charity. The faithful discharge of our duties is often a difficult and always an acceptable sacrifice. Let us choose for ourselves that which is best suited to our condition and to our state of health. But let us bear in mind that during the novena we must perform some kind of sacrifice if we desire to obtain great favors.

Practice—Invoke the help of St. Anne whenever God or your own conscience demands some painful sacrifice.

PRAYER

My Beloved Patroness, thou knowest how far I am from possessing the generosity that should animate a child of thine; how weak, tepid and cowardly I am in the divine service, thou knowest that for many months, nay years, God has been daily and in vain, asking of me the sacrifice of some affection, some pleasure, some sensuality, the source of all my sins. At least it has prevented my progress in love of God. I beg of thee great saint to obtain for me through thy good and powerful prayers, the strength to overcome whatever prevents me from giving my whole heart to God.

Ejaculation—Good St. Anne, obtain for me Generosity in God’s service.

(Litany and prayers.)

NINTH DAY

RESIGNATION

If we suffer from some illness, we can ask St. Anne to cure us, but having done this, we must resign ourselves entirely to the will of God. We may also ask Him for health, with the view of employing it in His service, at the same time leaving ourselves entirely in His hands; that He may do with us what He pleases; these are the best means to regain health. He who in his prayers seeks only himself instead of seeking God is not heard, while he who in his pleadings has only God and His holy will in view is always heard. “I sought the Lord, and He heard me.” What a powerful remedy for all sorts of maladies we possess in the words: “Lord Thy will be done!” Therefore when attacked by illness, abandon yourself entirely to the will of God, be ready to suffer whatever He may send you; unite yourself to Jesus on the cross, and do not desire to descend from it ere it pleases Him to take you down; show yourself ready even to die, if such be His Holy will. Have your crucified Saviour always before your eyes; you will assuredly suffer with far greater patience when you consider how trifling your pains are compared with those which Jesus Christ suffered for the love of you.

Practice—I will submit to the will of God in all things.

PRAYER

Merciful and beloved St. Anne, being by the grace of God a christian, I know I should ask, and by this prayer I sincerely do ask the health of my soul rather than that of the body, convinced as I am that this transitory life is given us in order that we may secure a better one hereafter, to which we can arrive only by the grace of God. This grace, together with the grace of patiently bearing my sufferings, I earnestly beg thee to obtain through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the intercession of His Immaculate Mother and through thy powerful mediation, O glorious and good St. Anne. Not in vain, O beloved Patroness, has the Almighty bestowed upon thee the power to work wonders. Wherefore I beseech thee, O kind Mother, to restore me to health, if it be God’s holy will. Amen.

May it be so for thy own greater glory.

Ejaculation—Good St. Anne, obtain for me the spirit of resignation.

(Litany and prayers.)

LITANY IN HONOR OF ST. ANNE

Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the World,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Have mercy on us

St. Anne, Grandmother of our Saviour,
“ Mother of Mary Virgin and Mother
“ Ark of Noah,
“ Ark of the Covenant,
“ Root of Jesse,
“ Fruitful vine,
“ Issue of a royal race,
“ Joy of Angels,
“ Daughter of the Patriarchs,
“ Filled with grace,
“ Mirror of obedience,
“ Mirror of patience,
“ Mirror of mercy,

Pray for us

“ Mirror of piety,
“ Bulwark of the Church,
“ Liberator of the captives,
“ Refuge of sinners,
“ Consoler of the married,
“ Mother of widows,
“ Mother of Virgins,
“ Mother of the sick,
“ Harbor of salvation,
“ Light of the blind,
“ Tongue of the dumb,
“ Hearing of the deaf,
“ Consolation of the afflicted,
“ Help of all who have recourse to thee,

Pray for us

Our Father! Hail Mary!

God has loved St. Anne,
And delighted in her beauty.

PRAYER

Almighty and Eternal God * who didst vouchsafe to choose St. Anne to be Mother of the Mother of Thine only Son * grant we beseech Thee * that we * who keep her in remembrance * may through her prayers attain the everlasting life * Through Jesus Christ our Lord * Amen.

PRAYER TO OBTAIN SOME SPECIAL FAVOR

Glorious St. Anne * filled with compassion for those who invoke thee and with love for those who suffer * heavily laden with the weight of my troubles * I cast myself at thy feet and humbly beg of thee to take the present affair * which I recommend to thee * under thy special protection. (Here pause and pray for your intentions.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to thy Daughter * the Blessed Virgin Mary * and to lay it before the throne of Jesus * so that He may bring it to a happy issue. * Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. * Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day beholding my God face to face * that with thee and Mary and all the Saints * I may praise and bless Him for all eternity. * Amen.