Preparing to Celebrate the Feast of St. Anne

Sometimes, a saint finds you.

And those are very, very special times, indeed. Two years ago, around this time, St. Anne found me and I will be forever grateful.   There is no saint more dear to my heart, nor more frequently invoked by me than the grandmother of our Lord. She walks beside me, whispers in my ear, and makes sure I get my laundry done! My binder of St. Anne prayers is well-worn and nearly memorized.

July 26th, the Feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim,was a Sunday last year and it found me in a beautiful new church at the baptism of my godson, John (Marisa never did blog the day--I might have to do that for her;-). And every prayer we prayed there went to Louisiana, too, where Bryce Mitchell was being baptized.

July this year finds me taking up my binder of prayers once again, not for a pregnancy this time, just for the comfort of knowing that such a dear mother is listening and praying and interceding. Tradition teaches us what we know about St. Anne and her husband, St. Joachim. I think though, that some saints come to be known even more dearly in our prayers. It is in praying with St. Anne that I have grown to love her.

I've included here for you a copy of my favorite, now very familiar prayers. There are short daily prayers, a chaplet explanation, a litany, and two different novenas. Depending on whether you want to finish on the feast or the day before, you want to start a novena on the 17th or 18th. My St. Anne chaplet broke a few weeks ago, so I do plan to spend these days of preparation for the feast repairing it. Alice Cantrell provides a lovely illustrated tutorial here, should you want to try your hand a crafting this beautiful aid to prayer. I have found that handwork that aids our prayer are the crafts that are most treasured and beneficial in our home. We don't always bead a chaplet, of course, but decorating a vase to fill with flowers next to a saint's icon, or pouring or dipping or decorating a candle to be lit on the feast are also favorite, simple, meaningful family traditions. And sometimes, there is no craft at all.

In our family, we celebrate a name day on St. Anne's feast. There was considerable argument around our dinner table when we discussed what to name our baby girl. It was settled by giving her both names: Sarah and Anne. (To this day, two of her brothers have yet to call her "Sarah." They only call her "Annie.") My mother, Mike's mother, my stepmother, and I all share Sarah's middle name. But only Sarah Anne gets the extra "e":-). And oh, how we love to celebrate Sarah Annie!

Our family looks forward to feast days with quiet, familiar joy. As a child grows, the day takes on its own traditions because the child begins to make it his own. For instance, the Feast of St. Michael around here always smells like incense and a kahlua devil's food cake baking in the oven. That has been Michael's preference for as long as I can remember. For the longest time, we had pizza on the Feast of St. Patrick because Paddy insisted on it.

St. Anne's feast will begin for me as all days do, with the Liturgy of the Hours. I'll pray the Morning Prayer and Office of Readings by myself in the quiet of the dawn. Both prayers bring me into the celebration of the feast with the universal Church. I will light a special candle, put her statue and her icon on our little prayer desk, and make sure that the children notice when they awaken. Then, it's up and out the door. The true "feast" is the Eucharist and we are fortunate to be able to go to daily Mass on feast days, where we celebrate the feast with the community of God. Father delights our children by always, always speaking about "their" saints. Usually, there is a special blessing after Mass for the name day child, as well. And there might be donuts on the way home, too;-).

Sarah Anne is just old enough that she might be able to express her preference for dinner and dessert as is our family custom. Already the lobbying has begun as certain brothers try to persuade her that her favorite dinner resembles their favorite dinner. Almost certainly, there will be chocolate for dessert. Sarah Anne is a big fan of chocolate. 

The day will end for my sweet Sarah Annie with more of that heavenly scent, this time it's St. Anne soap and lotion (as much a treat for me as for my baby). Sweet dreams, my darling girl; your heavenly grandmother continues to be so very good to us. Blessed, we are, those of us whose name means "grace."

St. Anne prayers and devotions:

Download Prayers to St Anne

Live Like Life's a Gift

This is a repost from four years ago, because, well, Nicole's been on my mind and in my prayers. And also, because Elizabeth deHority and I have had some long talks lately about living and suffering and understanding just how precious time and life itself is. Please pray for Nicole and her family and pray for Elizabeth, too. Your prayers are very dear to her right now.

July 3, 2006

My friend Nicole died yesterday.  A little less than a year ago, shedelivered her third baby a bit early.  It was then that doctors discovered a particularly aggressive and incurable cancer.  Quickly, it became apparent that instead of a babymoon, Nicole would spend her baby's first year planning to die--and planning her children's childhood in a way few of us ever do.

She set about to leave her three children--a four-year-old girl, a two-year-old boy, and her new little girl--little pieces of heart for every occasion she could imagine.  She asked for my help collecting a huge assortment of books.  She wanted books for each birthday, books for each sacrament, books for the first day of kindergarten, of high school.  She tried so hard to think of every possible time in a child's life that he might miss his mother and to have a book for it. Stop for a moment and think of those books.  Which ones would you include--living books that would live on in your place? Each one, she inscribed.  Her bedroom began to look like an Amazon.com warehouse. And with every day, every box delivered, she weakened.

She fought so hard for the simple things.  A couple of weeks ago, she told me the story of her little boy, who had gone for a walk with his dad to get ice cream and stopped to pick her flowers on the way home.  She cried as she said, "I just wanted to see him lick that cone. I'm not asking for big things; it's all the little things I want to have and hold."

Today, do the little things.  Pick your very favorite story off the shelf and read it with your child safely in your lap.  And then have an ice cream cone together.

Please pray for the soul of Nicole and for her young family.

More about being open to a life of prayer:

:it's not about what we're saying in our heads; it's about what we're hearing in our hearts.

Parresia

(Greek) Confidence, boldness, courage. The word is found 31 times in the New Testament and in the context of speech, it describes words that are clear and straightforward, spoken openly and publicly. In the same way, it refers to the confidence that believers have when they approach God with their prayers. It is not presumption, but filial boldness.

So, shall we chat for a bit about the rest of the story? I mentioned that I had the Velveteen series all queued up and ready to go a couple of weeks ago. And I mentioned that Friday's post underwent significant re-writing. The reality is that I almost pulled the plug on the whole thing. On Sunday before my series was published, a dear friend made a decision to stop blogging. I understood her decision. I get her. I love her. And sometimes, words are really unnecessary. She wrote what she meant. She meant what she wrote and I believed her. But on Monday, I experienced the horror of the internet from a different perspective.

I saw it through the eyes of a friend as someone I love and trust was picked apart. It wasn't my blog or my reputation. It wasn't me at all. Instead, I watched as people, both publicly and privately, questioned motives, cast aspersions, offered armchair psychological diagnoses, and then blatantly stole her content. I was dumbfounded as people questioned whether or not she even owned her own pictures, words, and lesson plans. I was astonished at the lack of compassion, lack of charity, lack of grace. And I was horrified.

My first urge was to pull my own blog down.  My second urge was to reach for the phone. I dialed familiar numbers.

We talked and talked. We wrestled big questions. We thought too much. And we shared with each other things that will remain forever in our hearts, because some things really don't belong here in this public space. By week's end, I posted my last Velveteen post.

She undertook the formidable task of making her blog safe in the wake of hate, protecting her memories and the images of her children from people who really would do harm.

Evlogia means blessing. The blog is a blessing, born of courage. Of confidence. Confidence in something--Someone--bigger even than the Internet.

Go visit. You will be blessed.

Daybook upon the Return Home from Away

Outside My Window

It’s 95 degrees but it “feels like” 100. I’m not a big fan of hot. Not at all. I wilt, droop, sag...

I am Listening to

The songs from the Sound of Music sung as only my darling little girls can sing them. We went to see an absolutely fabulous live performance while in Charlottesville and the girls have been singing ever since. They are also often found to be singing and dancing on furniture (we’re hoping that particular part of this phase will be short-lived). The show has finished its run, but I'm betting the rest of the season is well worth seeing if you're in the neighborhood (Barefoot in the park? Hmm, might need to plan a trip). And yes, we brought all the kids. The boys enjoyed themselves, despite themselves and even the little girls made it to the very end.

I am Wearing

Denim capris, a pink oxford cloth shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and new Once Upon a Shine lipgloss in Sheer Blossom. Isn’t lipgloss grand? Instant pick-me-up, not terribly costly and  one size fits all.

I am so Grateful for

Restorative time away with people I love in a place I cherish.

I'm Pondering

concepts create idols; only wonder grasps anything. ~ Gregory of Nyssa 

I am Reading

From this list. I tend to binge.

I am Thinking

That meeting Katherine Malone outside of Anthropologie on Saturday morning was very much an answer to prayer. Bless you, dear lady, for having the courage to introduce yourself and for sharing so generously from your heart. I am very, very grateful.

I am Creating

Nothing at the moment, but I have a notion to call a friend and see if maybe this is the summer to really learn to knit.

On my iPod

This song, sent to me by my friend Donna, early one morning, while I was away. Donna has a knack for sending just exactly the right words at the right time, so that there is absolutely no doubt she was inspired by the Holy Spirit. She sure did this week. Click and close your eyes for just a few minutes.

Towards a Real Education

Big deep breath in this department. I’m buckling down to plan in a big way this week. We’re talking utter simplicity here.  Tell you one thing’s for sure, I already have a booklist and I mean to use it extensively this year.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty

Well, we’ve done quite a bit of work on rhythm lately. One thing not on my list but often suggested is a nap. I’m going to try to get one in every day this week. I’m still not feeling totally well and I think the extra sleep will be key to recovery. I also plan to get back on that bike.

To Live the Liturgy

I want to get back into my daily Mass habit now that I have some big kids around to help me dash out for a quick midday encounter with Christ.

I am Hoping and Praying

That I will protect and ponder the treasure gained from my time away  from the internet and from the heart-to-heart conversations of the past week.

In the Garden

My poor plants are hanging in there, despite the overwhelming heat and absence of rain. The garden is struggling along but I’m not giving up hope for a comeback if the only the rain would fall freely.

Around the House

I had this little daydream going while I was away (with everyone under 16). I dreamt that those left at home would think to themselves, “Gee, wouldn’t it be really cool if we cleaned the whole house top to bottom while Mom is gone so that she would be greeted by utter loveliness and grace when she got home?” Then I realized how ridiculous that was and just hoped they might clean their own rooms. In the end, I was touched by the thoughtfulness of a nicely made bed.

We’re –ahem—cleaning this week; house looks like I left college students alone too long.

From the Kitchen

Leftovers from the party for World Cup final. Well, it wasn’t really a party, just us and a couple of Paddy’s friends I’d never met before. And after Mass this morning, Nicky invited Fr. T to come by for the game and he was able to make it. Nicky was tickled and we were delighted to have his company.

One of My Favorite Things

Walking the Lawn with my littlest in a frontpack and my three-year-old in a stroller. I walked that walk so many, many times. I could never have imagined being so richly blessed twenty years later.

Sarah Annie this week

She had a grand time at my dad’s house.  She stayed awake for the entire production of The Sound of Music. The next day, she was quite the trooper as we walked and window-shopped and lunched with a friend. She’s also very fond of frozen custard, the chocolate-vanilla twist, daily, if you please. Pretty sure I gained back every ounce I lost. Someone had to keep that custard from dripping.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week

Ummm…I don’t know. I have very few plans for this week. There’s that housework thing calling my name and I see soccer is back on the schedule at least twice this week.

I have a big stack of books to mail (Thank you! For your overwhelming interestJ.

And we really need to research and make some dance decisions…Then there’s Gracie’s summer to-do list; gotta get to some of those things.

Picture thoughts:

 
 

  morning quiet, home away from home