The Twenty-Third Day of the Month of St. Anne

Interview of Jesus with Joachim and Anne in Limbo.

We yesterday tried to represent the joy of St. Anne and her husband on learning the glory of their Daughter who had been honored by the divine maternity. We would like to day to speak of their transports of delight on seeing the adorable soul of our Savior Himself arrive at the moment of his death. But words are power less to paint this scene! By faith we know that the soul, which was always united to the person of the Word, deigned to descend into the prison of the elect to announce to them their redemption and their approaching entry into Heaven. Try to picture to yourselves their adoration, their songs of love and gratitude on learning from Himself at what a price He had purchased them. After having announced all these wonderful tidings to the assembled Saints, we may well believe that JESUS who was so affable to all and Whom a few days afterwards, when He had risen, we find giving the name of brothers even to those who did not believe, and speaking familiarly to the pious women who had gone to His tomb in order to embalm His body, we may well believe, I say, that JESUS, who was so good to all, spoke at great length with His dear St. Joseph and with the father and Mother of His beloved Mother. What delight must have filled their hearts on hearing themselves addressed by Him, their Savior, their God, by the sweet name of father and Mother! What tender compassion they felt when He related to them in detail all the scenes of His dolorous Passion, from the garden of Gethsemane to Golgotha! They seemed to feel all the anguish of His Agony, all the blows that had fallen on Him in His scourging, and the wounds of the thorns and nails which had pierced His adorable Body. "How dear has our salvation cost Thee, dear Lord!" said they; "what love hast Thou not shown for unworthy sinners! Can it be possible that children of Abraham have had hearts so hard, so depraved as to hate and persecute Thee, and take away Thy life?" "And Thy Mother," Lord JESUS," St. Anne must have added, "how could she support such anguish? Where was she, Lord, during Thy sufferings?" "Near to me, her great love gave her strength to remain by me to the very last. The sight of her grief was my chief suffering. I beheld her pale, cast down, not even able to relieve her heart by weeping. And she is still on Calvary, at the foot of the Cross, awaiting the taking down of my Body by some faithful friend, so as to embrace and kiss my lifeless remains and place them in the tomb. One thought alone consoles me, which is that through the virtues she has exercised to day, she has enhanced her merits to such a degree, as neither the Angels, nor the Cherubim, nor the Seraphim, nor even herself or any other created spirit, except my own, is in a state to understand. And henceforth her glory will be in proportion to these merits, as will also be the power of her intercession in favor of those for whom I have shed my blood! Compassionate then the sorrows of your beloved Daughter, but rejoice with Me, at the glory she has acquired and of which you will soon be the happy witnesses."

At length, on the third day after His death, towards the hour when the first rays of the sun began to gild the domes of the Temple of Jerusalem, the soul of JESUS bid farewell to the illustrious assembly of the elect, again to be united to His Body, until the fortieth day thence, when He bid them meet Him on the Mount of Olives, thence to wing their way triumphantly to Heaven in His company.

EXAMPLE.

For many years, the diocese of St. Hyacinth has sent an annual pilgrimage to St. Anne de Beaupre, and in the year 1884, there were two, one on July 9th, the other, July 16th. At both of these the miracles and favors obtained were innumerable. I do not speak only of spiritual favors, though they were exceedingly numerous, since, for obvious reasons, these cannot be fully entered into, but I speak of corporal infirmities of every description which were cured miraculously. I will relate the case of Mons. Malo, a native of the parish St. Damas, who left his two crutches in the church of St. Anne de Beaupre. Three years ago this man was working in the United States when he was the victim of an elevator accident and had his legs broken in several places. For a long time he was under the doctor s care, and since then could only drag himself along miserably by the aid of two crutches. Having arrived at St. Anne’s, he approached the altar rail to receive Holy Communion and placing his crutches inside the rail, he said interiorly: "Good St. Anne, I give you my crutches and if you do not cure me I will have to walk on my hands and feet." This was his prayer and profession of faith. After receiving Holy Communion with the greatest piety and recollection, he rose to his feet entirely unassisted and walked away with the greatest ease, his legs having been completely cured.

PRAYER.

JESUS, true Son of God! It is thus then, that Thou hast loved a vile creature, the most ungrateful of sinners; this was the price Thou vouchsafed to pay to deliver him from hell!

Blessed art Thou for this great mercy, dear Lord; and blessed be Thy divine Mother who being animated by the same love, consented to Thy immolation and shared all Thy humiliations and sufferings. JESUS! Mary! in return for so much goodness I beseech ye to accept all those acts of thanksgiving and love which have been offered Thee by all the elect in Heaven and all the just who are still in exile here below. Why can not I burn with love for you! Why cannot I expire of grief and love at your feet! Glorious patriarch St. Joachim, and thou, beloved St. Anne, obtain for me some sparks of that pure love for JESUS and Mary with which your hearts were on fire; would that I could love them in the future as much as I have offended them in the past!

Good St. Anne, obtain for me a faithful remembrance of the Passion of JESUS.

PRACTICE.

When you make the Way of the Cross, show a tender compassion to JESUS and Mary in their sorrows and show lively gratitude to them for their devotion to our salvation. These sentiments are most agreeable to them, as they have frequently revealed to the Saints, and will draw down numerous graces on you here below and will merit for you a rich reward in the next life.