From the Bible:

The fair grows like a palm tree, extends like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the Lord's house, he grows in the squares of our God. Even old, he still yields a profit; he remains full of sap and rawness, proclaiming the uprightness of the Lord «It is my rock! In Him no detours! (Psalm 91, 13-16)

St. Anne's life:

"I'm Anne, Mary's mother; God wants me to be honored here." This is how St. Anne introduced herself to Yvon Nicolazic on July 25th, 1625. She mentions that she is a mother, Mary's mother, which makes her Jesus' grandmother. 

It is with a grandmother's benevolent and kind heart that she welcomes the pilgrims of St. Anne d'Auray. She reminds us of the importance of transmission: of faith, of values, of history. Let us entrust her with our lives, she is our grandmother in heaven, and her greatest wish is to look after her grandchildren. 

The Church's teaching:

Elderly people help us to see human affairs with greater wisdom because life's vicissitudes have brought them knowledge and maturity. They are the guardians of our collective memory, and thus the privileged interpreters of that body of ideals and common values which support and guide life in society. To exclude the elderly is in a sense to deny the past, in which the present is firmly rooted, in the name of a modernity without memory. Precisely because of their mature experience, the elderly are able to offer young people precious advice and guidance.

At the very time when their physical energies and their level of activity are decreasing, these brothers and sisters of ours become all the more precious in the mysterious plan of Providence. 

From John Paul II Letter to the Elderly, 1999, § 10;13

Let us pray:

On this last day, O St. Anne, we lift up in our prayers our elders. May they choose you as a model and gladly undertake their mission of faith, values, and history transmission. O St. Anne, you who knew widowhood, comfort and alleviate the pain of those who lost their spouse, so that they won't end their life in loneliness. And when the time comes, be at their side as they prepare to meet your Divine grandson. Amen. 

Saint Anne, we pray you,

Be the guard

Of faith in our hearts,

Of grace in our souls,

Of the solidity of our homes

Of love in our family

Of reconciliation in the Church

Of peace in the world.

Keep alive in us

The virtue of hope.

Conclusion prayer:

Short version:

• One Our Father, one Hail Mary, One Glory Be.
• Say once “St. Anne, pray for us and our families.”

Longer version:

• A rosary decade, or even a full rosary (five decades).
• “St. Anne, pray for us and our families.”

Suggested reading: Letter to the elderly, John Paul II, 1999

Thank you

Thank you for praying with us and others! 🙏

-If you wish to leave a testimony you may do so by clicking here.

-If you wish to pray for others or for others to pray for you, you may do so by clicking here.

-If you wish to see what other prayer communities we have on Hozana, you may do so by clicking here.

Click Pray to pray the Closing Prayer.