NOVENA PRAYER

Mary, Our Mother, by accepting the invitation to bear God’s Son to the world, you brought forth new life for all of us. Your faithful acceptance of God’s word is our model and inspiration as we strive to make room in our hearts for your Son and bear him to others. Help us to follow him more closely, even to the foot of the cross, as you did.

During this month dedicated to you, we ask in a special way for you to care for each of our own mothers: (state your personal intention).




Notre Dame, our Mother, we pray today for our mothers and for all the elderly. We pray for the homebound, for the lonely, and for those who are in hospice or nursing homes. May your care lighten the burden of those who feel bodily pain and may your grace brighten their days.

We pray, as in all things, through the name of your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

TODAY’S SAINT

St. Anne was the wife of Joachim and the mother of the Virgin Mary. She and her husband Joachim are the patron saints of grandparents.

We do not know much about Anne—but her name, and stories about her and her husband have been handed down by Christian tradition throughout the ages. The primary stories about Anne come from a book called The Protoevangelium of James, which tells the story of Mary’s miraculous conception when Anne was elderly and barren. Anne and Joachim are devout Jews, faithful to the law, yet they have not been blessed with a child. Joachim goes into the desert to pray, upon his return, an angel appears to Joachim and Anne, announcing that they have conceived a child, even in their old age. Anne is overjoyed and promises to dedicate their child to God’s service. Their child was Mary, who would become the mother of the Redeemer, and our mother. The Protoevangelium of James tells the story of Mary’s Presentation in the Temple when she was only three years old, prefiguring the presentation of Jesus. Mary then remains in the temple until her marriage to Joseph.

Although we know little about the rest of Anne’s life, the Church has always greatly esteemed the parents of Mary, because they instructed her in faithfulness to God, preparing Mary to accept God’s invitation to bear Jesus to the world.

The painting above, to the left, by Leonardo DaVinci, depicts St. Anne holding the Virgin Mary, who holds the Christ Child, holding a lamb. Anne and Joachim are depicted in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame’s campus in several places, including many wall murals that depict the life of Mary. They are shown to the right, in this stained glass window from the Basilica, which depicts them instructing Mary in the Hebrew Scriptures. Their relics rest in the reliquary chapel there—including a piece from their house where they raised Mary.

Visit the church built over their home in Jerusalem, and join ND pilgrims in singing the alma mater there, through FaithND’s virtual Holy Land pilgrimage.
St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin and grandmother of Christ—pray for us!

Visit the Mother’s Day Novena page>>