THE PRAYER OF ST. ANNE

A REFLECTION FOR THE FEAST OF ST. ANNE

Today is the Feast of St. Anne, the mother of the Mother of God.  She was married to St. Joachim, whose feastday we will be celebrating in a few weeks from now.  This loving couple were happily married, but sadly, in their old age, still had no children, despite their unceasing prayers and penances.  It seemed as though God was not going to answer St. Anne’s supplications; nevertheless, she persevered and was finally rewarded for her patience, being blessed with a child.  Not only did God give her the child she wanted, but a child “such was never none like, nor never shall be,” the most glorious, most blessed Virgin Mary.

We should desire today to have the same patience and perseverance as St. Anne.  We should want to conform our own will to that of Almighty God, and be pleased by his answer to our prayers, even though that answer might be “no.”  For God is our Father, and “Father knows best.”  With his infinite knowledge of all possibilities, God chooses for us the path which will be the best not only for us, but for the common good of all men.  He answers our individual prayers according to his divine plan for us all, and we should never attempt to second-guess him as to what we truly need.  If only we could show the same trust in God’s will, surely God will not be outdone by our generosity and love, but will reward us beyond our wildest imagination, perhaps here on earth, but certainly in the hereafter.

Has God not answered your prayers yet?  He knows whether we are praying for something that will lead us into salvation or into temptation.  He knows best when to say “no.”  But he also knows when is the best time to say “yes.”  Perhaps not today, not this week, not this year.  If he chooses to keep us waiting, we should remind ourselves that he knows better than we do when is the right time to give us a favorable answer.  If we don’t have it yet, let us give thanks to God anyway, that he is keeping something from us that don’t belong having yet.  For those who love God and do his will, everything works out for the best.  Follow the patience and perseverance in prayer that St. Anne shows us.  Don’t give up.  The answer to our prayer may be just round the corner. 

Our Lord, says the Gospel, was born “in the fulness of time.”   God answered the prayers of St. Anne at just the right moment so that our Blessed Lady might be born to be at the right age to conceive the Messiah at exactly that fullness of time.  It all worked out perfectly to fit in with the Divine Plan for our Redemption.  The key to the timing lay in God’s answer to St. Anne’s prayers, so as we in our turn await our own answers, we must have trust in God that he will show us the same grace as to grant those prayers at the appropriate time where it will have the best possible effect.  So let’s keep praying, and leave it up to God.