Eastern Feast of Maternity of Anna

Therese did wonderful blog posts about two amazing feast days today: St. Hannah (Hannah's Tears namesake), and St. Juan Diego.

However, my husband reminded me that today in the Byzantine Catholic calendar, it is the feast of the Maternity of Anna (St. Anne), or the Conception of the Blessed Virgin.

Here is a prayer from Byzantine Matins:

O Adam! O Eve! Lay aside your sorrow!

Behold, a barren womb today wondrously bears fruit:
The Mother of our Joy!

Rejoice, O Father Abraham and all the patriarchs!
See your seed blossom:
The Mother of our God!

Rejoice, O Anna! Rejoice, O Joachim!
Today in a wondrous manner you bear to the world
The fruit of grace and salvation!

Rejoice, O choir of prophets!
Behold, today Anna bears the holy fruit
You foretold to us!

Rejoice, O ye nations!
The barren Anna conceives the fruit of her womb;
By preserving in hope, she bears our life!

Rejoice, O ye ends of the earth!
Behold the barren mother conceives her
Who without human seed will bear the Creator of all!

Today a royal robe of purple and fine linen
Is woven from the loins of David.
The mystical flower of Jessie blossoms
From which comes Christ God, the Savior of our souls!

(From the Matins of the Byzantine Liturgy - December 9th)

[The Icon is the Embrace of Joachim and Anna. This feast celebrates the conception of Mary by Anna and Joachim. This feast is traditionally celebrated on December 9th but has been moved by some Byzantine Churches to December 8th to match the Western feast.]

---Jessica Smith, NFPworks blog

Complete Trust..

The life of Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament is no ordinary story. It is a story filled with that complete trust in God which makes life a daring adventure, the kind of adventure one encounters when one dares to love God above all things and to place one's life completely in His hands. It is a story where trust in God and obedience to His manifest designs bursts forth into great sanctity.

Maria Luisa de la Pena

Blind Obedience..

At the age of fifteen in obedience to her parents, she married Doctor Pascual Rojas, a prominent physician who was twice her age. 

Doctor Pascual Rojas

Their life together was happy, a mutual growing in love of God and neighbor. God did not grant them children. They trusted and decided together that the poor would be their children. They built the little Hospital of the Sacred Heart to serve those less fortunate. After fourteen years of married life Maria Luisa was left a widow. On his deathbed, Doctor Rojas told her that he had no doubt what she would do after he had died - she would serve God as a religious. 

Mother Maria Luisita

Holy Endurance...

Mother Luisita is a model of holiness in the single, married, widowed and religious state.

Another Beautiful Lady for Our Time

The more I have prayed the more I see who the great patrons of our time have become for Hannah's Tears.  One of them of course is Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur the other beautiful lady is Mother Luisita.  The more you reach out to these beautiful ladies the more you will agree with me that they are our guide in a time of great suffering.  Go to them for intercession you will be delighted at how quickly they will come to your aide.

Born to a pious and wealthy family Maria Luisa de la Pena was born in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco Mexico on June 21, 1866, the first surviving of fourteen children. Married to Dr Pascual Rojas. They had no children of their own, but both worked tirelessly for the poor, building their own hospital. Widowed after 14 years of marriage. Entered the Carmel of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Born June 21, 1866 

Died February 11,1937 

feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Yes, let us bless Our Lord because He has allowed us to become so very poor. No doubt this lack of even the necessary means of support will help us all to grow spiritually. All we have to do is gladly accept the privations and rigors that poverty brings us. I know that God will only allow what is more beneficial for us to happen. ~ Ven. Mother Luisita

Other Sources:
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintmbv.htm

Special Devotions ~ Patrons for those struggling with infertility...extra prayers in the comment section.

St. Anne with the child Mary

Do you see how good God is to us? God has given us two very strong women, to help us through our times of great struggle. If you take the time to study the lives of these women, it was not easy, but God did bless them as He will also bless you. God has a special plan for your life, "seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be open" Matthew 7:7. This is something that goes through my own heart many times a day, do not be troubled by the times of struggle there is a great purpose and mercy, God has a plan and it is good. Remain close to Our Lord in the sacraments of the Catholic Church and he will guide you as you seek Him.

St. Anne

O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care. Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen. Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . . O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me. Mary (especially under her title of Maria Bambina) Hail, Infant Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou forever, and blessed are thy holy parents Joachim and Ann, of whom thou wast miraculously born. Mother of God, intercede for us. Novena to Maria Bambina Litany in Honor of Maria Bambina Prayer to the Holy Child Mary Song to Maria Bambina Prayer Card