[saligaonet] In praise of St. Anne

[Daniel F. De Souza]

In Praise of Saint Anne.   THE MOTHER OF THE MADONNA.   There is one sweet Saint above Whom I fear we do not love With the love which is her meed. Worthy of our love indeed Is the good and kind St. Anne; Let us praise her all we can.   She within whose virgin breast Babe Divine took sweetest rest Jesus’ Mother meek and mild Nay, she is thy child on high--- Where she reigns, thou must be nigh   Thine, O Mother! the delight To behold this blossom bright Opening out in beauty rare; Thine to hear her infant prayer; Thine with wondering love to trace. Her increase in peerless grace.   Hadst thou gone from earth before Gabriel to Mary bore Marvellous message from above? Did thy tender Daughter’s love Hover o’er thy parting breath, Sweetening the pang of death/   This we know not—but we know That in heaven, as here below, Blessed Mary, meek and mild, Is thy grateful, loving child. Oh! How great thy power must be! Use it, kind St. Anne, for me.   Bid thy Daughter ask her son To forgive the wrongs I’ve done, And, in spite of all to spare, She will heed her mother’s prayer— And His Mother’s prayer, ‘tis plain, Never, never can be vain.     What new grace shall I implore? Ah! To feel yet more and more Of that filial love and zeal Which the Breton peasants feel— Honouring as best I can Mary’s Mother,good St. Anne.   ---Matthew Russell, S.J. Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas