Day 4 of the Thanksgiving Novena to St Anne and much more!

Day 4 of the Thanksgiving Novena

FOR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES

Dearest Saint Anne, I wish to entrust, to your care, all the people I love: my friends and relatives. In a way, since my love should go out to all mankind, it is for all men and women that I am praying. But my prayers grow more urgent and fervent when I think of those who are the most dear to me. My first request on their behalf, dear Saint Anne, is for happiness. Happiness is indeed the sum of all the best things in the world.

The loving Lord, who wishes all men and women to be happy, made happiness possible even through sickness and poverty. The most heart warming call to happiness came from Christ Himself when He proclaimed the doctrine of His beatitudes: "Happy are the poor, the pure, the persecuted..." (see Mt 5).

Dearest Saint Anne, obtain for all people - my friends and relatives especially - all the good things of this world, that they may bring them happiness. But first of all, obtain for them the grace to be happy, truly happy, even when the world collapses around them and it seems there is no one remaining at their side except the Father and His amazing love. Amen.

Day 5 of the Novena

ST ANNE MEAL AND CAKE

Finally I've gotten the photos of our St Anne evening feast! We were blessed to have the company of my choir master that night, so it was a great time full of good food and companionship. Below are the Chicken and White Wine pasteries.

I made a Flowering Tree of Jesse image for each pastie top. They came up quite well!

Here they are all yummy and cooked! The images on each could be well seen. I served these with pear chutney!

Here's our feasting table, we had the red and green like Charlotte had suggested. The children had red creaming soda and the adults....lovely pink champagne!!! A lovely tossed salad and homemade chips fried in goose fat! We recited the meal prayer to St Anne, in this prayer it referred to St Anne as the "thy stem in beauty budded Ancient Jesse's mystical rod."

The night was finished off with tea and.....cake! It tasted as good as it looked!

Today I received a comment on one of my Tuesdays with St Anne postings. It was from a Michael Austin who offers St Anne chaplets (ones that he has made) free of charge. For anyone who would like a pair Email me and I'll pass on Michael's postal address.

The 7 girls who won chaplets have finally made their choices, which I am sharing below! It's been enjoyable time collecting their choices over the last few days!

Mary Van Erd all the way from Canada was our first winner and she chose:

"Merciful, Healing Pool of Bethseda" Chaplet

Our next lady was Gloria from Smoothing Stones and her choice was:

"Yves' Spring of Healing" Chaplet

Becky Y (via email) was our next lady and she was delighted that this particular chaplet was still available:

"Sancte Anne's Beautiful Field of Grace" Chaplet

Jen L one of the dear ladies from 4 Real decided upon:

"Gate to the House of Mercy" Chaplet

Next came Mary (via email) and her choice for her daughter who is soon to be confirmed was:

"Fragrant Myrrh of St Anne" Chaplet

My sweet friend, Meredith from Sweetness and Light as lady number 6 said that she was happy for me to chose and when there were 4 chaplets left I had earmarked in my mind what I hoped would still be left by the time I got to her....and it was! When I emailed Meredith she was overjoyed for this was her first choice! A bit of heavenly ESP going on there, I reckon! So here it is:

"Flowering Vine of Jesse" Chaplet

And finally but not least, Nancy from Be Not Afraid Not having a choice being lady number 7 but she will receive this sweet and feminine chaplet in honour of St Anne's resting place:

"Sancta Ana Antrum Antiquum" Chaplet

These chaplets will all be winging their way soon, over the Pacific ocean. I'll be praying to St Anthony and St Anne that they arrive safely to each lady!