St. Joseph's Catholic Church

Weekly Bulletin and Mass Intentions

Saint Anne

By the Fathers of the Church

St. John of Damascus

2nd Sermon on the Birth of the Blessed Virgin

The home of Anne is set before us, wherein to see an example both of married and of maiden life, the one in the person of the mother, the other in that of the daughter, whereof the one hath but now ceased to be barren, and the other is in a little while destined, beyond the course of nature, to become the Mother of the Messiah by a singular birth, specially designed by God to build up anew our nature. It is with reason then that Anne, filled with the Holy Ghost, with joyful and jubilant spirit singeth aloud: Rejoice with me, for out of my barren womb I have borne the bud of promise, and, as I have longed, I nourish at my breasts the fruit of benediction. I have laid aside the mournful garments of barrenness, and put on the joyful raiment of fruitfulness. Let Hannah the adversary of Peninnah make merry with me, and join with me for fellow-feeling, in singing of this new and unhoped-for wonder that is wrought in me.

Let Sarah be glad that was joyfully pregnant in her old age, and was a shadow cast before of my conception that hitherto have been barren. Let all the barren and fruitless break forth into singing, when they behold in what wondrous wise I have been visited from heaven. Let all mothers likewise, that like Anne are gifted with fruitfulness, say: Blessed be He That gave their desire unto them that besought Him, That gave fruitfulness unto her that was barren, and That granted unto her that from her should bud forth the joy-bringing Virgin, who, according to the flesh, was Mother of God, and whose womb was a heaven wherein He dwelt Whom no place can contain. Let us also with them offer our praises to her that was called barren, but now is become the mother of a maidchild; let us say unto her in the words of the Scripture: O how blessed is the house of David from whence thou art sprung, and that womb wherein God hath fashioned the ark of His holiness, that is, her, by whom He was Himself conceived without man's seed.

Blessed art thou, and thrice blessed, whom God hath so blessed as to make thee to bring forth, as His own gift, the babe Mary, whose very name is highly honourable, out of whom Christ, the Flower of life, blossomed a maiden whose rising is glorious, and whose delivery is worth more than the world. We also, O woman most blessed, do wish thee joy. In sooth thou hast brought forth what we have all hoped for, and God hath given us, namely, the babe of promise. Blessed indeed art thou, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. The tongues of all the godly do magnify thine offspring, and every glad word is spoken concerning her of whom thou art delivered. Meet in truth is it, and most meet to praise her who received a revelation from the goodness of God, and bore for us such and so great a fruit, from whom sweet Jesus sprang.

Matt 13:44: At that time Jesus spake unto His disciples this parable The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field. And so on.

Homily by Pope St Gregory the Great

11th on the Gospels

Dearly beloved brethren, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto the things of earth, to the end that by the mean of things which we know, our mind may rise to the contemplation of the things which we know not by the example of things which are seen, may fix her gaze on things which are not seen by the touch of things which she useth, may be warmed towards the things which she useth not; by things which she knoweth and loveth, to love also the things which she knoweth not. For, behold, “the kingdom of heaven is likened unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and, for joy thereof, goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field.”

And herein we must remark that the treasure, when once it hath been found, is hidden to keep it safe. He whose intimate yearnings after God are not hidden from the praise of men, is open thereby to the attacks of evil spirits. In this life we are, as it were, journeying homewards on a road beset by evil spirits who are like highwaymen. He therefore inviteth robbery who carrieth his treasure ostentatiously. Doubtless our neighbour should be able to see our good works, as it is written: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” But this is not to be understood to mean that we are to seek the praise of men by what we do. Rather, let us in such wise work in the open that the inner intention of devotion is not advertised. So we shall give an example to our neighbour, and yet keep hidden, except from the sight of God, our purpose of pleasing him.

The treasure is the desire of heaven; but the field, in which the treasure is hidden, is the discipline of zeal for heaven. Which field he in truth buys, when, having sold all he had, that is, having renounced the pleasures of the flesh, he treads underfoot all his earthly desires, by maintaining that heavenly discipline: so that nothing which charms the flesh will now please him; nothing which is cruel to his bodily life, will dismay his spirit.

HYMN

Mother Church exults with the joy of this blessed day, and sings the praise of Anne, the beauty of Judea, the mother of Mary.

Uniting the blood of holy kings with that of pontiffs, the glory of her ancestry is far outstripped by Anne's resplendent virtues.

Neath heaven's smile she ties the nuptial bond; and in her holy tabernacle hides the unwaning star of virgins.

O wondrous grace of heaven! Scarce is the Virgin conceived in the womb of her mother when she there crushes the head of the cruel dragon.

With such a pledge of salvation mankind finds hope at length; the dove has come foretelling peace to the redeemed world.

Praise be to the Father, to the Son, and to Thee, O holy Spirit! To them that lovingly honour blessed Anne, grant everlasting grace. Amen.

Santa Ana

Palabras de los Padres de la Iglesia

San Juan Damasceno

Segunda homilía sobre el Nacimiento de la Santísima Virgen

Se nos presenta el hogar de Ana, donde podemos contemplar un ejemplo tanto de la vida matrimonial como de la vida virginal: la una en la persona de la madre, la otra en la de la hija. Aquélla acaba de dejar atrás su esterilidad; ésta, poco después y contra el curso de la naturaleza, está destinada a convertirse en Madre del Mesías mediante un nacimiento singular, dispuesto especialmente por Dios para renovar nuestra naturaleza. Con razón, pues, Ana, llena del Espíritu Santo, canta con espíritu gozoso y exultante: «¡Regocijaos conmigo! Pues de mi seno estéril he dado a luz el brote de la promesa y, como tanto anhelaba, nutro en mis pechos el fruto de la bendición. He dejado atrás las vestiduras de luto de la esterilidad y me he revestido con el alegre atuendo de la fecundidad. Que Ana —la que triunfó sobre Penina— se alegre conmigo y se una a mí, compartiendo mi dicha, para cantar este prodigio nuevo e inesperado que en mí se ha realizado».

Que se alegre Sara, que concibió con gozo en su vejez y fue prefiguración de mi propia concepción, yo que hasta ahora había sido estéril. Que todas las mujeres estériles e infecundas rompan a cantar al ver de qué manera tan maravillosa he sido visitada desde el cielo. Que también todas las madres que, como Ana, han sido bendecidas con la fecundidad, digan: «Bendito sea Aquel que concedió el deseo a quienes le suplicaban, que dio fecundidad a la estéril y que permitió que de ella brotara la Virgen portadora de alegría; aquella que, según la carne, fue Madre de Dios y cuyo seno fue un cielo donde habitó Aquel a quien ningún lugar puede contener». Ofrezcamos también nosotros nuestras alabanzas a aquella que fue llamada estéril pero que ahora es madre de una niña; digámosle con las palabras de la Escritura: «¡Cuán bendita es la casa de David de la que has surgido, y bendito aquel seno donde Dios formó el arca de su santidad, es decir, a aquella por quien Él mismo fue concebido sin semilla de varón!».

Bendita eres, y tres veces bendita, tú a quien Dios ha bendecido de tal modo que te hizo dar a luz —como don suyo— a la niña María, cuyo nombre es sumamente glorioso; de ella brotó Cristo, la Flor de la vida; una doncella cuyo nacimiento es glorioso y cuyo alumbramiento vale más que el mundo entero. También nosotros, oh mujer bienaventurada, te felicitamos. En verdad has dado a luz aquello que todos esperábamos y que Dios nos ha concedido: la niña de la promesa. Bendita eres, en efecto, y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre. Las lenguas de todos los fieles engrandecen a tu descendencia, y se pronuncian palabras de júbilo acerca de aquella a quien diste a luz. Es justo, verdaderamente justo, alabar a quien recibió una revelación de la bondad de Dios y nos dio un fruto tan grande y maravilloso, de quien brotó el dulce Jesús.