THELITURGICALFEASTOFSAINT
“St.AnnaSchäffer: OurCompanionandBelovedFriend”
SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH Sta. Mesa, City of Manila
OCTOBER 5, 2023 THURSDAY 06:00 IN THE EVENING
To be presided by REV. FR. ARTEMIO P. FABROS Parish Priest, SHJP
In the name of the Father, and the Son, ✠ and of the Holy Spirit
All make the sign of the cross and reply: Amen.
1293 In the following or similar words, the celebrant or leader briefly addresses the faithful, in order to prepare them for the celebration and to explain the meaning of the rite
“I will help all who will call on me,” Saint Anna Schäffer of Mindelstetten herself spoke these wonderful words. Only someone who possesses an immense love for people and a firm trust in God can say such words. Anna Schäffer possessed both. We can accept her offer and ask for her intercession. God permits His faithful servant to help all those who are in need or have some other request. She is permitted to be His extended and helping hand.
We pray with Anna Schäffer:
“Each day should be lived with, for, and in Jesus. Lord, I give myself to You completely. Keep me enclosed within your Heart! Heart of Jesus, I join my sufferings with Your holy suffering which You bore throughout your life! I thank you for each hour of Your terrible suffering.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, all my trust belongs to you! All the happiness my heart is longing for, I find in You, O Most Sacred Eucharist!”
“Holy Spirit, Divine Consoler, keep us from sadness and despondency! Free all Christians from despair and from its disastrous consequences. Mary, Mother of Grace, among us human beings you are the Most Holy. That is why your motherly love for us poor sinners is also the most encompassing. May Jesus increase, act and reign within us!"
All replIes:
Amen.
On the Cross, everyone recites the Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell;
On the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
All replIes: Amen.
On the First Bead, everyone recites the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
All replIes: Amen.
On the 24 succeeding Beads, everyone recites:
Saint Anna Schäffer, in your infirmities you shared in the Passion of Our Lord Jesus, pray for us and those who are poor, the sick and the suffering. Amen.
Everyone recites the Concluding Prayer for three times:
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you.
Saint Anna Schäffer was a shining example of true love for God. She faithfully kept God's and the Church’s Commandments, according to the Lord's own words: “Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them; it is he who loves me.”
Anna Schäffer writes: “My only happiness, my joy and my bliss is Jesus alone, whom I love and who lives within my soul."
Almighty God, I love You and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna Schäffer with such an immense love for you. May her sacrifices and sufferings be fruitful also for me and grant me the grace to love you above all, and out of this love to offer You sacrifices and to patiently bear all my suffering. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father, grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I love You and Your Holy Will and I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
Even as a child, Anna was kind and helpful towards others. In her youth, she had the desire to become a missionary sister in order to help the people in distant countries. When later, due to her serious illness, she became bedridden; she nevertheless found many opportunities to help others in their sufferings of body and soul. She was occupied in knitting for poor children. Towards everybody who came near her sickbed she was friendly and amiable. Despite her own misery she had kind words for everybody and promised to pray for them.
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna Schäffer with such an exemplary love of neighbor. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me, when I, like her, do good unto my neighbors through the bodily and spiritual works of mercy. I ask You to help me in my special needs … (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father, grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
All her life, Saint Anna Schäffer was steeped in the love of God, the love of neighbor and the love of the Cross. She writes: “Take up your cross and follow me! These words by which the Divine Savior invites me to follow Him, are the foundations for my heart upon which is erected the Cross. Full of love and gratitude I will welcome it. With love for the Cross and with gratitude, the last breath of my life shall be exhaled...”
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna Schäffer with such an exemplary love for the Cross. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me, when I, like her, accept all pains and sufferings from the hands of God. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father, grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
Anna Schaffer prayed many hours day and night for all those who recommended themselves to her, especially the sick and the dying, for the conversion of sinners, for the poor and the needy, for priests and missionaries, for the Church in general, and for the poor souls in Purgatory.
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna Schäffer with such an exemplary zeal for prayer. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me. Widen my heart so that I will be able to pray for the intentions of others as well. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and his Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
Even though Saint Anna was unable to attend Holy Mass due to her illness, she nevertheless did not have to do without the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, whom the parish priest brought her virtually each day. The moments of Holy Communion were the happiest of each day, moments when she even forgot her sufferings.
She writes: “By one single Holy Communion here on earth I have already been amply rewarded for all my sacrifices and sufferings.”
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna with such an immense longing and love for the Eucharistic Lord. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me. Increasingly unite yourself with me in the Blessed Sacrament, and make my life more and more similar to yours. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be...
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
Saint Anna Schaffer possessed an unshakeable trust in God. She already recognized in her youth her life's purpose: to love God and to serve Him and her fellow human beings. Thus, within her grew the desire to become a missionary sister. When, aged 18, both her feet were scalded, she was no longer able to put her plan into effect, which was a hard test for her faith. For two years she hoped to gain her health again. She was meant to walk the way of the Cross, the way of suffering and expiation. And she said her "yes" praying: “Lord your will be done, I trust in you.“
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna with such trust in You. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me. Strengthen me, that trusting boundlessly in Your love I may accept any ordeal from Your loving hand. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and His holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
Her deep trust in God enabled Saint Anna Schaffer to totally abandon herself to the will of God, in all blows of fate she recognized His loving guidance and submitted totally to His Will.
She writes: "How happy one is, when one is totally abandoned with body and soul, with all one's being, with all one's will immersed into the most Holy Heart of Jesus. You wanted me to be exactly where I am. I am a tool in your hand, oh Lord, you decide and I will follow You...”
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which empowered the heart of Saint Anna to such trust abandonment. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me, by placing all my own desires and thoughts into your holy will. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be...
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
Throughout her life Saint Anna acknowledged God as her Lord, she venerated Him as the Most High and humbly submitted to His will.
She writes: “Teach us to say from the bottom of our hearts: I am a handmaid of the Lord... Often my eyes are full of tears due to the sacrileges committed against the beloved Savior. My God, in exchange, accept my sufferings -- poor sinner that I am. Ever since the Lord told it to me, I pray with outstretched arms, but only when I am alone, or during the night.”
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna with such deep humility. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me, as she did, and following her example, I will be always ready to serve You in humility. I ask You to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be...
Almighty, all loving and merciful God and Father grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of Your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen
Saint Anna Schäffer was obliged to accept a great deal of outside help, and thus she was grateful to everybody, especially to her mother and her parish priest.
She writes: “I cannot thank my beloved mother enough for what she has done for me. Surely God Himself will recompense her doubly.” For her parish priest she prayed: “My beloved Savior, always grant him health, give to me the sicknesses which perhaps you destined for him. I will gladly become sick for his sake and suffer for him because he so often brings me Holy Communion.”
Almighty God, I bless and praise Your goodness, which filled the heart of Saint Anna with such immense gratitude. May her sacrifices and sufferings become fruitful also for me, when - like her - I will be grateful for all the good, but also for all the bad received from You and my neighbor. I ask you to help me in my special needs… (mention your request).
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Almighty all loving merciful God and Father grant my prayer for the sake of the merits of your Beloved Son and His Holy Mother. I trust in the intercession of Saint Anna Schäffer. May Your Holy Will be blessed and praised in eternity. Amen.
1302 After the prayer for the Novena, as circumstances suggest, the celebrant or leader, if there is, may place incense in the censer and incense the image During this time, the Hymn to Saint Anna Schaffer is to be sung
Hymn to Saint Anna Schaffer
O Humble lover of God
Flower of Mindelstetten
You who love the Cross of Christ, Be our companion in life.
Chorus:
We come to you, Saint Anna Schäffer
We come to you, our beloved friend.
That in sickness, poverty, and suffering
We may always live for and with Jesus!
Coda:
O humble St. Anna Schäffer
Pray for us and lead us to Jesus
The Lord be with you.
All make the following or some other suitable reply And with you spirit.
L: May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R: Amen.
L. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R: Amen.
Then the celebrant or leader presents: And may almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit.
R: Amen
1304 It is preferable to end the celebration with a suitable song