Patron saint of grandmothers might be the most obvious patronage for St. Anne, after all, she is the earthly grandmother of Jesus! I wish we had more information about St. Anne so we could know about her interactions with Jesus. Was she still alive when He was born? Did she visit and help Mary as she adapted to life as a young mother? I know my mom ended up sleeping on the couch in our apartment on our first night home from the hospital with Joy. Did Mary have her mother around for such things?
I can recall sitting on my grandmother’s lap as a child. Her right arm was wrapped around me so that her hand gently rubbed my knee. I’m not sure why that is the image in my memory. I suppose it is an experience of safety and comfort from childhood. We all hold on to those memories, don’t we?
I actually had two extended stays with my grandmother in my late teen years. The first was for three weeks one summer. The second was for one school year while I studied music education at the university a few blocks from her house. One night, while staying with her, I had a terrible nightmare. It was so bad that I had trouble getting to sleep for a few nights after that. Somehow she noticed that something was wrong and asked me about it. When I told her what was wrong, she gave me a small bottle of holy water and told me to use it to make the sign of the cross and say a prayer before bed. That was just what I needed! What a blessing to have her wisdom in my life.
I wish I had memories of my other grandmother. I remember one picture of her holding me on my baptism day, but she died when I was just 6 months old. Still, there were other family members on my dad’s side who did a good job of filling that void for us. In particular, my two aunts did a nice job of assuming the matriarchal roles. They hosted the major holiday gatherings for that side of the family, and they were always there at major events in our lives. I suppose I was doubly blessed to have so many strong women in my life.
That is how I imagine St. Anne. She must have been quite a role model for Mary as she was growing and developing her faith. Stories of Joachim and Anne describe their prayers to God asking for a child, including a promise to dedicate that child to God. Certainly, the Blessed Mother was the model of obedience and devotion to God.
Jesus, we pray today for all grandmothers and those filling the grandmother role. Please hold them dear to Your heart, much like your own beloved grandmother, St. Anne. Guide them to help us build strong families and create loving childhood memories for all of us.