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"Anna's Prayer"
"Anna's Prayer" is based on a story told long ago in a book titled "A Child's Book of Saints" written in the 1800's
Long ago, before your great-great-grandparents were born, there lived a girl named Anna. She lived all by herself in a log cabin on the edge of a busy village. She was an orphan. Anna’s mother died when she was very young. Her grandparents were also dead and when Anna was twelve years old, her father suddenly died. Anna had no other relatives and was all alone in the world. But she still did have her big dog who loved her very much!
Anna's dog "Rusty"
Anna lived with Rusty in the cozy log cabin that her father had built before she was born. Even though she was young, Anna was an excellent cook. Rusty often brought Anna a wild thing in fur or feathers for her to prepare, cook and eat. (Rusty would always get some too!) There were hens in the hen house and Anna's hens laid well. Anna sold her eggs to the villagers and she also traded her eggs in exchange for fresh milk, fruits and vegetables.
Anna also had her mother's spinning wheel. Before Anna's grandmother died, she had taught little Anna how to use it. Now Anna was able to get enough steady work from the villagers to keep her spinning wheel spinning.
When Anna’s father was alive, he was a loving father to Anna. However, he did not teach Anna any prayers. He loved Jesus but his poor heart had been so broken when his wife died that he just stopped praying out loud. So even though he and Anna always went to Mass on Sunday (which was prayed in Latin) she did not know any prayers such as the “Hail Mary” by heart. The only prayer she knew by heart was a little rhyme that her mother had taught her. Anna would always kneel down and pray it before she went to sleep. It went like this:
Although Anna was an orphan, she was not an unhappy girl. She missed her dear father, that is true. But she knew that she would see her father and her mother and her grandparents and all those she loved one day again in Heaven! In the meantime, she decided to live each day the best way she knew how. So she kept herself busy with her spinning and her sewing and her hens and her cooking and her cleaning all day long. And as Anna worked, she would pray. Anna loved talking with Jesus, Heart-to-heart!
"The Lord is near to all who call on Him."
Psalm 145:18
Now it came to pass that gossip began to be whispered in the village about Anna. People who happened to pass by her house late at night said that they had seen a bright light shining through her window. They also said there were strange men standing outside of her house. Who were these men? They could not tell, for no one had cared to run the risk of trying to find out. So it was rashly concluded that the things going on at Anna’s house were bad and that Anna - who seemed so sweet and innocent - was not quite as good as they had thought.
When the gossip reached the ears of the old village priest, he sent for Anna and questioned her closely. Anna was grieved to learn that such untrue and unkind stories were being told about her! She knew nothing, she said, of any lights or of any men. As soon as it started to get dark she would stop her work, fasten her door, feed her dog Rusty, eat her supper, blow out the candle and go to bed.
“And you say your prayers?” asked the old priest.
"Well, I always kneel down before I go to sleep and say the prayer that my mother taught me before she died," Anna replied. "The prayer goes like this, ‘God bless this house from roof to floor; the twelve Apostles guard my door; and four good Angels watch my bed, two at the foot and two the head. Amen.’ ”
"There could not be a better prayer, my dear child!” exclaimed the old priest. "Every night, I want you to say that prayer with all your heart! You can be sure that the good Lord will take care of you."
Father paused, looked at Anna thoughtfully and then concluded, "Go home now, my dear child, and do not be troubled by what idle tongues may say.”
Then he gave Anna his blessing, making the Sign of the Cross over her saying, "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."
However, as the day went on the thought of Anna and the strange stories told by the townspeople would not leave the old priest’s mind. So late that night, he put on his cloak and lit his lantern.
All the village was still and dark as he began the long walk that led to Anna’s house. “She is a good girl," the old priest said to himself, "but people may have observed something which has given rise to these stories. I will go and see with my own eyes."
As Father came nearer to Anna's house he thought, "It is is a lonely place for a child to live all by herself.”
At last, he perceived the outline of the house. But then he suddenly stopped, for there, just as he had been told, was a bright light was coming from the window! He drew his lantern under his cloak and approached cautiously. The road where he stood was now dark but by the glimmer of the stars he was able to make out that there were indeed men standing in the front of the house!
The old priest suddenly grew hot with anger, and throwing aside his cloak and lifting up his lantern, he advanced boldly to confront the intruders! But they were not at all alarmed and did not make any attempt to escape. Then, as the lantern light fell upon their forms and faces, the priest was struck with awe and amazement! For these men were men of another age and another world, strangely clothed in long garments and majestic in appearance! One carried a lance, and another what looked like a saw, and another a chalice; but the most imposing stood near the front door, and in his hand he held two large keys.
In that moment, the priest understood who these men were! He fell to his knees but the men melted slowly away into the darkness, as if they had been no more than the images of a dream. Indeed, the old priest might have thought that he really had been dreaming except for one thing: the bright light coming through Anna’s bedroom window.
He stood up and started to move towards the window when an invisible hand stretched a sword across his path! Then a low voice spoke to him a solemn warning: “It is the light of Angels. Do not look or blindness may befall you, even as it fell upon me on the road to Damascus." But the old priest pleaded, "Please! Let me look! Better one glimpse of the light of Angels than a thousand years of earthly sight!" Then the sword yielded to his request, vanishing into thin air.
The old priest leaned forward and gazed through the window. With a cry of joy, he saw a corner of Anna’s bed and beside the corner, great bright dazzling wings! They were the left-hand side wings of one of the Angels at the foot of the bed! Then all was darkness. The priest thought that it was blindness that had fallen upon him but the only regret he felt was that the vision had vanished so quickly! As he turned, he found that not only had he not lost his sight, but he could now see more clearly than he had ever seen before! Praising God, he returned home, and as he went he looked back again and yet again, and each time he saw the twelve glorious figures keeping guard at Anna’s door!
"Jesus, I love You!"
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