Blessed Saint Anne Catherine Emmerick

Have you ever heard of this wonderful saint ? She is 1 of my favorites. Anne Catherine Emerick was born to a devout peasant family in Germany In 1774 and died at the age of 50 in 1824. This precious woman received visions and visits from our Lord Jesus on the lives of Himself, the Virgin Mary and the saints. From a young age while tending sheep, Jesus and her Guardian angel would visit her and relay stories of his life. Recorded in books documented, even the location of Beloved Mother Mary's home which was discovered in Ephesus. At the age of 28, she entered into the religious life as a novitiate with the Augustinians. There she had such great sufferings as to make her bedridden.

     Recounting the holy events of the lives of Jesus and Mary are not only inspiring but deeply sorrowful when she describes His Holy passion, scourging and crucifixion. Describing the announcement of Jesus's upcoming birth to Mary and all the way to His wondrous coming into this world is precious in the visual accounts she gives. You can picture the joys and the sorrows with such vividness and purity that you feel like you are present in all of the holy moments of our dear family of Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph.

     Her sufferings that she endured during her life were all offered up for all suffering souls. Even the poor souls in Purgatory came to her, asking her to offer up some of her sufferings for the salvation of their souls. She suffered endlessly, coming in and out of consciousness to account these moments for documentation. Oh! To be like her. To have lived so close to Jesus and Mary, in thought word and deed and surrender. I could only hope to have but 1 percent of her holiness and love for suffering and resignation to God's Holy will.

     I suggest you read her books, as it will bring you closer to the love God had and has for His Son and Mary, and really, all of us...

     February 9 is held in honor of this holy and devout woman. Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, pray for us.