200 years ago today, Elizabeth Ann Seton, entered into eternal life.
Mother Seton, as she was known is the first native-born American saint, the founder of the first parochial school, the founder of the first American religious order.
Mother Seton was not raised as a Catholic; rather, as you might know, she was raised in a wealthy Episcopalian family in Manhattan New York. She married a wealthy businessman at the age of 19, and raised 5 children in wealthy New York social circles.
A dispute between the United States and the French Republic led to her husband losing his business and falling into bankruptcy. The Setons lost their home, and the stress caused her husband’s tuberculosis to worsen. The Setons were taken in by a good Italian family, but within 6 weeks, her husband was dead.
Widowed and destitute, Elizabeth, with her children, continued to live with the Catholics who shared their simple faith with her. She was so touched by their goodness and their faith, particularly to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin, that she decided to convert to Catholicism, despite the stern opposition from her Episcopalian friends.
I always marvel that Here’s a woman who became Catholic and ultimately a saint because she was treated with great kindness by Catholics at a moment of great tragedy—by ordinary Catholics who were simply living their faith with deep devotion.
After her conversion, she spent the rest of her relatively short life in charitable service, having a profound impact on Catholic life in the United States.
In the Collect, we begged God the Father, reflecting on “Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s burning zeal to find you,” to grant “by her intercession and example that we may always seek you with diligent love and find you in daily service with sincere faith.”
Burning zeal in finding God, diligent love, and daily service marked her life. Even in the terrible events of her life, the death of a spouse, the poverty and destitution of her family, she burned with zeal to find God. Wherever there is burning zeal to find God, he will be found.
And because of that burning zeal, she discovered multitude ways of serving God, ways of helping others, ways of instilling that zeal in others, ways of passing that zeal onto young people, gathering like-minded souls into a religious community devoted to works of charity.
If you are directionless in your life, don’t know what God is calling you to do, depressed with the way your life is turning out, do what you can to burn with zeal in finding God. It will change everything, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.
For the lukewarm and for all who are searching and longing for Christ, may they find him through the holy witness of His Church.
Through the intercession of Mother Seaton, patron saint of teachers, that all teachers, may share their knowledge with gentleness, patience, and concern for their students.
For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all widows and widowers, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord
No comments:
Post a Comment