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St. Augustine of Hippo famously said: “Every saint has a past.” No one starts their life as a saint; it is a journey towards the Lord. All we have to do is listen for His call. St. Angela of Foligno and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton had the courage to do just that.
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St. John Neumann and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton show us how to trust in God’s Will and make Christ the center of our lives even in a culture that runs counter to the Faith.
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Reflecting on the journey of the three wise men helped lead Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton to the Catholic Church. The Feast of the Epiphany is a good time for us to ask: Where are we traveling? What are we seeking? What star will we follow?
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Encountering the massacre of the innocents so soon after the joy of Christmas Day is a shock. How should we respond to such massive injustice? Mother Seton showed us that we can transform the world, one person at a time, by responding with love when faced with suffering, without asking “why” or waiting for justice.
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The feast of the Holy Family reminds us of the priceless gift of a family. Christ came to earth within a family, and he can come to each of us today through the love and faith found in family life.
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Saint Nicholas was a fourth century bishop known for his gift-giving to the poor, which inspired the story of Santa Claus. It was the love of God that inspired both St. Nicholas and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton to give generously and care for others throughout their lifetimes.
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The examples of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Francis Xavier challenge us today. They were each unafraid to seek and preach the truth, despite what others might think or what it might cost them.
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St. Cecilia and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, two great saints separated by many centuries, call us to contemplate the beauty of God’s love, the wonders of His Creation, and the powerful effect of beautiful music on our hearts, minds, and souls.
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The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a day to reflect on the gift of maternity in all its forms, and to consider the example of Mother Seton, who stepped into the hard tasks of motherhood with courage and unswerving faith.
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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton knew the secret of God’s grace and generosity. She once wrote: “The greater my unworthiness, the more abundant His mercy.” Her words are a great consolation when we feel weak in the face of a world that needs us.
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Humility consists in embracing God and his ways over the ways of the earth, no matter the cost.
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In today’s world, we need God more than ever, and we need to unite our wills with His. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary reminds us that communion with God requires prayer. The Blessed Mother understood this, as did Mother Seton: ‘Make my heart like unto thine.’
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St. Faustina and Mother Seton inspire us to bring our little bits of good will to the small tasks before us, and trust that God can accomplish great things through them.
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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton grew up longing for a mother’s love. Her own mother died when she was just three-years-old. So when Elizabeth entered the Catholic Church, God gave her his own mother, Mary. For the rest of her life, she clung to the Blessed Mother. And just as she urged her Sisters to sing Mary’s praises, she urges us to do the same.
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No matter what our family and its educational choices look like, God teaches and forms us through our daily struggle to love and serve those closest to us.
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Adoring Christ in the Eucharist with reverence and devotion leads us to love him more and to know his presence in our lives.
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Elizabeth Seton’s ordinary life reminds us that even without divine visions we can discover God’s abiding presence and grace in the everyday circumstances of life.
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Throughout their lives, St. Anne and Mother Seton had little idea of the glorious destiny God had in mind for them. They show us how to be faithful to God in all things, and to trust in his perfect plan for our lives.
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Faith is not free; it comes with a cost. But that cost seems small when compared with the immense riches of grace.
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These two great women show us that God can take the smallest and most humble act of love and transform it into “Veronica’s veil,” an imprint of his own divine charity and mercy.
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Lost car keys or a feverish child might not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of life, but it’s in the small, everyday things that we find a multitude of ways to love.
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Mother Seton’s dedication to teaching, and her care for the poor and suffering, reflected the perfect maternal love of Mary, a love that we learn through devotion to her Immaculate Heart.
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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton believed in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist even before she was fully received into the Church. Let us remember her witness during the Feast of Corpus Christi, as we approach the altar to receive the great gift of God himself.
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As we endure trials and isolation during the pandemic, we can look to St. Julian of Norwich and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for strength. They share the mystic’s confidence that “all shall be well” if we trust in God. These things that we suffer and fear – pain, death, illness, loss, and strife – Jesus has already overcome. We suffer in the world, but He has conquered the world.
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If we knew God’s plan for our lives ahead of time, we may feel too scared or overwhelmed to trust Him. But we have the example of St. Rose Venerini and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton to show us how to give God one faithful “yes” at a time.
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We say the words “Thy will be done” countless times, but do we really mean them? St. Elizabeth Ann Seton shows us how we can grow into our prayers – even the tough ones – by opening ourselves to God’s love, and learning to trust Him completely.
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God doesn’t want a casual relationship. He wants us to turn to him in everything we do. As St. Elizabeth Ann Seton says: “He wants us to lift our hearts to him. Always.”
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If we knew the crosses in store for our lives before they were given to us, we may despair and give up immediately. Saint Jean Baptiste de la Salle and Mother Seton show us how to take our crosses with full trust in God one day at a time.
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When St. Matilda of Ringelheim and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton were widowed early, they wasted no time despairing, and instead focused on God’s will for their lives. Their legacies speak to the importance of trusting in God to do great things with us and through us, regardless of our circumstances.
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Saint John of God and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton show us that not all sacrifices have to be big and dramatic to be holy. Extraordinary sacrifice can be found in the ordinary events of life.
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These two brave and unselfish women devoted their lives to educating poor children and ministering to the needy. We can see their legacies today in the religious communities they founded, and the thousands of Catholic schools across our nation.
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Following Christ is not without challenges. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Agatha are examples of leaning into God’s grace to persevere and triumph in times of challenge.
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Mother Seton was no stranger to illness and suffering within her family. By her example and through St. Blaise’s intercession, we can place our family’s health in the Lord’s hands, confident that He will bind up our wounds.
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When the Holy Family presented the infant Jesus at the temple, Mary learned that her soul would one day be pierced by a sword. Like the Blessed Mother, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s faith-filled devotion helped carry her through the pains and trials of motherhood, and can inspire us today.
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When we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, we proclaim with the Church that Jesus is the “King of the Universe.” Few understood this fact more intensely than Mother Seton. Do we allow Jesus to be the Lord of our lives? Do we accept him as King in all things?