Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
John was standing with two of his
disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,“Behold, the Lamb of
God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Today the Church honors Elizabeth Ann Seton, one of the first American-born Saints. She is considered the founder of Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph and influential in establishing the American Catholic parochial system. Born into a wealthy New York Episcopalian family, she later converted to Catholicism after the death of her husband. I find Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's story fascinating. She experienced much suffering and prejudice but remained prayerfully faithful. The Catholic Church would not be the same without the positive influence of converts!
Today the Church honors Elizabeth Ann Seton, one of the first American-born Saints. She is considered the founder of Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph and influential in establishing the American Catholic parochial system. Born into a wealthy New York Episcopalian family, she later converted to Catholicism after the death of her husband. I find Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's story fascinating. She experienced much suffering and prejudice but remained prayerfully faithful. The Catholic Church would not be the same without the positive influence of converts!
Conversion Jesus
calls all of us to conversion. It's not instantaneous. It's an evolving process.
Conversion never stops. Many times Our Lord calls us over and over again,
but we fail to respond. Maybe we are burdened by situations in our lives that
make us turn a deaf ear. For Elizabeth Ann Seton, it took immersion into
Italian culture and the painful death of her husband to realize her calling to
serve the Catholic Church. We all have our own unique conversion stories.
God calls each of us differently.
What
is your conversion story?
Personally, it took me years to decide to convert to Catholicism. I was
baptized in the Methodist church. In high school, I played violin at the
Baptist church. I always felt drawn to praise and worship but the
Protestant church just didn't
feel like home. I felt like something was missing in my faith journey. By my
senior year of college, through the guidance of a dear sorority sister, I
discovered I belonged in the Catholic Church! My mom recounts how when I was a
little girl I told everyone I wanted to be a nun when I grew up. I think
Our Lord planted a "conversion seed" in my heart at a very young age!
Following Jesus Following Jesus as his disciple is no easy task.
It takes perseverance, dedication, strength, and humility. We can
look to the Saints as role models. With great foresight, Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton identified a need to establish schools dedicated to
Catholic education. She saw the importance of passing on the faith to the next generation.
Acts of Righteousness In our
own conversion process, Jesus desires us to act in ways that are righteous.
We should love one another and avoid sinful temptations. The
disciples recognized Jesus walking along a path. They described him as
"Lamb of God" "Rabbi" "Messiah." They
didn't hesitate in the least to join Jesus. They acknowledged conversion taking place within
their hearts. They didn't want to miss the opportunity to do good for the
community as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Let us recognize the conversion influence in our own lives!
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for
Us!
This
meditation was written by Jennifer Burgin. In 2013, she celebrated her
15th year anniversary as a Catholic convert. Please follow her blog Jennifer's Spectrum of
Spirituality.
Great meditation, Jennifer!
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