Recently I enjoyed a presentation at our Women’s Guild meeting on the life of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.  Being a Catholic Educator, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton but I never studied her story.  I just knew that she was the first American born saint and that she was passionate about the Catholic School movement in America, especially to provide Catholic

education to the poorest of the poor.  Elizabeth had a heart for children and established the first American parish school and the first American Catholic orphanage.  Listening to the speaker share with us how important it was to Mother Seton that children have access to Catholic education I could not help but think of the current state of affairs of Catholic education in both Catholic Schools and Parish Religious Education programs.

In the face of another Catholic school closing, I am so proud to be a member of St. William Parish!  Our foremothers and forefathers valued Catholic education, and while our parish did not form a school as was the original plan, our parish has a long and solid history of supporting the local Catholic School.  It never seemed to matter how many of our parishioners attended the school – what mattered was that Catholic education was available to all children.  Thank you for supporting the thousands of students who have received Catholic education over the past 53 years even though only a few hundred of those students were our very own.

There was a time in the history of the United States when Catholic families valued Catholic education; whether that meant sending their child to Catholic School or faithfully attending Parish School Religion. At the heart of the life of the Catholic family was the celebration of liturgy.  Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton had a tremendous devotion to the Eucharist.  She came to understand through her own education and life experience that Jesus Christ was indeed present in the Eucharist and that once she received the Sacrament that she was strengthened to be the body of Christ for others.  Her love of the Eucharist gave her strength to open herself to the will of God.  WOW!  

My friends, we need the heart of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton!  We Catholic mothers and fathers need to unite and bring God back to the heart of the family, for it is clear that the average Catholic family does not value Catholic education or the celebration of the liturgy. This is painfully evident in the empty seats of our classrooms and churches and boarded up schools and parishes.

Elizabeth took on the battle of fighting for her new found faith as a Catholic.  It cost her the love of her family and friends.  To her, the sacrifice was worthy and paled in comparison to the cost that Jesus paid for our freedom.  I challenge you with the question . . . what is the sacrifice worth to you?  Is the sacrifice worth standing up to your child’s coach or dance teacher; is it worth putting up with the groaning of your teenager; is it worth spending one hour to honor God on the Sabbath?  What is the sacrifice of Christ worth to you?

Let us ask Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton to intercede on our behalf and pray that we will be open to the will of God and be faithful to the command of Christ to “go and teach all nations.”  Let us begin in our own home!

Lord God, you blessed Elizabeth Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people. Through her example and prayers may we learn to express our love for you in love for our fellow men and women. We ask this through Christ our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.                                                 Catholic.org

Shalom,

Tina

For further reading:  http://americamagazine.org/issue/747/article/catholic-schools-we-need

Well, we survived our second Mother’s Day with my mother living in heaven.  My sisters, daughter and I spent a fun day with my Dad and I found myself ever grateful to be surrounded by loving family.  I found comfort as always in the words of God . . .

“May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.”

                                                                                                Ephesians 1:18-20

Think for a minute of the “surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe” in the context of the early Christians.  They witnessed their beloved suffer and die.  They swaddled him in burial cloth and laid his body to rest.  And yet, on the third day he stood before them in the flesh as they clung to each other in the upper room.  Having experienced the greatness of his power, they would certainly know the meaning of hope!  That hope carried them through as Jesus ascended into heaven and they shared that hope with others.  It is that same hope which enlightens our eyes and hearts today.  We can be certain that the riches he promised us will indeed be experienced if we but follow his word and live in his love.

My prayer for you is that you may keep your eyes and hearts open to see the greatness of his power in others.  For when Christ went back to heaven, he made sure that we were gifted with the power of the spirit and left us the gift of Eucharist.  As we take in his body let us remember that as Christ becomes a part of us we must reflect Christ to others.  The greatness of his power must be spread through our eyes and hearts and hands and feet.  Let us be sure that all know the hope that belongs to his call.

Shalom,

Tina