On Monday of this week was the Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
On Tuesday, we made colonial bread in her honor, and on Wednesday, we learned about her life.
This is pretty much how things go around here. We celebrate a saint’s feast week!
St. Elizabeth Seton—or Mother Seton, as she came to be known—was raised in the Protestant Episcopal Church but became a Catholic when she was 30. She was staying in Italy when her host family brought her to the cathedral in Florence. In her words, “When I entered the church, I fell to my knees. I prayed there for a long time because I felt that God was really present there.”
Now then. I’ve been to the cathedral in Florence and it was one of the most beautiful, majestic, amazing architectural structures that this little gal from North Dakota has ever seen!
It’s no wonder that St. Elizabeth Seton felt God’s presence there.
Yet I don’t believe that it was the cathedral alone that caused St. Elizabeth’s conversion. She also wrote about the generosity of her friends in Italy, saying that “truly, since we left our country, we have met with kindness and thoughtfulness.”
This made me wonder. Do I have the same effect on the people in my life?
After my big conversion—or reversion, as I had never actually left the Catholic faith—I spent a half a year in a conservative Catholic community in Kansas. And when I say conservative, I mean conservative. Yet some of those “more Catholic than the Pope” people treated me very poorly.
They were cold. They were judgmental. They could be very mean.
Good thing I’d already fallen in love the Church! Good thing they weren’t my only ticket in!
My point is this. As a Catholic, I have a HUGE responsibility to be Christ’s emissary to the world. I am called to treat all the people in my life—my family, my friends, the man on the street—with fairness and kindness and most of all, great love.
We are the only cathedral that many people will see.
AMDG,
What a lovely post, Margaret. And, so true. Was it St. Francis who said preach the gospel, and use words only if you have to? Our actions do speak louder than words. What a challenge to always remember this. By the way, we are finally cold down here in Florida ….It was 20-something this morning in my neck of the woods…….BRRRR!!!!!! Have a wonderful day ~
Excellent post. And yes, you have that same effect on people Margaret. 🙂
What a lovely meditation! And good for you for celebrating the feast weeks!! It works for your family and it's a beautiful thing! God bless you sweetie!
Thanks for sharing those thoughts…something I need to work on, I suppose!
Yes, you are right. Speaking as someone who would love to be Catholic, my reasons for it are the same as St Elizabeth Seton's. First, the sense of God's presence in the Catholic churches I visit. I sense God elsewhere too, of course, but in Catholic churches I find it so overwhelming and profound that often I emerge in tears.
Second, the example of the Catholic people I know. Mostly internet friends, but also some Catholics irl. I am so impressed by the devoutness, the kindness, the open-heartedness, the sense of humour, the intelligence, the warmth and welcome, of Catholic people, I want to become Catholic to be more like them!
So sorry. Pressure, I know. But yes, we non-Catholics are watching, and I can tell you that you, as well as other Catholic women I know out there, are as important and influential to me as the Pope.
If only the Catholic priests I have met would be more like you ladies, I'd be in the Church right now, lol!
We are the only cathedral that many people will see.
So true. God grant me the grace to be a beautiful cathedral.
I visit you almost daily! but have never left a message. Until now. I just loved your post. I am a convert, and boy, I have met a few folks in the years since my Easter vigil that might have made me think twice. And now I wonder, in the past 26 1/2 years, how have others seen my cathedral?
God Bless, Margaret!
thank you so much for this reflection – i love Mother Seton so very much.
definitely, "Mother" for me – i went to her high school and despite the not so Seton-like things they have going on there, I'd like to think her patronage kept me Catholic.
She's so great, something for everyone – wife and mother, educator and foundress.
big family, homeschooling mom AND order founder. what more could you ask for in a saint?
and, reading things she has written and said, doesn't she just seem like the kind of woman you could be FRIENDS with?
so holy, and yet so NORMAL? lol, maybe that sounds funny, but i was reflecting on the excerpt of hers in the magnificat on monday and all i could think was how much i long to meet and chat with her someday 🙂
Great post, and so true!
In my office, I'm the only "real" Catholic–one other guy grew up Catholic but doesn't go to church anymore. And for them, I am the only Catholic they will ever see. That thought hits me pretty frequently.
So true. Well said.
Amen amen amen. I love this reflection. I like to think of the little cathedrals that we are raising as well…and the impact as a group we make.
My husband and I ended up in a small town in NJ. We moved in just before Memorial Day weekend. My husband comes home from work that week and says he met a neighbor and invited them over for a bbq that weekend. I freaked out. Anyway, we ended up becoming great friends. He was a daily communicant and she was a convert. He was the happiest, funnest person that I had ever met. We laughed. We drank together. We.had.fun. Six years later, he perished in the Twin Towers. To this day, I credit him for my reversion. If he could be so joyful, so happy and at peace, I knew in my heart it was the Eucharist. He drew me there. You never know who you touch. You just never know. Be happy and joyful.