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Gospel: John 1: 35-42
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.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast day we celebrate today, is the first American-born Saint.
Born into a wealthy Episcopal family in New York City, her life was a series of ups and downs, of heartache and hope.
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Her mom died when she was three. Her younger sister died a year later.
She was married at the age of 19, but became a penniless widow with five children to raise by the age of 28.
Once filled with fortune and promise, Elizabeth’s life seemed to reach a dead end.
But she believed that God wasn’t finished with her yet.
Shortly after the death of her husband, she made a leap of faith, converting to Catholicism and becoming a nun. This decision led to a series of firsts.
She established the first American convent for nuns, the first Catholic school, and the first Catholic orphanage in the United States. She also became the namesake of my alma mater, Seton Hall University.
One act of faith that led to another…and another….and another. By the end of her life, she changed thousands of lives for the better.
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So, what can Elizabeth Ann Seton teach us today?
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God always has a plan for our lives. Think of Elizabeth when she was penniless with five children at the age of 28. She had nothing – but she turned to Jesus.
That decision led to life in abundance.
The same can be true for us. When one door closes, another one can open. But sometimes a leap of faith is needed.
As the old saying goes, “Leap and the net will appear.”
God will never let us down.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) simplehealthsource.com (2) National Catholic Register, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (3) Darrell Crewel