Seton Reflections

Mother Seton and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (also known as Edith Stein) witnessed to a way of living and dying modeled on the ultimate sacrifice Christ accomplished on the Cross.

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.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Irenaeus suffered greatly in their lives and were deeply “acquainted with grief.” Instead of leading to despair, suffering made them fully alive to the beauty of the world and to the gift of God's grace.

For humans, finding a balance between justice and mercy is always difficult. But St. Elizabeth Ann Seton understood that God's grace transcends earthly limits, and allows mercy to fall lightly from heaven on our hearts and minds.

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.

In giving their lives, strength, and sufferings for their daughters and sisters, sons and brothers, St. Josephine Bakhita and Mother Seton are eternally united in the life, strength, and suffering of their Beloved Lord.

St. John Bosco and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton presented lessons of love and gentleness to the most vulnerable of children. Their gentle instruction inspired their respective countries through the many thousands of pupils who would be taught by the communities they founded.

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?

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.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Peter Canisius witnessed to the faith through their charitable actions and works of kindness—a strength they received from relying on the loving heart of Mary.

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.

The angels surround us, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton believed. God and his angelic servants are here to help us whenever we turn to them, in every season of life.

St. Vincent de Paul and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton weren't holy card or fairy-tale figures, but flesh and blood human beings who struggled with earthly dreams. Their lives suggest a way forward for all of us who suffer the tension between a comfortable life in the world and a life thrown open to Christ.

We don't like to put ourselves under the authority of another. For us, power is often synonymous with oppression. But in Christ, and in Our Lady, Mother Seton, and the saints, power exists in the framework of love. And when Love is what rules us, everything changes.

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.

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.

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.

The Immaculate Heart, Her Mother, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The difference is great between the young African tribesman in Uganda and the religious foundress from New York City. But we are reminded of their similarities through their different spiritual gifts in the same Spirit and their different forms of service for the same Lord.

In the Visitation, we see the Blessed Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth sharing the joyful news of the Incarnation. Their example shows us – as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton did throughout her life – that true friendship brings us closer to God.

The Patroness of The Impossible

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.

The rituals of Holy Week evolved over centuries to help us enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. Through her own experiences of suffering and joy, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's life was a mirror of Christ's Passion and Resurrection.

A few weeks after her conversion, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton celebrated the Annunciation by receiving Holy Communion for the first time. Thereafter, even in moments of poverty, loss and death, Elizabeth would follow Mary's example with grace, courage, and a mission to serve others.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was awestruck after confessing her sins for the first time. The account of Jesus' anger in the temple is a reminder to us of the power of his mercy to restore the temples of our souls.

When Bernadette Soubirous and Elizabeth Ann Seton each discerned their callings, these future saints gave unstinting witness to their missions, in extreme obedience to truths that brought hope and light to many. They never backed down.

Finding joy within sorrow

In difficult times, the Saints model courage rooted in Christ

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.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Peter Canisius witnessed to the faith through their charitable actions and works of kindness—a strength they received from relying on the loving heart of Mary.