Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Lectionary: 207
Lectionary: 207
Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9
R. (3cd) All
the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel Jn 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.
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.
www.usccb.org
Meditation:"We have found the Messiah!"
John in his characteristic humility was eager to point beyond himself to the Christ. He did not hesitate to direct his own disciples to the Lord Jesus. When two of John’s disciples began to seek Jesus out, Jesus took the initiative to invite them into his company. He did not wait for them to get his attention. Instead he met them halfway. He asked them one of the most fundamental questions of life: “What are you looking for?” Jesus asks each one of us the same question: “What are you searching for? Do you know the meaning and purpose for your life?” Only God, the Father and Author of life, can answer that question and make our purpose fully known to us. That is why the Lord Jesus invites each one of us to draw near to himself. He wants us to know him personally – to know what he came to do for us and what he wants to offer us. "Come and see" is the Lord's invitation for each one of us to discover the joy of friendship and communion with the One who made us in love for love. Saint Augustine of Hippo reminds us that it is God our Creator and Redeemer who seeks us out, even when we are not looking for him: “If you hadn’t been called by God, what could you have done to turn back? Didn’t the very One who called you when you were opposed to Him make it possible for you to turn back?” It is God who initiates and who draws us to himself. Without his mercy and help we could not find him on our own.
When we find something of great value it's natural to want to share the good news of our discovery with our family, friends, and neighbors. When Andrew met Jesus and discovered that he was truly the Messiah, he immediately went to his brother Simon and told him the good news. Andrew brought his brother to meet Jesus so he could "come and see" for himself. When Jesus saw Simon approaching he immediately reached out to Simon in the same way he had done for Andrew earlier. Jesus looked at Simon and revealed that he knew who Simon was and where he came from even before Simon had set his eyes on Jesus. Jesus gave Simon a new name which signified that God had a personal call and mission for him. Jesus gave Simon the name "Cephas" which is the Aramaic word for "rock". Cephas is translated as Peter (Petros in Greek and Petrus in Latin) which also literally means "rock".
To call someone a "rock" was one of the greatest compliments in the ancient world. The rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: "I have discovered a rock to found the world upon". Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was – theAnointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the church as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith to know the Lord Jesus personally, power to live the gospel faithfully, and courage to witness the truth and joy of the gospel to others. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to draw us to himself. Do you seek to grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus Christ, fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth. Let your Spirit be aflame in my heart that I may joyfully seek to do your will in all things."
www.dailyscripture.net
 The Right Word at the Right Time |
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Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton,
religious
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John
1: 35-42
John was 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.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are the
Messiah, the Lamb of God come into the world to save us. Thank you for
revealing yourself to us. I humbly offer you now my mind and heart to focus
on your Divine Word, so I may better know and understand your will for me.
Petition: Jesus, help me to put you first in my life
and strive to help others to know you.
1. Knowing When to Let Go: Here, we see St. John the
Baptist in action and the fruits of his fidelity to God’s plan. As he
discreetly redirects two of his best disciples to follow Christ, his humility
is in full play. Not only does he accept the fact that he must take second
stage to Jesus; he actively works for this to happen. It can be very
difficult for us to seek only God’s glory and the good of those around us.
Our hearts easily attach themselves to people, to areas of responsibility and
to the attention we may get because of what we do — whether it be in our
profession, private lives, parish or in a volunteer religious organization.
However, if we really want to do God’s will, we have to know when it’s time
for us to let go. Like John the Baptist, the only thing we should have our
hearts totally set on is establishing Christ’s kingdom.
2. Facing the Consequences:Thanks to St. John the Baptist’s
faithfulness to his mission, two men — Andrew and John — meet Jesus and
recognize that he is the Messiah. John the Baptist never knew the final
results of his actions, but he trusted in the Holy Spirit and did what he
felt God wanted. The one phrase he spoke in that moment — “Behold the Lamb of
God” — had repercussions for the history of the Church and the world. Without
those words spoken at that moment, we might never have had the Gospel of St.
John, his letters and the book of Revelation, or the evangelizing work of St.
Andrew. Jesus might have called Andrew and John some other way, but they
would have lost precious time. We ourselves do not know how much is hanging
on our fidelity to God’s plan in our life. Before saying “no” to God, we
should ask ourselves if we’re willing to risk the consequences for ourselves
and for others.
3. Sharing the Treasure: Andrew, in turn, went
to share the news of meeting Jesus and recognizing him as the Messiah with
his brother Simon. Simon might well have laughed at him or ignored him. Jesus
was not considered a likely figure for Messiahship — he was a carpenter’s son
from a little town that another future apostle, Nathaniel, referred to with
scorn. However, Andrew knew that he’d found a treasure and felt the need to
share his discovery with his family and friends. Thanks to his enthusiasm,
Simon, the future St. Peter, met Jesus. The rest is history. We should ask
ourselves: Have I really discovered Jesus in the light of faith? Have I
discovered the hope and joy that come from knowing him as my savior? If so,
have I overcome any fear, timidity or human respect that might keep me from sharing
this treasure with others?
Conversation with Christ: Thank you, my Lord,
for helping me to see the way to serve you better. Thank you for the saints,
who show us of how to be your apostles in the world. Give me the wisdom to
know your will in my life and the strength and trust to follow through with
it!
Resolution: From now on, I will try to be more
courageous in sharing my faith with others and in getting them involved so
that they can have a life-changing personal encounter with Christ.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 4
JOHN 1:35-42
(I John 3:7-10; Psalm 98)
KEY VERSE: "He said to them, `Come, and you will see'" (v 39).
READING: The day after Jesus' baptism, John pointed out that Jesus was the "Lamb of God" who came to take away the world's sins (Jn 1:29, 36). Two of the Baptist's disciples followed Jesus out of curiosity. Upon seeing them, Jesus invited the pair to follow him as his disciples. The new disciples addressed Jesus as their "Rabbi" (teacher), but they soon discovered that Jesus was not only a great teacher, he was the "Messiah," God's anointed one (v 41). Andrew, one of the disciples, brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus changed Simon's name to "Kephas," an Aramaic word for "rock" (Greek, "Petros"). Changing a person's name signified a new relationship and function. Peterwould be the foundation upon which Jesus would build his Church.
REFLECTING: Let us "who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles" [Eucharistic Prayer I], continue in our own time to hand on the faith that we have received, just as the apostles did in their time.
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to learn who you are as I walk with you daily.
Memorial of Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
Born into a wealthy Episcopalian family, Elizabeth married the wealthy businessman William Magee Seton at age 19, and was the mother of five. About ten years into the marriage, her husband's business failed, and soon after he died of tuberculosis. Elizabeth was left as an impoverished widow with five small children. For years Elizabeth had felt drawn to Catholicism and she entered the Church in March, 1805. To support her family, and insure the proper education of her children, she opened a school in Boston. Though a private and secular institution, she ran it along the lines of a religious community. At the invitation of the archbishop, she established a Catholic girl's school in Baltimore, Maryland which initiated the parochial school system in America. She founded the Sisters of Charity in 1809, the first American religious community for women.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
All the
ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God
A chance
meeting you might say!The disciples ‘happen’ to be with the Baptiser; Jesus ‘happens’ to pass by. Yet how far-reaching that meeting: ‘They went and saw where he lived and spent the rest of that time with him.’ Andrew brought his brother Simon and that group of four was to become the kernel of the church of the new covenant with the people of God.
Jesus continues to come into our lives, often in inconvenient ways. Each one of these events presents an opportunity, an invitation, to spend the rest of the day with him. Those who became disciples spent the rest of their lives with him and for him. It is out of such small beginnings that great things come.
www.churchresources.info
January 4
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
(1774-1821)
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
(1774-1821)
Mother Seton is one of the keystones of
the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious
community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American
parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this
she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children.
Elizabeth Ann
Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28,
1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and
marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the
fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian by her mother and
stepmother, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly
examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much
use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love
and serve others.
The early deaths
of her mother in 1777 and her baby sister in 1778 gave Elizabeth a feel for
eternity and the temporariness of the pilgrim life on earth. Far from being
brooding and sullen, she faced each new “holocaust,” as she put it, with
hopeful cheerfulness.
At 19, Elizabeth
was the belle of New York and married a handsome, wealthy businessman, William
Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of
tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed, penniless, with five small children
to support.
While in Italy
with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through
family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the
Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic
Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends
rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805.
To support her
children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group
followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in
1809.
The thousand or
more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from
ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness,
misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters)
and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the
first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975).
She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
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| The Seton home in New York City was located at the side on which achurch now stands in her honor with the formerly mathching building to the right (7 State Street) forming part of the shrine. |
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| Sign of the Shrine |
Comment:
Elizabeth Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will.
Elizabeth Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will.
Quote:
Elizabeth Seton told her sisters, “The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”
Elizabeth Seton told her sisters, “The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”
Patron
Saint of:
Loss of parents
Loss of parents
www.americancatholic.org
Lectio: John 1, 35-42
Lectio:
Friday, January 4, 2013
The call of the first disciples
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PRAYER
Dear Father, You who are the God Almighty and Merciful God, receive the prayer of your children, the Savior that you have sent a new light on the horizon of the world, rises again and shine on our entire lives. He is God ..
READING
From the Gospel of John (1, 35-42)
The
next day John was there again 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
Anointed). 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).
MEDITATION
In the first chapter of his Gospel, John takes us through a sort time of travel, a week long, punctuated by the repetition, three times, the expression "the day after" (vv. 29, 35 and 43). Our track puts us in the second of these moments, the central one and then the most important one, characterized by physical and spiritual transition of the first disciples of John to Jesus' "day after" the meeting, the choice of the following.
Our scene is crossed and brought to life by a very intense exchange of looks: from John to Jesus (v. 35), from Jesus to the two disciples (v. 38) by the disciples of Jesus (vv. 38-39); and finally again Jesus speaks to us in his gazing, in the person of Peter (v. 42).
The
evangelist uses verbs different, but all full of nuances, it does not deal with
superficial looks, distracted, transient but rather of deep contacts, intense,
that depart from the heart from the soul. Jesus, the Lord looks at his
disciples and us, so that, in our turn, we should learn to look at him. The
verb that closes the passage is beautiful; "to look" that means
literally "to look inside".
Jesus is walking along the sea, along the shores of our lives and John, acts as a photographer, records it. He uses the verbs in the participle to tell us that today, Jesus still is passing by us, and our lives can be visited and crossed by him and our world can welcome the imprints of his footsteps.
The center of the passage is perhaps precisely in the movement of Jesus, He walks first, then turns and stops, his eyes, his heart, about the life of the two disciples. Jesus "turns", that changes, adapts, leaves his position before and assumes another. Here Jesus is revealed as God incarnate, God came among us, man. He turned from the bosom of the Father and turned toward us.
It is beautiful to see how the Lord draws us in his movements, in his own life; In fact, he invites the two disciples to "come and see." You can not sit still, when he met the Lord, and his presence puts us in motion, makes us get up from our old positions and makes us run. We try to collect all the verbs referring to the disciples in this passage: "followed him" (v. 37); "followed him" (v. 38); "they went ... they saw ... they stayed with him" (v. 39).
Jesus is walking along the sea, along the shores of our lives and John, acts as a photographer, records it. He uses the verbs in the participle to tell us that today, Jesus still is passing by us, and our lives can be visited and crossed by him and our world can welcome the imprints of his footsteps.
The center of the passage is perhaps precisely in the movement of Jesus, He walks first, then turns and stops, his eyes, his heart, about the life of the two disciples. Jesus "turns", that changes, adapts, leaves his position before and assumes another. Here Jesus is revealed as God incarnate, God came among us, man. He turned from the bosom of the Father and turned toward us.
It is beautiful to see how the Lord draws us in his movements, in his own life; In fact, he invites the two disciples to "come and see." You can not sit still, when he met the Lord, and his presence puts us in motion, makes us get up from our old positions and makes us run. We try to collect all the verbs referring to the disciples in this passage: "followed him" (v. 37); "followed him" (v. 38); "they went ... they saw ... they stayed with him" (v. 39).
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The first part of the passage closes with the beautiful experience of the first two disciples who remain with Jesus, they later came into his house and they stayed with Him 'the path of salvation, of true happiness, which is offered to us. only when we accept to remain, to stand still, firm, determined, in love, without turning to and fro, toward one or the other master of the moment, one or the other new love of life. Because when there is Jesus, the Lord, when you were invited by him, nothing is missing.
QUESTIONS
The scan time of this part of the Gospel, with its "day after" shows us that the Lord is not an abstract reality and distant, but he enters our days, our years, in our concrete existence. I'm willing to open to Him my time, to share with him my life? I am ready to deliver into his hands my present, my future, so that He can drive any of my "day after"?
The
disciples make a wonderful spiritual journey, highlighted by the verbs
"heard, followed, went, saw, and stayed." Do I want, too, starting
this beautiful adventure with Jesus? Do I open my ears to hear, to listen
deeply and so I can give my positive response to the love of the Father who
wants to join me? Do I feel to be born in me the joy of starting a new journey,
walking behind Jesus? And then, do I want my heart and eyes are wide open to
begin to see what really happens in and around me and to recognize in any event
the presence of the Lord?
Peter
receives a new name from Jesus and his life is completely transformed. Do I
feel like today to give to the Father my name, my life and my whole person, so
that He may again give me a new birth as his son and daughter, calling me by a
name that God in His infinite love he thought for us?
FINAL PRAYER
FINAL PRAYER
The
LORD is my shepherd;
there
is nothing I lack.
In
green pastures you let me graze;
to
safe waters you lead me;
You
restore my strength.
You
guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.
Even
when I walk through a dark valley,
I
fear no harm for you are at my side.
(Psalm
23)
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