ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, WIFE, MOTHER, WIDOW, RELIGIOUS FOUNDER, ECUMENIST............

As I have mentioned a number of times during the past ten days, the liturgical calendar this year includes a Christmas Season of 20 Days, December 25-January 13.  Therefore, today - January 4, 2013; the fourth day of the New Year, is the start of the second part of the Christmas Season 2012-2013.  It is the feast day of Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, 1774-1821; who became the very first native born citizen of the United States of America, to be canonized a Saint of the Catholic-Christian Church.  Born in Maryland into the high society of that day, young Elizabeth developed a much more humble and spiritual outlook on life rather than being concentrated on affluent frivolity although she married her true love William Seton, a prominent young member of the elite class.  To them fell grew responsibility for the raising and guardianship of his large family of brothers and sisters, after his father's death; while he and wife Elizabeth also brought forth a family of their own children.  The challenges they endured and the dreaded disease Tuberculosis, took the life of the 36 year old successful import-export businessman, just short of ten years of their marriage, leaving 29 year old Elizabeth Ann widowed with their five children to raise.  That she did with motherly dedication while continuing to grow in spirituality.  It led her to ecumenically reach beyond her lifelong Anglican/Episcopalian Faith tradition to become Catholic.  She and a groupo of women she organized founded schools for the education of girls and young women, that become the nucleus of what is the Religious Order of the Siusters of Charity, based on the Rule of St. Vincent DePaul.  Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton's life and work were grounded in her avid readership and particularly her devotion to reading the Bible.  From acceptance of the invitation of the Sulpician Fathers to establish a school in 1809, in Emmitsburg, Maryland; until her death in 1821, Mother Seton dedicated the remainder of her life to the ministry of children and the poor in overseeing and developing the first American religious order of women, and establishing the very first American free school.  Her greatest strength as girl, woman, wife, mother, foundress, and ecumenical Christian, was found in her personal commitment to God in Prayer and to the Sacred Scripture, the Eucharist, and to the Mother Of God.  Beatified in 1959;  Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized as the first American born Saint on September 14, 1975; by Pope Paul VI.  Her feast day observed today January 4th, is the anniversary date of her passing on to Eternal Life, on January 4, 1821.  Considered a patroness of Catholic-Christian Schools, and venerated by Catholics and Anglican/Episcopalians alike; may Mother Seton's exemplary ministry be for all of us an illuminating example of what our commitment to being Disciples of Living Faith in Jesus The Messiah of God's People can empower and enable us to be in serving the common good.  Continuing to celebrate our lives in the Spirit of Christmas will help us do it.............Fr.  Troy