Commentary on the Gospel of
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
In today’s gospel, Andrew and John, two of the disciples get to know Jesus. We see them begin to follow him. Ironically, Simon Peter is called by way of his brother Andrew. This is a pretty good example of the power of evangelization. Andrew gets to know Jesus, introduces him to his brother, and Simon Peter not only becomes a follower, but eventually a leader in the church. In this interaction, Jesus calls Simon “Cephas’ which means Peter. Cephas can also be translated to mean ‘rock’. Peter not only follows Jesus, leads the disciples, but eventually becomes the rock upon which the church is built.
Today is the memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. She was born to a prominent Episcopal family in 1774 in New York City. She married and had five children. She was widowed at a young age while living in Italy. It was in Italy that she discovered Catholicism. She joined the Catholic Church while living in New York in 1805. By 1809, she had founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. This was the first order of religious women established in the United States. Some consider her the mother of Catholic education. She started St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School in Emmitsburg, Maryland, USA.
So, today we celebrate two incredible leaders in faith. God is using your present circumstances to make you more useful for later roles in His unfolding story. —Louie Giglio
