Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
(1774 – 1821)
Psalter: Week I
White
She was born in New York into an Episcopalian family, who ostracized her and left her penniless when she became a Catholic in 1805. Seton was the first native born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church.
Entrance Antiphon: Gal 4: 4-5
God sent his Son, born of a woman, so that we might receive adoption as children.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who were pleased to shine forth with new light through the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form through the child-bearing of the Virgin Mary, so we, too, may one day merit to become companions in his kingdom of grace. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 John 3:7-10
My children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning. It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared. No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97(98):1,7-9
R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.
Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy
At the presence of the Lord: for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn1:14,12
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 1:35-42
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace, graciously grant that, through this offering, we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty and, by partaking of the sacred mystery, we may be faithfully united in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 1: 16
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Prayer after Communion
May your people, O Lord, whom you guide and sustain in many ways, experience, both now and in the future, the remedies which you bestow, that, with the needed solace of things that pass away, they may strive with ever deepened trust for things eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Simon Peter first learns about Jesus from his brother Andrew « John 1:14 ». During Simon’s interaction with Jesus, the latter reveals Simon’s new identity as a «rock» « Petros ». Jesus then approaches Simon « now Peter » at the seaside and summons him to follow Him, extending His invitation Simon’s brother, Andrew, as well, calling them to become his disciples. At this initial stage, Peter and Andrew receive the mission of becoming fishermen, although they do not yet understand its significance. It is only later that Jesus informs Peter that he will be the « rock » on which the Church will be built. Peter also receives the mandate to strengthen his brethren and Jesus’ flock. In essence, this outlines Jesus’ disciple-making approach: establishing Peter’s identity in Jesus, and subsequently assigning him a mission to spread the Gospel. Andrew exemplifies the courageous one who brings his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. The mission of Jesus’ followers is to guide others to Christ. In another instance, Andrew will bring a little child with the five loaves of bread and two fish « Jn 6:8f », leading to the miracle of bread multiplication. This underscores Andrew’s missionary task, that of leading people to Christ.