Come and you will see

1 John 3:7-10; Ps 98 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God; John 1:35-42


Today in the church we celebrate the Feast of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first AMerican to be canonized. Now of course this should give us all who live on this side of the Atlantic a cause to pause and reflect not he fact that truly one of us have been raised to the honor roll of the saints.


Here is bit from Pope Paul IV during is homily of canonization in 1975:

"She is the first daughter of the United States of America to be glorified with this incomparable attribute! But what do we mean when we say: «She is a Saint»? We all have some idea of the meaning of this highest title; but it is still difficult for us to make an exact analysis of it. Being a Saint means being perfect, with a perfection that attains the highest level that a human being can reach. A Saint is a human creature fully conformed to the will of God. A Saint is a person in whom all sin-the principle of death-is cancelled out and replaced by the living splendor of divine grace. The analysis of the concept of sanctity brings us to recognize in a soul the mingling of two elements that are entirely different but which come together to produce a single effect: sanctity. One of these elements is the human and moral element, raised to the degree of heroism: heroic virtues are always required by the Church for the recognition of a person's sanctity. The second element is the mystical element, which express the measure and form of divine action in the person chosen by God to realize in herself-always in an original way-the image of Christ"

Heroic virtue and mystical dimension of the divine action of revealing the image of Christ.

But before we even begin to look at the final result of grace and faith in the human heart we must first look to the beginning.

It must start somewhere.

Perhaps every saint has a similar beginning as we encounter in the gospel, where the disciples hear the invitation spoken to every soul as the waters of baptism are poured upon the head and Christ speaks to the interior of each of us: "come and you will see."

Come and you will see, thus begins the journey of every saint.

Like the disciples, Elizabeth ann Seton, "went and saw where he was staying and they stayed with him that day."

Like the words of ANdrew resonating through the gospel, Elizabeth Ann Seaton found herself in jubilation as she too exclaimed "we have found the Messiah."

Here begins the journey of a lifetime of heroic virtue and mystical transformation of grace in the human heart.

Why are there so few saints? If we all start from the same line and move forward, why so few?

Why do so many of us never realize the greatness we are called with that simple invitation: Come!

The questions perhaps should be why so few but rather why not me, why not each of us, why should we not follow in her lead, for only in walking after her do we truly give honor and glory to the God who has called her, the Son who redeemed her and the SPirit who sanctified her.

Saint ELizabeth Ann Seton had her time, it is now our time to raise the banner of sanctity in our lives. If Elizabeth Ann Seton, a wife, mother, widow, religious can surrender to grace so can we.

Why so few becomes why not us, why not now. The call of Christ beckons continually: Come and you will see!

Let us go forth and let us see the fruit of grace be made manifest in the lives of holiness, not the holiness of others but our holiness here and now.


Pope Paul VI continues in his homily of canonization"

"Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with spiritual joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she marvellously sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. This is the title which, in his original foreword to the excellent work of Father Dirvin, the late Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, attributed to her as primary and characteristic: «Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American»! Rejoice, we say to the great nation of the United States of America. Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage. This most beautiful figure of a holy woman presents to the world and to history the affirmation of new and authentic riches that are yours: that religious spirituality which your temporal prosperity seemed to obscure and almost make impossible. Your land too, America, is indeed worthy of receiving into its fertile ground the seed of evangelical holiness. And here is a splendid proof-among many others-of this fact."