#54 A Saint in the Middle
I feel like I have a personal connection with Mother Seton. My great, great, great Aunt Mary or Sister Olivia, lived in Emmitsburg and was a member of the Sisters of Charity, she taught at the local Catholic High School. When Aunt Mary would come to Nashville for a visit, she always brought me some sort of trinket from Emmitsburg along with tales about the life of St. Elizabeth and her path to sainthood. This was in the early 70’s and she was canonized in 1975. As a young child, I loved to listen to her stories. Of course, the trinkets and stories were also a way to entice me to join the religious order as I got older. Although God called me to be a mom instead of a religious sister, the life of St. Elizabeth has touched me in many ways over the years. One of my most treasured gifts from Aunt Mary, is a bone relic from St. Elizabeth. I keep it in my office as a reminder that St. Elizabeth can be called on to intercede in prayers, I know that when I feel overwhelmed, worried, uncertain on my next move or simply tired from a busy day that she understands. Like most moms, she wore many hats and tirelessly served. Even though it isn’t an official title from the church, I consider her the patron saint of multi-tasking for mothers. I believe that she knows exactly how to intercede when I call on her for prayers.
Like most mothers, Elizabeth poured herself out to those around her through her words, actions and prayers. She cultivated deep relationships where she was a source of encouragement and teaching of the Catholic faith. Elizabeth’s life was filled with responsibilities, demands and new adventures and Even though Elizabeth was always going from task to task, she also craved time for quiet reflection and solitude so she could spend time with Christ.
St. Elizabeth is quoted as saying, “the nearer a soul is truly united to God the more its sensibilities are increased to every being of His creation; much more to those whom it is bound to love by the tenderest and most endearing ties.”
There is so much more to share, but hopefully you have an idea of why this saint is so important to me and for all mothers.
I want to share 3 powerful life lessons that I have learned over the years from the life and example of St. Elizabeth.
The first lesson is to meet everyone with charity, including those who are difficult to love or for that matter challenging to even be around.
The second powerful lesson that I learned is to be still in the presence of God. As I shared, St. Elizabeth lived a dynamic life, as a busy mom in the middle, you probably know how this feels,right? . She accomplished so much in her brief 46 years here on earth. Through her journals and letters, it is clear that St. Elizabeth desired quiet moments with God.
The third lesson is to follow where God leads with open hands and a heart full of grace. The life of St. Elizabeth took many unexpected turns and twists.
The life of St. Elizabeth contains many lessons for mid-life moms.
Jennie is a Catholic speaker, Life Coach, Podcaster, Weekly Radio Show Host on Nashville Catholic Radio, and founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle. After 26 years of working in Catholic education, Jennie felt God calling her "to step out of the boat" to serve in a new way. In her new ministry as a Catholic Life Coach, she now equips and encourages middle-life moms to reconnect with who they are and their unique God-given purpose so they can MAGNIFY Christ in their corner of the world.
