Would it be incorrect to say that many among us have reached a point when all the fact-pace of the holiday season has brought about the need for some rest, some quiet. It is to quiet the jing-aling of the jingle bells. Yet today the Church puts before us in the liturgy for Tuesday, January 4th, the feast of Elizabeth Anne Bailey Seton the call to love others, to show care for others. In short, no time for really resting.
The gospel verses from Mark's gospel recount a moment when Jesus and the disciples are tired from handling the large crowds that wanted time with their new-found hope. But Jesus goes on. As we read, Jesus tells the apostles, "Give them food yourselves." Of course they are confused: it would take "two hundred days' wages worth of food" to feed such a large crowd. When asked how much food their was among the apostles, they told him their was only "five loaves and two fish." With this small amount of food, Jesus fed "5000 men."
What we learn from this is that with limited resources and a strong faith we are able to do wonders -- no matter how tired we may be. One person who operated with this belief is the saint, an American saint. FYI, if you do not know this: Saint Elizabeth Seton is entombed just north of Washington, DC in Emittsburg, Maryland.
A convert to our faith from the Episcopalian faith! Along with her husband, Elizabeth had five children. Not daunted by the demands of being a widowed, single mother, Elizabeth started teaching young children. Eventually she established a religious community, the American Sisters of Charity and began the American Catholic school system. She used her limited resources to bring about good for so many.
