St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Community is a welcoming and active, Roman Catholic parish serving the community of Mill Creek / Bothell, Washington. Our parish is served by the Religious Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit under the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. We are a diverse community of believers, guided by the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are a community that welcomes all people, inviting them into our spiritual home as we deepen our relationship with God. We are one faith family, united by our Lord and Savior,  Jesus Christ. Welcome to our faith community. I invite you to join us for liturgy and fellowship. 

"As the Advent season begins, it is a good time to reflect on the Christian call to joyful expectancy, finding hope and consolation in waiting for Christ" - Pope Francis

During the season of Advent, we long for joy, harmony, peace and generosity in our lives.  Join our faith family as we celebrate the Simbang Gabi Mass (Filipino Advent Novena Mass) as we wait for the birth of our Lord Jesus.

A cultural presentation and reception will follow the mass celebration.

"Jesus’ birth is a concrete assurance from God that never again will anyone be alone and abandoned; we have a Shepherd who conquers our every fear and loves us all, without exception.” - Pope Francis

Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent. As we continue to prepare for the coming of Jesus during this Advent season, we are invited to prepare the way of the Lord and straighten his paths. Last Sunday, we reflected that Advent serves to prepare us for the coming of the Lord as Judge, either at the time of our death or at the end of this world. We also reflect on how we can prepare to receive the Physical and Real Presence of our Redeemer through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. And we also reflect on how we can prepare for the arrival of Christmas, the birthday anniversary of the Lord's coming to this world as God incarnate. Consequently, it can be said that while the kingdom of God is near, it is already here, but not yet completely.

Today's first reading from the book of Isaiah gave a descriptive prophecy related to the coming of the king of David's line. He began by proclaiming that " a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom." Jesse was the father of King David, of whom the kings of Judea descended.

The Gospel of Matthew affirms that Jesus was the King that Isaiah was referring to, Jesus being the root of Jesse, who was David's father. With regard to the coming King, Our Lord Jesus Christ, it was said that "The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge." The Spirit of the Lord is the Holy Spirit, the breath that comes from God. It is the same Spirit who grants humankind the gifts of extraordinary power, wisdom, understanding, advice, power and knowledge. “Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. ” (Is. 11; 3-4)

Today's second reading teaches us that " Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." To fulfill the promises of God the Father to the patriarchs, Jesus had to be born as a Jewish citizen. Consequently, we must prepare the way of the Lord and straighten his ways.

The Gospel of St. Matthew today began by telling us that John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance in the desert of Judea. According to the Catholic tradition that has been transmitted, this reference is made about the baptism in the Jordan. John's message was of repentance in preparation for the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven that was near. It is the same message that Jesus proclaimed when he began his ministry in Galilee. "Repent, because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

At the end of today's Gospel, we hear the following words from John the Baptist: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”. With these words, John signifies the coming of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost. For this reason, when talking about a baptism of fire, it can be interpreted as meaning receiving the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. It can also be interpreted as meaning the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies people so they can convert to Jesus. As we prepare the Lord's way with our lives, we are called to review our willingness to receive the grace of God the Father manifested through the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit. During Advent, we are called to repent of our sins. We are called to pray endlessly, do penance, fast and perform acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters.


Walking together as brothers and sisters

We are St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.  A diverse Catholic family guided by the Holy Spirit, committed to serve others and deepen our relationship with the Heart of Jesus. 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church is served by the Religious Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit from
Christ the Priest Province under the
Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle.

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(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) 

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