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. 

San Lorenzo and San Pedro devoted the whole of their lives not to their own comfort or advancement but rather to the Lord and to the mission of spreading the Gospel. And when called to give their lives as witness to Christ and to his love, they did so willingly and courageously. San Lorenzo and San Pedro lived for the Lord and they died for the Lord. 

Our parish came together to celebrate as a faith family during the Volunteer Appreciation Mass and Parish Picnic.
PICTURES OF THE MASS AND PARISH PICNIC MAY BE SEEN BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK.

As Jesus says to us in the Gospel, “If you live in me I will live in you”. He lives in us through the sacrament of the Eucharist and, for those who are sick, He lives in us through the Sacrament of Anointing. All we have to do is hold out our hands, open our hearts and say “yes” to the gifts of life He offers us.

Dear brothers and sisters, today's readings teach us that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. In the first reading from the book of Exodus, we heard that while Moses was on Mount Sinai speaking with God, the Lord became very angry because his chosen people were acting perversely. They had made an image of a golden calf, worshiped it and offered sacrifices, giving credit to the idol for delivering them from slavery in the land of Egypt.

God, offended by the people for having turned away from Him, was ready to destroy them all. Upon hearing this, Moses implored God to have mercy on the sinful people, reminding him of his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. If the people were destroyed, God would have broken their promises to their ancestors.

Upon hearing Moses' plea, God changed his mind and decided not to destroy the people as he had originally planned. History tells us that the people continued to sin. Consequently, except for two men who remained faithful to God, he punished the Israelite people by denying them entry to the promised land. Only their descendants received the promised land under the leadership of Joshua. If God does not turn away sinners, it is due to the personal relationship that Moses had with God, which helped God to have mercy on the people. God had that same type of relationship with Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Because of his love for the prophets, God stopped his divine revenge. How powerful is the intercession of those who live righteously. It is the intercession of the righteous that attracts the mercy of God. Therefore, God the Father gives us Jesus as Mediator of humanity. And if Jesus is our Mediator, he will surely provide us with the best defense to ensure our salvation.

In the second reading from Paul's first letter to Timothy, we hear how God's mercy sanctified St. Paul because he had a sincerity of heart. By the mercy of God. Paul, who had persecuted Christians violently, became an example for those who would come to believe in Jesus. St. Paul expresses his thanks to Jesus for the call he had received to preach the Gospel. He recognized that the grace of our Lord overflowed in him with the faith and love that is in Christ Jesus. Motivated by zeal to serve God, Paul had bitterly persecuted the Church before receiving his call. Because of the immense suffering he had caused to the Church, he had a deep gratitude to Jesus for the mercy he had shown him.

The Gospel of Luke that we hear today also speaks of God's mercy. In this case, three parables are given to declare the magnitude of God's mercy: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the Prodigal Son.

The parable of the lost sheep, which echoes Ezekiel's prophecy regarding the incarnation of God. “For thus says the Lord God; I will look for my sheep myself, and I will look for them as the shepherds seek their flock when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will look for my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places that were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will take them out of the villages and pick them up from the countries ... I will look for the lost, and bring the lost, and I will bandage the wounded and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and strong. I will feed them with justice.” God incarnate in Jesus Christ did not come to save those who were already saved, but sinners who needed to be saved.

The parable of the lost coin tells us how valuable we are to God. As the woman rejoiced when she found her lost coin, calling her friends and neighbors, so it is in heaven. When a soul has a change of heart and consequently receives its salvation through the grace of God that has manifested itself through it, angels rejoice in Heaven in the Presence of God.

The last parable is that of the Prodigal Son. Again, we see God's mercy in action in this example. The father had two children and the youngest of them wanted his share of the property to be able to go and enjoy it. In those days, a father could abdicate before his death and divide his wealth if he decided. Then the father divided his property between his two children. The youngest son left with his share of the inheritance to distant lands.

Like everything mentioned above, the people of God in the days of Moses, the shepherd who lost one of his hundred sheep, the lady who lost his coin and the father who lost his son, we all depend completely on God's mercy. Some of us may need more grace and mercy from God than others because we really are great sinners. But no matter how great a sinner is, there is always time to return because Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

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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