Jennifer Henry

SRT285 75

von Schlichten

May 21st, 2020

Reflection Paper

“….my trouble at being so unable to say my prayers and seeing always my partners instead of
God….” -Day Three

“To live according to the Spirit is to love according to the Spirit… To live then according to the
Spirit is to do what faith, hope, and charity teach—either in spiritual or temporal things.” – Day
Twelve

“…. Every day of life more and more increases my gratitude to him for having made me what I
am.” – Day Seven

Mother Seton is a beacon of hope in her writing. She pours her thoughts and emotions

into her pen and paper and allows for herself to be transcended admits her letters to tell her life’s

stories to her loved ones. Reflecting on her own life juxtaposed within her spirituality, Mother

Seton brings us an insightful reflection upon the depths of our own lives. From dancing to

vocation, Mother Seton’s quotes have allowed me to closely reflect on my own spirituality in the

premises of my life as a student, my personal life, and my understanding of leadership.

I particularly resonate with day three’s quote in my life as a student. Too often, I neglect

my spiritual life for reason of being “too busy” or “too caught up in my work.” All the more, I

am guilty of falling asleep while watching TV before I can say a rosary or, at the very least, night

prayer. This quote has fancied me to reflect on how I place material and subjective means over

the omniscient power of God. I am currently in school to study the very thing I fall guilty in

human-finiteness, theology. My first semester as a theology student I often self-substituted my

theological study as prayer. As I got older, I came to realize that this cannot be the case, and I
have since learned to separate my studies and my spirituality. For me, hearing this Mother Seton

quote allowed me to really see myself as her, and also reflect on the objects that I place above

my God.

In my personal life, I really resonated with day twelve’s quote. I believe Mother Seton’s

reflection is a variation on Matthew’s gospel, “The Spirit is willing, but the Flesh is weak,”

(26:42). I could not think of a more appropriate quote to describe my personal life. In a perfect

world, I would be able to give the Christian Charity that Mother Seton reflects on. However, I

get caught up in stress, tempers, and anxiety that I do not live that life I desire. I wish I could say

that I am incredibly disciplined in my Christian living, but instead I am far from it. More often

than not, I think about all the things I could be doing if I was not prone to sin; daily mass,

frequent adoration, regular confession, and more. Mother Seton’s quote allows me to place

myself in that position; if I truly lived what I am called for, then I would be able to love as

openly as I am called to. Unfortunately, as a human being capable of sin, I fall short to this every

day. Hopefully reflecting on this quote, I can improve on my human fallibility to strive to be

worthy of receiving the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

In my understanding of leadership, the quote from day seven was my favorite. As a

leader in my church, I more often than not feel as though I am not worthy to serve God. Even

thinking about my vocation, I think of all the things that make me not worthy of being in my

position. I get jealous, I am prone to stubbornness, and I more often than not avoid the obedience

to my superiors. It is much easier to reject charisms and sulk in sin rather than to accept that the

will of God is not always producing happiness. However, this quote from Mother Seton allowed

me to take a step back and reflect on my vocation more clearly, and to give thanks to God for

allowing me to be there. Although some days are incredibly frustrating, God has given me this
vocation to Lay Ecclesial Ministry for a purpose, and I should be thankful for that gift rather than

dismissing it. Placing this quote in the context of Mother Seton, her years in Emmitsburg were

not easy. She dealt with financial issues, sickness, cold winters, and even death. However,

Mother Seton’s resilience is encouraging, and she is hopeful that the plan God has for her is

greater than any complication that presents itself in the way of her vocation.

Mother Seton’s wisdom was incredibly insightful for me to reflect on. Although I may

not have the stumbling blocks that she had in her life, her discernment still speaks true to my

own spirituality. She offers a unique and intimate perspective on the love of God, and I really

enjoy getting to contemplate on her lifestyle. Her quotes provide spiritual comprehension to my

life as a student, my personal life and my understanding of leadership that allow me to marvel at

her hopeful understanding.