From a conference to her spiritual daughters by Elizabeth Ann Seton
Our daily work is to do the will of God
I will tell you what is my own great help. I once read or heard that an interior life means but the continuation of our Savior’s life in us; that the great object of all his mysteries is to merit for us the grace of his interior life and communicate it to us, it being the end of his mission to lead us into the sweet land of promise, a life of constant union with himself. And what was the first rule of our dear Savior’s life? You know it was to do his Father’s will. Well, then, the first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.
I know what his will is by those who direct me; whatever they bid me do, if it is ever so small in itself, is the will of God for me. Then do it in the manner he wills it, not sewing an old thing as if it were new, or a new thing as if it were old; not fretting because the oven is too hot, or in a fuss because it is too cold. You understand – not flying and driving because you are hurried, not creeping like a snail because no one pushes you. Our dear Savior was never in extremes. The third object is to do his will because God wills it, that is, to be ready to quit at any moment and to do anything else to which you may be called….
You think it very hard to lead a life of such restraint unless you keep your eye of faith always open. Perseverance is a great grace. To go on gaining and advancing every day, we must be resolute, and bear and suffer as our blessed forerunners did. Which of them gained heaven without a struggle?…
But we lack courage to keep a continual watch over nature, and therefore, year after year, with our thousand graces, multiplied resolutions, and fair promises, we run around in a circle of misery and imperfections. After a long time in the service of God, we come nearly to the point from whence we set out, and perhaps with even less ardor for penance and mortification than when we began our consecration to him.
Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
St. John Cantius,
pray for us.
Faithful servant of Jesus Christ,
pray for us.
Fervent disciple and advocate of the Gospel of Christ,
pray for us.
Venerator of the Lord’s Passion,
pray for us.
Exemplary shepherd of Jesus Christ’s flock,
pray for us.
Venerator of the Most Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.
Venerator of St. Anne,
pray for us.
Zealous imitator of the saints,
pray for us.
Lover of souls redeemed with Christ’s Blood,
pray for us.
Pride and patron of the priesthood,
pray for us.
Father of the poor,
pray for us.
Exemplar of Christian kindness,
pray for us.
Teacher and model of evangelical mercy,
pray for us.
Defender of those suffering injustice,
pray for us.
Refuge of the afflicted,
pray for us.
Protector of prisoners,
pray for us.
Patron and guardian of pilgrims,
pray for us.
Great worker of miracles,
pray for us.
Healer of the sick,
pray for us.
Restorer of sight to the blind,
pray for us.
Refuge for those drowning,
pray for us.
Consolation and deliverance of the dying,
pray for us.
Advocate of God’s justice,
pray for us.
Intercessor for sinners before God,
pray for us.
Patron of his Polish homeland,
pray for us.
Patron of the city of Kraków,
pray for us.
Pride of the Krakovian Academy,
pray for us.
Luminous model of the academic profession,
pray for us.
Patron of teachers,
pray for us.
Guardian of those engaged in academic work,
pray for us.
Teacher of truth,
pray for us.
Refuge in all our needs,
pray for us.
Joyful with the chosen ones in heaven,
pray for us.
Have mercy on us,
spare us, O Lord.
Have mercy on us,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
That the ever merciful God would deign to impart upon us the gift of Christian wisdom,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to renew in us the spirit of devoted love toward our brothers,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to fill our souls with the grace of sanctification,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to preserve us from spiritual perils,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to extend His hand to help us in adversities and temporal hardships,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to strengthen and increase the spirit of brotherly love and unity in the Holy Church,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to preserve our Homeland in peace and bless her,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to strengthen our families in mutual fidelity and love,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to surround our children and youth with special care,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to strengthen college students in a faithfulness to the Gospel and a Christian outlook,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That He would deign to give them the spirit of wisdom and fidelity to the truth,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
That the Almighty God would deign to endow all the faithful with the grace of perseverance, and those that have strayed from Him with the grace of conversion and penance,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Saint John Cantius,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O God, our merciful Father, through the intercession of St. John Cantius, priest, to answer our prayers and deign to endow with Thy grace and blessing all who turn to Thee in confidence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Apostolate of Hannah's Tears 