Saint + Elizabeth + Ann + Seton + Parish

(August 22, 2021) In today's homily, Father Charles L. Persing asks, "How many of us are still convinced that sayings of Jesus are easy? Most of us have found it very difficult to follow Jesus. Most of us have not walked an easy path in our Christian life. " Father Persing continues: "How many times that you and I have gone through the moments of doubt and crisis in our faith life?" For various reasons, some of us stop practicing our faith. Or find some other things of interest. Father Persing reminds us that, "No other person on this Earth, no matter how well-intentioned they are, or how well we know or love them, will ever love us in the way Jesus Christ loves us. And no one else, especially ourselves, can save us from our sins."

(August 15, 2021) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks us to consider the following: "Everything that God gave to Mary, He gives to us. Mary was prepared to accept His gifts and His life and His resurrection – so, too, are we. You and I are called to be sons and daughters of our Lady, blazing trails and light through the valley in which we live, so that others may find Christ." We recall the moments of forgiveness when we seek Mary's intercession.  Those prayers are brought to the Throne of God, "so that we can fall on our knees and break bread together and give thanks to God in the Eucharist," he said.Throughout the ages, God's mercy and forgiveness reaches to us. "Because just as for Mary, God for us has mercy and is always mindful of His Covenant and His unconditional love for those who serve Him."DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(August 15, 2021) In this week's homily, Father Samuel Dubois focused on the dilemmas and choices our Blessed Mother had to face once she accepted the call to be the Mother of God. “Love calls me to go forth, so I will; trust in God’s grace and all will be well,” is how our parochial vicar encapsuled the outcome of the call. “However, if Mary had allowed worldly concerns and worries and fears to drive her life, to control her heart, the last thing she would have done is to visit Elizabeth. But she allowed herself to be sent, directed, by God – by that invitation to charity,” he said.He continued: God wanted us to hear in today’s Gospel that we cannot live in fear; we cannot allow fear to drive us to anger and rejection of others. We cannot allow our hearts to be hardened to the needs of others. The message of the Gospel, the need to serve in charity is as real today as it was in this day of Mary’s life.   In his conclusion, Father Dubois said, “The fears created by or found in the world face us and confr

(August 8, 2021) “This week, you and I, are challenged to be the best for God, to follow the example of Christ in our love for one another.” With these words, Father Charles L Persing closes today’s homily. Father Persing reminds us that we need to set the example of faith ourselves, so that the others would witness it and follow Christ with us. The message Saint Paul has for us is that Jesus is always walking before us, setting that example.  But “what we see in Jesus, we need to see in one another,” says Father Persing. “Instead of looking for negativity, we come here to be one Body and one Spirit … we testify from whence our gifts come, and we are not afraid to say where we find our strength – the Eucharist and Jesus Christ.”

(August 1, 2021) Parochial Vicar Father Samuel Dubois raises the question: “What is it that we fill ourselves with? What is it that we try to find fulfillment in?” That may be any sort of earthly desire, but only God can fully satisfy our hearts. “Only God endures … and He comes to us in the Eucharist,” he said. It is the Bread from Heaven that nourishes us; let us then fulfill our hearts and our longing and our desires and find peace in Christ Jesus. Father closes with the following thought: “We must each and all lay aside worldly things and instead center our hearts, our minds, our lives on the only thing that matters – the only one who fulfills – Jesus Christ. All we must do is receive it with open hearts and we will find what we desire, we will find true peace, true joy, and the love that never fades: the love of God Almighty.”

(July 25, 2021) Father Charles L Persing reflects on today's reading from the Gospel of Saint Mark. This is the reading that recounts the story of Jesus feeding 5 thousand people gathered on a mountain side:  with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish -- and having 12 wicker baskets of leftovers. (DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT)Referring to the Gospel reading, Father Persing invites us to reflect that, " (we) have only scratched the surface of what God has to offer to us." Father Persing closes with the following thoughts: "If we are that great crowd, are we the great witnesses ? Have we told someone about Jesus and the things He can do for us? That they, too, might want to come and see: that they might come in large numbers and recline at His table."

(July 18, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois invites us to reconsider what our attendance at Mass actually means. As we love our spouse and give selflessly to one another following our marriage vows, how much more grace can we get if we realize that our presence at Mass is a unique opportunity for us to be with our loving God. Father Dubois adds, " (it is) ... an opportunity to love and to be loved by our eternal, unshakable God, who is with us in all things."

(July 11, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us of all of the good that the disciples were able to do, despite their fears, when Jesus sent them out to the world. "It's Ok to be afraid," he said, "but we have to remember that God is on our side."

(July 3, 2021) Father Charles L. Persing, the fourth pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Mechanicsburg, offers personal thanks and a reflection on his commitment to serve as pastor to the parish he first served as parochial vicar in his initial assignment after his Ordination to the Priesthood.DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(July 3, 2021) In his homily at the Mass of Installation, Bishop Gainer offered three "labels" to Father Persing: Father,  Shepherd, Teacher.  Bishop continued: "But I’m not just going to use those labels; the Church’s words in the Rite of Installation modifies each of those labels with an adjective to describe the label. I’m not just going to say, you must be a father; rather, a loving father.  And I’m not just going to say, be a shepherd; be a gentle shepherd.  And I’m not just going to say, be a teacher; be a wise teacher. "DOWNLOAD A PDF OF BISHOP'S HOMILY

(June 27, 2021) In introducing himself to the parish, Father Charles Persing, the new pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church,  said, "It is the duty and joy of every priest to carry out the mission of the Church, not for our own self glory, nor to satisfy our own particular needs and wants, but to bring Christ to all we meet, and to afford everyone the opportunity to experience God's love, forgiveness, and glory. Our call is to bring the living Christ to your heart.  Our call is the salvation of souls. Like John the Baptist, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and all our favorite saints, we are called to lead others to Jesus -- to invite everyone to accept the gift of eternal life which comes from knowing Jesus Christ."

(June 20, 2021) On Father's Day,  Monsignor William J. King  gave his last homily as pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish,  10 years to the day since he was appointed pastor here.  He concluded with a reminder that runs as a thread through many of his messages during his time at Saint Elizabeth's:  God's grace is sufficient.

(June 13, 2021) Father Logan Parrish, who served Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish as a Deacon during his studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, returned to celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving this weekend, sharing the story of a vision of priestly service that extends to four generations in his family.

(June 6, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois,  parochial vicar for the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reflects on the significance of Transubstantiation -- the change of ordinary bread and wine into the consecrated Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The beautiful words of consecration are both a means of our salvation and of reality; they are true Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, which we need to honor and give thanks to.  

(May 30, 2021) On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Monsignor William J. King, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, considers belief and unbelief by exploring two musical excerpts by Johann Sebastian Bach.

(May 23, 2021)  Speaking to the students who received the sacrament of Confirmation at Masses on Pentecost,  Monsignor William J. King  urged them not be afraid to be disciples of Christ, “because that is what this world needs."

(May 16, 2021) Monsignor William J. King draws on today's Gospel reading and compares it to the world we live in. "We do not belong to this world," says Monsignor King, "our home is in Heaven. Let's start living as though we believe that."

(May 13, 2021) Monsignor King explores the mystery of Jesus's incarnation and life in human flesh, and His return to His Father in heaven.Monsignor says, "Jesus gave the Church to announce that Gospel forever. But, then, He promised: 'When I return to my Father, I will send you another, an advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Guide, Who will speak to you all truth.'"We need to allow God to empty us so that we can follow the way of Jesus in total obedience to the Father's will. 

(May 9, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall, Pastoral Associate at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, said, "The standard for our life is love, but the idea of love is distorted by our world. We tend to think that love is warm, fuzzy feelings. We think love will make everything good for everybody.  Love, according to Jesus, is doing what is best for another when it is inconvenient––even painful or deadly––to ourselves. And the “others” we are to love are not merely those who love us; the real test of love is how we relate, not to gracious saints, but to rascals."DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(May 9, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois relates the life story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest who  freely chose to suffer death in place of a fellow prisoner in  a concentration camp during World War II.  "If we are to be like Christ," Father Dubois said,  "we have to be willing to carry the cross: the cross of indifference, the cross of apathy, the cross of the cruelty of others, so that we may be made worthy of the Resurrection, so that we may be raised to glory -- but, most of all -- so that our joy may be in Jesus, and in Him it may be complete."