Today we make Lent Madness hist0ry. While Old Testament figures are considered saints in some traditions, we have never before had one participate in the Saintly Smackdown. That ends today as Sarah the Matriarch faces Elizabeth Ann Seton in a pairing that spans many, many generations.
Yesterday, in the Battle of the Consonants, Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky outspelled Nikolaus von Zinzendorf 69% to 31% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen where he'll face Martin Luther.
If you missed yesterday's Limerick Edition of Monday Madness, you can still redeem your entire week by watching it here. Tim and Scott share some limericks (both on air and in print) and, despite some amazing rhymes throughout yesterday's comment section, have officially decided NOT to turn Lent Madness into one giant penitential poetry slam.
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Ann Seton was born in New York City in 1774, two years before the United States declared independence from England. Her father was a very popular doctor, and her maternal grandfather was an Anglican priest. Seton’s parents set examples of service and charity that she would follow her whole life.
Seton had a lonely and difficult childhood, losing her biological mother to death and her stepmother to a family rift. In 1794 she married William Seton at a service performed by Bishop Samuel Provoost, the first Episcopal bishop of New York. She and her family were congregants of Trinity Church.
Three years into her marriage, her father in-law died; a few years later, her husband succumbed to tuberculosis, after having lost the bulk of the family’s wealth and social status. Seton found herself a young widow with five children and few resources. She eventually found solace in the Roman Catholic tradition, into which she was received in 1805.
Her world changed again in the next year when she met the Rev. Louis Dubourg, a Roman Catholic priest who wanted to start a Catholic seminary for women in the United States. This piqued Elizabeth’s interest and drive, and in 1809 Elizabeth founded the Sisters of Charity, the first community of nuns who were also citizens of the United States. She professed her vows and became “Mother Seton.”
Locating their community in Maryland, the sisters dedicated themselves to education, social services, and religious formation. In 1810 the community began
St. Joseph’s Free School, the first Roman Catholic school in America, and launched the Roman Catholic parochial school system in the United States. Mother Seton and her order also founded and operated orphanages in major cities along the East Coast.
Seton remained the Mother of the Sisters of Charity until her death from tuberculosis at age 46 on January 4, 1821. She was the first native-born citizen of the United States to become a saint. Her feast is commemorated on January 4.
Collect for Elizabeth Ann Seton
Holy God, you blessed Elizabeth Seton with your grace as wife, mother, educator and founder, that she might spend her life in service to your people: Help us, by her example, to express our love for you in love of others; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sarah
Sarah (formerly Sarai), daughter of Terah, wife of Abraham, first of the matriarchs in the Old Testament, is the mother of nations.
When Sarah was 90 years old, three strangers came to visit her tent. She and her husband and their household had been living in tents for the last twenty-five years, and she had seen and heard plenty. Abraham and his God were the mainstays of Sarah’s life; even her name had been changed as they journeyed toward a place of promise. She was Abraham’s half-sister and younger by about ten years. Abraham had pulled more than one rabbit out of his hat by diplomatically omitting the nuptial aspect of their association. He was also insistent that God had promised them a child—together. Sarah had heard some crazy things come out of Abraham’s mouth and had seen some crazy things standing at his side, but when she heard the three strangers tell Abraham that she—Sarah—would hold her very own baby in just a short while, she laughed out loud. She had been in the desert a long time, but she wasn’t all the way crazy.
Sarah laughed Isaac into the world and held the living proof of God’s promise in her own hands. If we are honest, we can imagine her making the totally opposite noise some years later when Abraham took the boy off into the badlands, clumsily trying to explain to her that God had asked him to do another impossible thing.
Some years after Abraham and Isaac returned from Moriah, Sarah died. In the first recorded commercial transaction in the Bible, Abraham bought a resting place for the woman who had moved everywhere with him and who had died while he was away on business. And in the first burial recorded in the Old Testament, Abraham lays the bones of Sarah down to rest overlooking the oaks of Mamre from where her daughter-in-law Rebekah would come. Sarah is remembered for her devotion, bravery, tenacity, and laughter.
Collect for Sarah
Ancient of Days, you have called nations into being which number more than the grains of sand on all the beaches in all the world. Thank you for Sarah, who journeyed through deserts toward a land of promise, entertained angels, laughed a promised child into the world, and mothered nations. Help us, like her, to remain faithful to your promises, no matter how unlikely the world may find them. We pray this in the name of your son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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301 comments on “Elizabeth Ann Seton vs. Sarah”
Cast my vote for Sarah since I favor the Orthodox inclusion of "Old Testament" figures like her in our own Anglican faith tradition. With her husband's slave Hagar she is the mother of our Abrahamic faiths. Sarah and Hagar figure largely in Godly Play, and their stories provoke wonderful insights from the little ones at our church. True, I don't expect Hagar will be commemorated in our calendars any time soon, but the Holy Spirit hasn't finished speaking to us yet!
The first Great mother of our traditions... (after Eve).... mother of nations... one of the great voices of Scripture. Sarah for me today.
What you have to remember is that Abraham laughed to. It was a promise to laugh at.
May we all join Sarah in joyous laughter!
I love our foremother Sarah, but my children were born at Seton Medical Center in Austin and my middle name is Elizabeth. Giving thanks for motherhood, and the first American saint, I cast my vote for Elizabeth Seton.
As a graduate of Seton Hall University and one who has toured her home in downtown Manhattan, I could not help but vote for Elizabeth.
Curiously, the number of stars is in the same ball park as the number of grains of sand. About 3000 can be seen in a dark sky, maybe 5000 in the ancient middle eastern skies. Clearly, Abraham and Sarah have more than 5000 descendants. The larger of these numbers would fill many Earths. I voted for Sarah because of the shear profundity of this!
Such a close one! I had to vote for laughing Sarah, who indeed put up with so much and kept faith. My God is a laughing God.
Mother Seton was responsible for the custom of sisters serving as housekeepers for rectories, which wasn't a positive thing. I voted for Sarah, and for her sarcasm.
I live not far from Emmitsburg and have often visited the Grotto. I have walked the paths and attended church at the foot of that inspiring tribute to Mother Seton. Anyone who visits this beautiful location where she toiled and persevered to establish her school will be moved to revisit again and again. It restores those seeking renewal of faith and refreshes our spirit. Any who can visit this serene and uplifting devotional place will return as often as possible to see the rock upon which she sat to teach and pray.
Very tough choice. I deeply admire Mother Seton, but am compelled to vote for Sarah this time. Her faithfulness in following Abraham around the wilderness, and her laughter at hearing of a pregnancy as an older woman (I don't take the 90 years as literal) make her worthy of my respect. (I am sorry for Hagar and her son, but it shows us that even the best of us have human failings). Actually, I will be fine with whoever wins today. Hail Lent Madness!!
I am for Elizabeth for her life of work. Sarah having a child at 90 (?!) was not so much her doing but God's. Elizabeth's works did it for me.
If you're down on Sarah for what happened to Hagar, what do you say to the God who backed her up telling Abe to do whatever she said?
Actually not too cool with that either. But I have a lot of problems with a lot of what the Old Testament God does.
As a life-long New Yorker, I have no choice but to go with Mother Seton.
I visited Mother Seaton's shrine last summer while serving as an intern with a chaplain in a retirement home. While I waked through the prayer garden on the grounds, the chimes of the former college that had grown up from her school (it closed when women were admitted to St. Mary's near by and the school was sold) were playing Summer Nights from Grease.
Love it!
My vote is with Sarah. You have to admire a woman who can keep laughing through hardship.
Sarai was truly a saint to put up with the vicissitudes of Old Testament lfe; including marriage to a half brother. I'd laugh also, after 90 years of waiting for a blessing. She lived a life typical of her times. Thank God for the twenty first century!
Elizabeth shares the name and spirit of my dear Aunt and mentor who lived a life of service in her Church and community for 102 years. It is in her honor that I cast my vote for Elizabeth
It all starts with Sarah and Abraham! Hard to vote against her.
I had to vote for Elizabeth Seton because my best friend is named for her! Also, as others have said, and I guess I shouldn't blame Sarah for this, because who knows how I would behave in the same circumstances, but I was also bothered by Sarah's treatment of Hagar.
This is the week I have been waiting for. As a graduate of Mount Saint Vincent University, I attended classes at the Seton Academic Centre each day!! Go Mother Seton!!!
I am also bothered by Sarah's (and Abraham's) vicious treatment of Hagar and Ishmael. I voted for Elizabeth Ann Seton because she was the first native-born U.S. citizen to become a saint, an educator, her founding of the Sisters of Charity, and establishing the Catholic girls' school.
Asking the Supreme Executive Committee to check their records. The bracket for 2011 includes the name of "David" -- was that the Old Testament wonder-boy-turned-king, or the 18th century Neoclassical painter?
Good eye. It was actually David Oakerhater who returned this year!
I voted for Elizabeth Ann Seton, for her accomplishments for the Christian Faith and the education of children.
I couldn't vote for Sarah, given the way she treated Hagar - even though by the custom of the day her behaviour was acceptable.
Scott
My wife would like to start voting in Lent Madness, but we have only one email address. What do we do? (I think you addressed this issue once, but I can't remember what you said)
She can go to directly to http://LentMadness.org/ (I don't get emails, I just go to the website) and vote there by finding the current post and scrolling down to click the button next to the name of who the vote is intended. Now if she wants to comment, the joint email address might confuse the moderator(s), at least at first.
I can not forgive Sarah for her treatment of Hagar. As the descendant of slaves, many of whom were forced to give birth to their enslavers' children, I'm standing with Hagar and voting against Sarah. I had a great, great grandmother named Hagar. She was named in the property section of the will right along with the tables and chairs.
Sarah for me today. She is, for all intents and purposes, the mother of of the Hebrew people and as such the foundation of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Where we would we all be without Sarah?
Perhaps not divided between Christianity and Islam?
Since this is Lent Madness which suggests to me irrationality, I voted for Elizabeth Ann Seton. Some friends thought she was our daughter's namesake, but I had never heard of her previously. I have never forgotten the name, though I've not remembered her particulars. I might just as well have voted for Sarah as I took her name in baptism and have always been fond of her name and her story. I wasn't as old as her when my daughter was born, but I was getting up there. So this is for my daughter.
Sarah laughed; Sara voted.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-elizabeth-ann-seton/
E. Seton's children are mentioned in this website. I'm assuming it's accurate. I wondered if her children before my vote. My vote went to her because she juggled supporting her children and putting in a lot of hard work for others. Kudos!
As a graduate of Seton Hill University I had to go with Saint Elizabeth Seton.