Through her words, we invite you to discover Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton — the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized and a foundational figure in American Catholicism and the Vincentian Family.

Elizabeth Ann Seton’s writings — marked by deep faith, maternal tenderness, and a tireless trust in Divine Providence — offer us a window into her spiritual journey and the challenges she faced as a woman, mother, educator, and founder. Though written over two centuries ago, her reflections continue to resonate today, especially as we seek to respond with compassion and courage to the trials of our time.

Text of Elizabeth Ann Seton:

“We must often draw the comparison between time and eternity. This is the remedy of all our troubles. How small will the present moment appear when we enter that great ocean.”

– Sta. Isabel Seton, Collected Writings, Vol. 2 p. 156.

Commentary:

In this quiet and profound thought, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton offers us one of the most enduring remedies for human anxiety: perspective. When we place the fleeting trials of this life beside the vastness of eternity, we find healing. Seton, who endured grief, poverty, misunderstanding, and illness, is not minimizing suffering—she is placing it in context. She invites us to lift our gaze and measure the weight of today in the scale of forever.

This is not escapism. It’s not about ignoring the present. It’s about grounding our present in the promise of eternity, and allowing that to reframe how we live, serve, and suffer.

In the Vincentian mission, where we often walk with people burdened by overwhelming troubles, Seton’s wisdom reminds us to anchor our hearts in eternity—so we can be a source of hope, stability, and light for others.

“We must often draw the comparison between time and eternity…” — Reframing Our Reality

Seton uses the word “often”—this is not a one-time exercise. It is a spiritual discipline. She invites us to regularly pause and reflect: What matters today in light of forever? What lasts? What fades?

St. Paul writes:

“What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

“Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

This doesn’t invalidate the pain of time. But it does remind us that time is not the final word. There is more. There is always more. And that truth is a remedy for despair, restlessness, and fear.

“This is the remedy of all our troubles.” — Perspective as Healing

There’s something freeing in remembering that this life is not all there is. That even the deepest losses and the greatest joys are part of a much larger story—one that ends in God.

When our vision is too narrow, we can feel trapped, discouraged, and overwhelmed. But when we open our hearts to eternity, we begin to live with a different kind of peace—not because life gets easier, but because we know where it’s going.

St. Vincent de Paul encouraged this kind of detachment and peace. He said:

“Let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows.”

This means we must act, love, and serve in time—but for the sake of eternity.

“How small will the present moment appear…” — Time in the Light of Forever

Seton does not say the moment is meaningless—only that it is small in comparison to what lies ahead. This humbling truth helps us endure trials and keep our work in perspective.

Whether we are suffering, serving, or simply surviving, we can look at this moment and say: “This too will pass.” And more than that: it will give way to something beautiful, lasting, and full.

In Vincentian service, we meet people who live entirely in the pressure of “now”: hunger now, pain now, fear now. Our role is to address the urgency of now—while pointing to the horizon of eternity. Both are holy. Both must be held together.

“…when we enter that great ocean.” — The Image of Eternity

Seton’s final phrase is poetic and profound. She doesn’t describe heaven in rigid terms. She calls it a great ocean—vast, mysterious, enveloping, peaceful. In that endless sea, today’s suffering becomes a drop. In that divine embrace, every wound will be healed, and every tear wiped away.

As Revelation proclaims:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more” (Revelation 21:4).

This is not fantasy. It is Christian hope. And it gives meaning to every act of love, every sacrifice, every hidden kindness done today.