Sister Margie Lavonis, CSC

  • Do you have the faith?

    I don’t know about you, but I have often struggled with such common phrases and questions in our Catholic tradition (small “t”) such as, “He has strayed away from the faith” or “She is a woman of faith” or “Do you have the faith?”

    What do we really mean when we speak about “the faith?” In my experience rubbing shoulders with many Catholics over the years, it is obvious to me that we would have a variety of answers.

    For me, faith is primarily a relationship, a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. Too often we tend to limit faith to believing certain truths or teachings.

    The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed” (ccc150).

    Believing what the Church teaches is part of what faith is about, but faith is so much more than belief. Faith is not just what happens in our heads, but it is an ever-growing relationship with the One who loves us and has saved us. It is not enough to believe things about Jesus, we need to believe in Him and get to know Him in the many ways He reveals Himself to us.

    In the Hebrew Bible “to know” someone was to have an intimate relationship with that person. For example, when the angel appeared to Mary to say she was going to be the mother of the Savior she asked how that could possibly happen since she did not “know” man. It was obvious that she was thinking about something more than a head-trip!

    Sometimes I hear persons say that they received their faith at Baptism. That is true, but Baptism only plants the seeds of faith. They must grow throughout our lives. Just as in marriage, the wedding is only the beginning of a life-long relationship. If it does not grow, it will surely become stagnant. All relationships, including the one we began with Christ in Baptism, must be nurtured and sustained.

    In my ministry I have worked with Christians from other denominations who can tell you the exact time, date and place when they were “saved” or accepted Jesus into their lives. Those occurrences are memorable but they are only beginnings. The challenge is to accept and meet the Lord in the many people and events of our daily lives. We cannot earn salvation, but we are called to live the Gospel message with Jesus as our friend and guide.

    It would be sad to define myself as a Catholic Christian primarily because I go to Mass and believe the truths of our faith and NOT have a conscious, loving relationship with Jesus and His people. It would be like having a spouse that I knew a lot of facts about but didn’t really know him or her as a person.

    So, how do we develop this primary relationship and make Jesus a personal part of our daily life? It sounds very elementary, but it boils down to this for me. We have to communicate with God regularly and spend some of our precious quality time in prayer. Like other relationships we need to be with God. We need to read God’s Word in the Bible, talk to God in our own words, and listen to God in the quiet of our own hearts. And it means being fed on Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist, which is the center of our faith.

    In this hectic, fast-moving society, it is crucial that we slow down and spend time with the Lord. Otherwise we will remain mediocre Christians without a strong foundation.

    Let us accept the challenge to examine our faith, to evaluate our relationship with Jesus and strive to know and love Him more deeply. He is always here waiting for us. Connect with Him today. Don’t wait until you “have time.”

    Posted on May 1, 2012, to:

  • The Easter message

    Most people would find it difficult to get through a day without reading or hearing about some violent or painful situation. It can be about people being beaten or killed for protesting an unjust situation in their countries, or about the threat of nuclear bombs being used by an unstable ruler.

    There are stories about homes and lives being destroyed by natural disasters or of a company who has to lay off many of its employees due to the poor economy. A friend’s only child is killed or our brother gets a brain tumor in his prime.

    Often people wonder why there is so much suffering and why a merciful God does not intervene.

    Our faith in the Resurrection means that we believe God brings good out of suffering and evil and that the way to conquer sin is by love. This, of course, is not a popular stance in today’s environment where there is so much hatred and violence in our world and, sadly, sometimes in our homes.

    As we wrap up this season of Lent and celebrate the feast of Easter, it may be good to reflect on our own attitudes. Do we feel justified in wanting to punish hatred with more violence? What are our thoughts about the death penalty (which is what Jesus died under)? Do we ever pray for the conversion of our enemies, even cruel dictators and terrorists? Sometimes it can be easier to forgive people “out there,” rather than those who have hurt us personally.

    We must be willing to go deeper and discover the roots of evil and then use love to conquer it. On the feast of Easter we celebrate and proclaim that we believe, as in the case of Jesus, God can and does bring good out of suffering and that His life conquered sin and evil.

    Just imagine what our lives would be like if every Christian in the world would really live the commandment of love. There would be much less war, hatred and violence. People would ask for and offer forgiveness. No one would be hungry because people would share with one another. The only news to report would be good news.

    As Christians who believe in the Resurrection, we must strive to be models of love and hope. Our good works during Lent must continue throughout the rest of the year. We have a mission to make Christ known by our love. We must express our belief that, even in this gloomy, dark time, God will not abandon us — just like He did not abandon His Son, Jesus. Each of us is called to go out to all the people in our own little world and proclaim this good news.

    And if current events sometimes make it hard for you to believe that God is still present in all of this, ask Him to deepen your faith and to help you to remember when He brought you out of difficulties in your life. Easter tells us that God never leaves us in our pain and often brings good out of evil.

    Happy Easter season.

    Posted on April 4, 2012, to:

  • Lent: A retreat opportunity

    Over the years I have heard people say that they wish they had the time to make a retreat or find a way to deepen their spirituality. Many yearn to get closer to God. Lent provides this.

    Every year our Church gives us 40 days to reflect on our spiritual lives and to examine and deepen our relationships with God. Like a retreat, Lent can provide us with an opportunity to slow down and take stock of how well we are living our baptismal commitment as disciples of Christ.

    The Church suggests that we focus on the traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to renew our spiritual lives.

    I have found that a good way to examine our prayer is to look at how much quality time we give to developing our friendship with the Lord. Maybe our prayer life is limited to Mass on Sunday and a rote prayer before meals, when we remember. Perhaps we pray mostly when we want or need a favor from God. Let this Lent be different.

    No relationship can deepen and grow unless we are willing to listen and share ourselves with the other person. God is no exception. During Lent, if you don’t already, set aside at least 15-20 minutes each day to be with God. Go to a quiet place, slow down and remember that God loves you. Read and reflect upon some Scripture each day and get to know the Lord better. Some find it helpful to use the Mass readings for each day. In fact, it would be good to try to go to Mass more than just on Sunday. Add another day.

    The second discipline is fasting. For many of us, the first thing we think about when it comes to fasting is to give up some kind of food, like candy or ice cream. Abstaining from food is definitely a way to fast, but there are other, and sometimes more meaningful, ways. It could be more beneficial to fast from gossip or negative words about others or to leave conversations that engage in negativity or in tearing down someone’s reputation. Another suggestion is to try to talk less and become a better listener, both to God and to people who could use some attention. It can be a real discipline to stop and focus on the other person, to really listen to what he or she says instead of waiting to jump in with what you want to say. We should choose the type of fasting that would best benefit our spiritual lives.

    The other traditional Lenten discipline is to give alms. When I was in elementary school we were given mite boxes to save money for a good cause. That is an important part of it, but it is often easier to give our loose change to the poor than to share the precious gifts of our time and talents to those who need them. Lent calls us to give of ourselves, not just our financial and material resources. During Lent we might choose a particular person or cause that could use some of our time. In what ways can we get out of ourselves and think of others?

    Besides our time, another thing we may be called to give during Lent is forgiveness. Who are the people in our lives — whether living or dead — that we need to forgive? Or from whom do we need to ask forgiveness? It is not easy to be reconciled with someone we hurt or who hurt us, but it can bring a lot of peace to our hearts.

    Hopefully we will take advantage of this annual opportunity to deepen our life of faith. Classes, papers, jobs, committees, projects, spring breaks, etc., will pass away, but our relationship with God is forever. Let us get to know and serve God better during these days as we prepare for Easter. Don’t let this be just another 40 days of the year. Make each day count.

    Posted on February 21, 2012, to:

  • Where have all the vocations gone?

    The shortage of priests and religious men and women in the Church, particularly in Europe and North America, is common these days. Many international congregations like my own, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, are still getting new members, but in countries other than the United States. Many consider it a crisis.

    Too often when we speak of vocations we limit that term to mean the call to ordained ministry and the consecrated life. When we pray for vocations we usually ask God to inspire young people to answer a call to be sisters, brothers and priests. Once in a while we might include the call to lay ministry in the Church, but that is the exception.

    We do not have to look far to find vocations. The truth is that each baptized person has a vocation, not just religious and clergy. By our Baptism each of us is called to share the mission of Jesus. As disciples of Jesus, every Christian is called to reveal God’s unconditional love and to spread that love to others. The next time you are at a Baptism listen closely to the prayers.

    Don’t get me wrong, as a former vocation director for the Sisters of the Holy Cross I am all too acutely aware of the need for individuals who desire to give their entire lives to God and to fulltime service of the Church. But they are not the only ones who have a call from God.

    When we were baptized we were baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ, and we share in His priesthood. Through baptism we become part of His Body. We are not called just to go to Church. We are called to be Church! All of us are called to holiness and service. Each of us has the right and the responsibility to serve others in the name of Christ. It is not the task of a select few.

    Every time we participate in Mass we are reminded of our Christian vocation to “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Prayer and service are integral to the vocation of every Christian whether single, married, religious or ordained.

    I believe it is possible for someone to believe all the Church’s dogmas and follow all the rules, and still not live one’s baptismal call. Religion without love and service is empty.

    Perhaps it would be good to take time out and do some serious reflection on how we are responding to our Christian vocation, and how seriously we take and live the Gospel message of Jesus. If each of us truly lived our baptismal vocation, think how different the world would be. Yes, the Church does need more priests and religious, but it also needs everyone else in the pews to spread God’s love. That is the only way we are going to fulfill the mission of Christ.

    Posted on January 18, 2012, to:

  • God’s greatest Gift

    The present economic crisis can provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, rather than on the materialistic spirit that often permeates our Western culture. Since so many people are unemployed or under employed and many family incomes are shrinking, a lot people will have to limit the type and number of gifts they give. This might be a blessing in disguise. It can provide us a chance to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

    Gift giving is a wonderful tradition but too many of us tend to go overboard and often measure another’s love and care by the gifts they give and receive. And some people give gifts out of a feeling of obligation or just because someone gives them one. Many feel embarrassed if a person gives them a gift and they have nothing to give in return.

    Gift giving is meant to be a sign of one’s love, not an obligation. God showed His love by giving us the greatest gift of all — His Son, Jesus Christ. I heard it put simply in a Christmas homily. The priest said that Christmas is God’s way of showing us how much He loves us. That sums up the message of Christianity.

    Whether we recognize it or not, God’s love touches every human being in the world.  Without this divine love nothing would exist. God’s love is the glue that keeps the world together and gives us hope.

    Material gifts don’t last forever. Many things get lost, broken, lose their usefulness or we get bored with them. On the contrary, God’s love for us never fades. It is everlasting.  God is always faithful, even when we are not. God loves us so much that he desires to be with us, morning, noon and night. His care for us is so great that God even became a human being for us. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. Sure, it is always nice to give and receive gifts, but our greatest gift is salvation given by Jesus.

    God’s gift is love and the way God loves is through us. We are his instruments of love.  God can’t give a hug, but we can.

    During this Christmas season we can give the kind of gifts that don’t require a lot of money and won’t overtax our credit cards. Let us give of ourselves rather than material things we may not be able to afford. We can work on mending or renewing old relationships. Or we can do that charitable act that we often think about but never seem to get around to carrying out. Let us live out our good intentions. Other things we might do are to visit or call people we know who are lonely and need some comfort. We might offer to babysit for a young couple that rarely gets time alone. These little kindnesses are often appreciated more than another bottle of perfume or shaving lotion.

    Gift giving is okay as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the reason for this season. And parents, teach your children the true meaning of Christmas. Let them know that your love for them is not measured by what is under the tree.

    Posted on December 21, 2011, to: