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Our Faith Grows with Use!
Greetings! I am Sr. Colleen, and this is my first contribution to Partners in Giving as the new Provincial Superior of our Eastern U.S. and Canada Province, the Province of St. Joseph.
As I transition into this new position, I am thinking a great deal about faith – the faith I will need to serve in this role, and the faith that I hope will be bolstered by your prayers at the same time.
Faith is a gift from Baptism that grows with use. Like playing the piano, it needs to be practiced frequently and challenged by difficulty.
I can’t help but think of our music maestro, Sr. Mary Ann Caspary, FMA. She once told me that she started playing the piano at a very early age by listening, and then trying to recreate what she heard – much as children learn and recite the words to prayers (prayers whose meanings are typically a mystery to them). Sr. Mary Ann’s talent on the ivories is quite formidable, and she achieved it through diligent practice, and by learning more and more difficult pieces. She continues to develop her talent by playing and practicing regularly.
We need to practice our faith with the same dedication as Sr. Mary Ann practices the piano. Our faith is the foundation upon which everything else is based. Without practice, it will languish. With practice, though, it will strengthen and grow – it, too, will become formidable.
I dabble in music myself, although not at the same level. On the rare occasion when I feel something is amiss, I play or listen to music, even for a short time. It feeds my spirit in a way that only the arts can.
Likewise, when I feel myself floundering, I pick up my Rosary or head to the chapel to immerse myself in the loving presence of God. Sitting before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the source and summit of our
Catholic faith, allows me to see the world with fresh eyes. My faith in Jesus is a source of solace and strength. How often the faith of you, our Partners, has been an inspiration to me and to the Salesian Sisters – I anticipate you may not realize your effect on us. Every lay person I’ve ever spoken to is surprised to hear how much the way they live their lives in faith fortifies us in our vocation. They hold the Sisters in such high regard that learning that they impact our lives of faith as we do theirs is a revelation.
Like our faith, religious life, by nature, is eschatological. It has to do with Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell – in a nutshell, it points to the things to come. So, where married people say, “‘Til death do we part,” religious Sisters say to Our Lord, “‘Til death do we meet.” Both are commitments of love – one starts with faith.
Speaking of religious vows, we just welcomed three new professed Salesian Sisters into our Province: Sr. Juliana Alfonso, FMA; Sr. Jessica Castillo, FMA; and Sr. Pamela Rose Suresca, FMA (watch for photos in the next issue). As the largest order in the world, we regularly witness hundreds of Salesian Sisters take their vows annually. How grateful we are that our order continues to flourish!
Faith is not only the primary gift we receive, it is one of the three theological virtues – faith, hope, and love. Next time, let’s explore the virtue of hope. Until then, I leave you in the loving heart and hands of Our Lady.
