Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In Advent, we are called to dream. We dream for the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-us, once again. We dream for peace and hope and joy and love to be reborn in us. And, each of us, I believe, has a special dream for which we wait. As Dominicans, our dreams are fueled by the gospels and steeped in Resurrected love. These dreams believe that the impossible is possible. They envision the likelihood that divisions may be removed; hatred may be overcome with love; or deep woundedness may be healed. One of my favorite Sinsinawa Advent stories comes from way back. The year is 1941. It was time for Corpus Christi Grade School in New York City to prepare for the annual Christmas Open House. That meant that each classroom would be creating a huge mural on the back wall. The parents would walk eagerly from room to room enjoying the art work. Here is what one second grader, Leo O’Donovan, wrote years later about that Christmas and his second grade teacher: “the remarkable event in Sr. Bernadelle

One part of my formation this year that I look forward to every month is the Inter-Community Pre-Novitiate. Once a month I join Candidates and Postulants from other Religious Orders for a weekend retreat. We are 7 Candidates from 5 Religious Orders. We are originally from Honduras, Mexico, Vietnam, Sudan, Hawaii, Alabama and Illinois. We bring our rich traditions and life experiences to our conversations. We are joined by our Directors and a different guest presenter each month as we learn and talk about different aspects of religious life and tools we will need on this journey. I enjoy being with other people who have similar questions and struggles as I live into my life as a Candidate. It is refreshing to be with people that understand what it is like to give away your possessions and try a new phase of life. I have a chance to relax, ask questions, touch base with myself and with God, and to have fun. I have learned some new skills that are useful in community life and in my own