Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

With great excitement and expectation, Julie Schwab, Pam Mitchell, Mary Ellen Gevelinger, Yvonne Feeney, Christine Walcott and I set off. Well prepared was I: two coats of suntan lotion, two types of bug spray to fight off any warring insects, water, a snack and a few other things.  There were six of us. Some knew how to paddle and others knew how to swim. We soon arrived and began to pick out our own canoe. The owner said there was one that he promised would never capsize. THAT WAS THE ONE FOR US! I claimed it immediately!  The inexperienced person sits in the front and the other in the back. As I stepped into the front seat and held onto both sides of it. I had my AHA! Moment. It went like this “Are you out of your mind?!”   In spite of this, we set sail paddling. We were told that we should just relax and the river would carry us. LIE! My sisters, you have to paddle your own canoe. During the first part of our voyage, we ended up on banks, bushes, kissed a tree, w...

I was so taken by a scenario of over fifty cows milling round and round a huge tree. Admiring their black and white skin colors, I wondered what they were doing there instead of grazing in the expansive, grassy prairie. It dawned on me that the cows were taking shelter under the tree. Of course it was a hot July day! The tree’s long, leafy branches spread out casting a cool shade for the cows. None sat. None stood still. None ate. They marched around the tree in unison. How thoughtful. How considerate. Do we often think other species can be that considerate and cooperative? There is the give and take aspect of this picture. The tree gives shelter to the cows.   And the cows provide the tree animal dung for manure. From the scorching sun, the cows find respite walking together to share space. Tree and cattle give back to mother earth who provides the land. How do we share with all creatures? My Dominican Congregation is passionate about the environment and sharing our common l...

Have you ever felt used?  I imagine you have.  However, when the Holy Spirit is the one who uses you to bring something special to someone then you are being "used" in the best possible way.  Today I visited a 96-year old parishioner who thanked me over and over for what I had said to her during a previous visit.  She said she would wake up at night and be so comforted by what I had said to her.  I have no idea what I said to her that made such a difference, but that's not important.  I was being "used" by the Holy Spirit to bring her comfort and to gift her with the grace she needed to resolve a dilemma in her life. Last week I was part of a team who led a retreat for women.  Two women who came to the retreat with heavy burdens said as they left that they felt "light as a feather."  We were being "used" to bring God's love, peace, and strength to these women.  What a joy to be "used" in ways like these! How is the H...