Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Peace   -- That seems to be the message in most of the Christmas cards I’ve received this year, the message of this season.   Yet, I do have to admit as I have climbed the learning curve in my new ministry, I have been just a bit overwhelmed at times, even during Advent.   Our faith tells us this is a time of waiting for, anticipating the source of peace.   But I, as a product of my culture, have entered into the hustle and bustle of getting a vast number of tasks completed.   Fortunately, God has reminded me of the “reason for the season.” God’s reminders have come through many sources and encounters.   My sister Rita has been one of those messengers.   She was diagnosed with beginning stages of an aggressive ovarian cancer.   After talking with a friend and coworker who also has cancer, she has prayed not for release from the cancer, but for peace.   She has received PEACE, and she lives in gratitude for the support and encouragement she has received from a cast of thousand

At times darkness is a gift.  Advent is one of those times for me, and since it comes in winter Advent often means snow.  After a snowfall a hush settles on the world, and outdoor noises become quieter.  That together with a long dark Alaskan evening beckon me to go deeper, deeper into the stillness, What does this say to me about how God became human in our world?  With none of the usual trappings of wealth and fame connected with the birth of Jesus I am drawn to a different reality, one more real than wealth or fame. It's the mystery of life itself and how we share this life with our God who knows what it is to be born, to be weak, to be unknown.  New life begins and is nurtured in darkness.  What new life is stirring within you? Marie Lucek, OP Juneau, Alaska