Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Yesterday, as we prayed together on Ash Wednesday, “Have Mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love,” I recalled my own reactions to that word – mercy.   As a child, I had no idea what I was asking for.   I prayed the words because they were there, and that is what one did.   When I was an adolescent, I actually had an adverse reaction to that word.   Asking for mercy meant that I was less than perfect.   What adolescent is ready to admit that! By the time I had lived life for some years as an adult and the question was asked of me in the Profession Ceremony of the Dominicans of Sinsinawa, “What do you ask?” I replied with the standard response with my whole heart and soul, “The mercy of God and yours.”   Life had taught me about the gift of giving and receiving mercy and forgiveness.    Last night we celebrated the life of one of our sisters.   The wake and remembering service is always a source of encourageme...

Mardi Gras, the day before Lent begins, is for many a day of indulgence, of excess, of elaborate parties, but the day after is a stark contrast.  Ash Wednesday is a reflective day, the beginning of a time to look over our lives, especially how our life is focused (or not) on our relationship with God.  Our reflection perhaps will include thoughtfully considering those very moments of extravagance and indulgence of Mardi Gras and their meaning in our lives.   Lent is a time that calls me to a simpler life. I recently read that Americans eat 30% more than they need for normal living.  And yet about one third of the world's population will eat less than the bare minimum.  This gives me pause and gives me a real purpose to any way I can simplify my own life. During Lent I carefully go through my closet to see if there are any items I no longer need.  I still need a treat now and then, but I don't need as man...