Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Several years ago, approximately twenty of us formed a committee to discuss community life. We faithfully came together for about two years - sharing our understanding of “community” and ways we hoped to create our future together. The specifics of how we envisioned community life varied somewhat. But, the desire to live together and bear witness to the gospel we pray and preach remained the cornerstones of each conversation. An exciting aspect of living in the digital age is that the “walls” and “places” we live aren’t static. Discovering ways of creating community in this new age inspires creativity, alternative ways of thinking and openness to possibilities. It’s all very exciting, actually! Today, I experience community beyond solidly constructed walls under a single roof and geographical borders. Yet equally awesome in this culture of innovation and change, is an unwavering commitment to community life which includes sacrifices and challenges, true a...

One day recently a 7th grader asked if she could interview me about my religion. One of her questions was: have you ever sacrificed for your religion? I guess I would change the question slightly to: has sacrifice been a part of your religion? Now that we are in the season of Lent this was a good question for me to ponder. Sacrifice, in one way or another, is a part of everyone ’ s life. It often involves a choice: I choose to sacrifice. In my pondering I found the most appropriate definition of sacrifice in this sense as “ the surrender of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. ” Wow, this sounds very noble! And indeed it is, to a degree. When it comes to the purpose of Lenten sacrifice I see sacrifice as a call to change my life, to be converted more to God ’ s ways — that for sure is a higher claim. So, what will I surrender for Lent? What is most precious to me? Time...