Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

We are approaching the July 4 th celebration of our country’s independence, a day typically filled with flags, fireworks, picnics, family gatherings and maybe a little chest pounding.  The Song of Peace, written by Lloyd Stone in 1934 and sung to the melody of the “Finlandia” hymn, is a reminder that we are not so unique; that everyone everywhere shares our hopes and dreams for peace and prosperity.  Until everyone enjoys the ‘inalienable rights’ we so often take for granted, we cannot truly be free.   In what ways do you enjoy freedom that others may not?  How has God blessed you?                                            The Song of Peace This is my song, Oh God of all the nations, A song of peace for lands afar and mine. This is my home, the country where my heart is; Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shr...

With two part-time ministries, teaching employment skills and offering job counseling and support to people on the margins and in crisis, my life is enriched and challenged. Other commitments such as on-going study, professional development, Congregation and community matters, family and friends, and more also get my attention. Life, like music, consists of many contrasting “voices” and relationships of melodic lines, modulations, dissonance, changing rhythms, etc. Most of the time, things in my life flow easily and harmonic chords are the result. Sometimes rhythms and melodies compete. In musical terms, that is defined as counterpoint. Commitments and relationships often “compete” for my attention and energy, with days occasionally turning into weeks of counterpoint. As Sinsinawa Dominicans, we make a vow of obedience and ‘strive to have one heart and one soul in God, bearing witness to the gospel we preach and teach.’ To better listen and serve...