Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In my ministry, retreat ‘season’ begins in September.  For this year’s weekend retreats – for the Morning Prayer that I lead I’m using Psalm 34.  Well most of it. It actually begins with this tribute:  “ Of David, when he pretended to be mad before Abimelek so that he drove him out and he went on his way.”  Jewish scripture scholar, Robert Alter, translates it as:  “…when he altered his good sense…” While many of the Psalms may note (King) David in some way – this reference makes my smile.  How clever he seems.  How deceptive.  Then wonder – how would anyone know the real “David?” It is dangerous to alter your good sense .  You could get caught, of course.  But a life-time of not being your true self is harmful mostly to your one wild and beautiful life. In my life, I need not only an annual time of retreat and an ongoing relationship with a Spiritual Director I also need daily time of quiet meditation and refl...

This is the first full day of autumn!  We don’t need the calendar to remind us because there are signs of autumn all around us.  The weather has cooled, the geese are heading south, the days are shorter, the fields have turned golden and leaves are turning brilliant colors. Along with its brilliance and splendor, autumn touches my core with wordless messages about the necessity of surrender and transformation. It reminds me that when I let go of certain things, it makes room for others and to see things more clearly.  Here’s a simple example.  We all have possessions that no longer use and yet that take up space.  A friend of mine adopted the practice of getting rid of one thing each day that she no longer needed.  What a great idea!  Letting go of possessions is very freeing. It opens both physical space, and well as psychic space.  It clears away space so there’s room inside and out for what’s new and creative and life...