Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Recently I was on a team of women preparing to give an ACTS retreat for 17 women.  ACTS stands for Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service. We spent two months in preparation, forming a giving, loving community among ourselves. Then for two and a half days we gave these women a true gift of love, always thinking of them first and putting our own needs in the background. During our preparation time we were focused on making this an experience of God's loving presence in the women's lives, so it seemed nothing was too difficult for any of us, small hurts were quickly forgiven, and all needs were met with a joyful willingness and a generous spirit. After the retreat ended we tried to keep the same loving spirit, but the focus was different.  But, why should it be?  Isn't this a focus for our everyday lives, too?  Forming this small community gave each of us a concrete experience of what is possible if we keep our focus on God's presence among...

This lent I found myself with the happy task of retreating 5-11 year old students.  Class by class I welcomed them, a total of over 500 boys and girls!    I taught them about prayer and with the different levels I did a different type of prayer.  As we prayed they shared their lives with me.  The five year old boys prayed for things like fireman trucks, iPads and cellphones!  The six to seven year olds prayed for help in their studies, and one for his father to get the money to finish building his home.  The 8- 9 year olds  praised and thanked God for their families, and refreshingly, for the environment, for oxygen and for their hearts, their lungs and their brains. The 10 -11 year olds asked forgiveness for lying, kicking each other, not listening or paying attention and for calling each other names, among other little 'transgressions!'  For all of them a highlight was making a prayer flower on the petals of which they wrote their ...