Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

A few weeks ago we turned our clocks back an hour.  That meant we had an extra hour.  What should I do with that extra time? One of the assignments I gave my class of high school students one year was to write an essay on whether or not they would like an extra hour added to their day, and if so, what would they do with it.  After they thought about it almost the entire class concluded they did not want an extra hour added to each day.  They thought they would probably only waste this added hour. What I learned from reflecting on this question is that time is a gift, and that God has given me enough time to do whatever God has intended for me. I don't need another hour, except for that one day a year when daylight savings time ends.  The time I have each day is sufficient and I hope I use well the time I am given.  The extra hour?  I can't even remember how I used it. What are your reflections on time? Marie Lucek, OP Juneau, AK

Mary Oliver asks us, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”   Many of us are busy about many good things.   Are these the things that we need to be busy about all the time?   In the past few months I have found myself being very, very busy about many good things.   Being in full-time parish ministry is very time consuming.   Sometimes I find myself working, working and working without taking the time to do the things that I really love and that feed my mind, body and spirit.   Important things like going to the beach, reading a good novel just for the fun of it. I then have to stop myself and ask, “Is this what I want to do with my one wild precious life?”   Don’t get me wrong I love parish ministry- it is very fulfilling.   Yet it does not feed my entire mind, body and spirit.   It is the time that I spend basking in my God’s presence, walking on the beach, being with love ones, being in awe of creation.    These are only so