Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Today I was taught that what I see depends on where I look.   It started with a loud knock on the Food Pantry’s big doors.  She obviously needed food.  I could tell that right away.  But, she did not ask for anything.  She just came in and went to the bin where we keep fresh flowers for folks to take home.  She thought no one was watching her.  She took a bundle of flowers and with great reverence set them before the statute of the Blessed Mother.  In quiet adoration, this frail, old woman prayed in silence, and then soon left.   As Dominicans, we are called to notice those on the periphery.   We must pay attention to those who are serving us, growing our food, cleaning our streets, or picking up our garbage?   We must struggle to really understand the conflicts of those on the fringes.    What I see all depends on where I look.    What have you seen lately?   And, what have you missed seeing la...

Where I am in retreat ministry we are transitioning from one retreat mode to another.   Summer seems to be a slower pace.   Really it is only different kinds of retreats than the last ten months.   But another transition has been taken place at the retreat house - a technology one.   And it has our IT person frazzled. Bringing our network technology up to date and ensuring all computers talk "nice" within the network has also shown that our systems have been harboring viruses that the very good protection program could not detect.   Clearing them out has not followed the usual plan. In the meantime, I have contracted my own personal virus - a summer cold...in Florida!   Not the usual plan. These realities got me thinking that each of us may also be harboring spiritual viruses, emotional woes or psychological impasses.   It takes courage to ask for Divine help (which often comes through human sources) to identify and receiv...