Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

I cannot believe that Lent is already here!  The challenging and beautiful journey of the Lenten period is here with us again.   Unlike earlier in my life I now look forward to this special season in the church's year.  You may ask why?  The Lenten season for me is a representation of life.  It is about the pains and joys of life.  A dying to myself for forty days to hopefully rise again to new life in Jesus Christ in the Easter season.  It may mean some falling down, yet I intend to rise up again and again.   "Rending my heart, not my garments."  Focusing more on the condition of my heart.  A time where I can genuinely examine my life and try to root out what is not life-giving through consistent fasting, prayer and helping others.   I try to work on the elements in my life that I know is not good for me or beneficial to others.   It is an opportunity of forty days to let go of bad habits and persistent sinful behavio...

Writing a piece for Catherine's Cafe is always a challenge for me. I am never quite sure what to write. I start to reflect on my personal prayer and experiences of the recent past. That's where I begin each time. I have been intrigued with a book entitled Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God by Cynthia Bourgeault. Though I read it last year I decided to read it again. This time around, the message of the book has taken me so much deeper, especially since my dad's recent passing. So I was contemplating the notion of "hope" and "mercy," wanting to share some of the insights with you. Then I went to a gathering in celebration of our 800th Jubilee at Dominican University. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, previous Master of the Order and world-renowned speaker and author, was the keynote speaker. I had no idea what his topic would be. He began with these questions: What gives you hope?; How do you communicate that hope to others, especially the youth; a...