Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

New Year’s Eve, making resolutions, pondering the future, looking back,  wondering where time went…all that and more occupies a lot of us on December 31 or in the first days of the new year.   I have, in the past, made resolutions to lose weight, exercise, pray more, pray better, clean my desk, read some of the books piled up next to my bed before I get one more new one – you get the picture.   I would imagine some of you find yourselves in the same situation. But this year, I will aim to make one dear and familiar line from Psalm 119 the only resolution I want to work toward:   “Incline my heart according to your will, O God.”     I love the verb “incline” –to move toward.   For me that takes in all the fits and starts, the two steps back as well as two (or hopefully three) steps forward in listening to the Spirit, in waiting in silence, in opening myself to big questions and no clear answers, in peace.   May your hearts incline towar...

Holidays can be difficult for many people because of recent or past experiences of grief and loss -- experiences such as the death of a parent or sibling, job loss, loss of a home due to reduced or no income, health challenges and the fragility that comes with aging. Losses can also be anticipated ones that come with a serious diagnosis of a special someone. I know a lot of people who are experiencing some of those emotional challenges during this Christmas holiday season. And I know many survivors of loss who share their personal stories of breaking out into the light. Seems to me that each of them is experiencing her/his own Christmas story, as they continue to discover gifts and all that is waiting for them. In the mystery of all of our sacred stories, the light somehow breaks through. And somehow, with God’s grace and help from others, we can break out into the light. I have many Christmas (and other holiday) stories about light breaking in and me breaking out into the lig...