Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

One vital piece that Dominicans commit themselves to is ‘assiduous study’.  My, isn’t that word ‘assiduous’ strong and a mouthful?  Assiduous by way of ‘Bing’ means  ‘Constant in application or attention’.  Part of my own growth consists of regular attendance at twelve step meetings.  There I keep learning about my truth and others.  What I do know is that to know and honor Truth I need to be constant in my practice.  Another way to state this is to look at my ‘praxis’ and take time to see if I am assiduous.  At the end of our 12 step meeting we gather in a circle, hold hands and say a prayer.  We end this prayer with a short phrase:  ‘keep coming back’.  Of late I have found this to be a mantra for me.  Yes, keep coming back to attending to God’s presence in and around me.  This is our real work of growing in God’s image and likeness.  Margaret Wheatley states: ‘we’re fully in the river learnin...

Recently, a group of Sinsinawa Dominicans gathered to celebrate a birthday.  A beautiful prayer, simple decorations, flowers from the garden, good food, and most of all, great conversation and lots of laughs made the evening very special.  The whole celebration was a community effort, done with great love and affection.   As Dominican women, life is often reduced to the basics – our love for God and for each other.  Our love for each other never stops there…it moves us in the very depth of our souls to bring God’s love to the world.  This love is our greatest celebration.  What are you celebrating this summer?                Peggy Ryan, OP Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

There are many forms of commitment and promises people make.  For Dominicans, we make (or take) Vows – first, Temporary Profession and finally, Perpetual Vows/Profession – unto death. Since the beginning of the Order of Preachers in 1206 there has been a lay branch that also takes Vows.  They have been referred to as Tertiaries, Third Order and now – Dominican Laity – who also are given the letters O.P. when they make their Profession. Recently, a young man (Joseph in the center of the picture) who comes for Spiritual Direction took the first step – temporary vows for three years – to become Dominican Laity.  He gives much energy and creativity considering how to encourage his generation to be engaged in the life and mission of the Church.  He hopes that his Dominican commitment will be a way to do this. This July, his First Vows were celebrated at the closing Mass for our annual Young Adults Retreat at which he was part of the retreat ...

We live in a postmodern world where we often hear the lament of people claiming to be “spiritual, but not religious.”  I have often asked myself what they mean by this.  I now understand that this may mean that they probably believe in a supreme being, but they do not believe in institutional religion or they have been disappointed, hurt or embarrassed by a particular institutional religion. To say that I have been disappointed, hurt or embarrassed by institutional religion would be an understatement.  I have felt all these things and more at various occasions in my life, both before and after I entered religious life.  What makes me remain part of institutional religion and not choose something else is because I believe in a Trinitarian God, which is to say I believe in a relational God.  I also believe in a God who sent God’s Son for sinners and a church that is made up of sinners. As Sinsinawa Dominicans we believe, “At the heart of minist...

Sometimes I am so surprised how God enters into my day.  This can be a smile on someone’s face when I am overworked and tired. It is refreshing to see. It relaxes me a bit. Sometimes it is an encouraging word or a good conversation where deep values are shared.  My inner self, my spirit is renewed and inspired when I can think, ‘O thank you God for being with me’. Decisions are hard at times.  Recently I listened to Anne Murray singing ‘lean on me when you’re not strong, and I´ll be your friend, I´ll help you carry on… we all need somebody to lean on…. I f there is a load that you have to carry on, I am just up the road, just call on me when you want me, just call on me…’ I found courage in her words, the rhythm of the song, the meaning it had for me in my busyness. I had a report to finish and I had too many interruptions, but good interruptions… my work! So I leaned on God and begged for the help I needed that day. I often do this. My Dominican life is...