Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

On the way home from grocery shopping I had a flat tire and had to pull over on the shoulder of a ramp.  Needless to say, this was a scary experience with all the cars whizzing by--a two-lane ramp that was now a one-lane ramp. After calling AAA I got out of the car afraid my car could be hit.  A man stopped and wanted to know if he could help. Another got out of his car and helped me to see where the spare tire should be. (There was no spare tire.)  A woman went by and then came back around to see if I was alright.  A woman with a baby stopped and a man who spoke only Spanish stopped.  One man offered to stay with me until AAA arrived, and there were others, too.  All these responses were from total strangers. How blessed I felt!  I was no longer panicky or traumatized.  I was experiencing goodness and the power of kindness and caring. Doesn't that sound like a blessing? Have you ever had the experience of an unwelcome event that became a blessing? Marie Lucek OP Madison, WI  

I have a terrible sense of direction, so I don’t drive anywhere without my trusty Garmin stuck to the windshield. It has taken me more places than I could count over a period of many years. It’s a simple gadget to operate...just punch in the address and off you go! There have been a few times, however, when I have ended up in an entirely different place than I had intended. What went wrong??? Usually, the answer is that I went wrong. I failed to input the correct address or made some other human error that got me way off track. As we say, garbage in, garbage out.   I am learning that we can say that about our own lives, right? What I read or watch on TV or listen to on the radio determines what I think about and eventually how I act. Lent is coming soon – always an opportunity for soul-searching and renewal. I need to consider what I am feeding my soul these days. I need to choose some inspiring sources to nourish my mind. Then, come Easter, I will be able to celebrate my chosen destin