Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

At a recent regional meeting in Montana with our sisters and associates we were asked during prayer to picture a scene from nature that spoke to us. Living in Alaska my picture included snow-capped mountains, wild flowers, warbling birds and the ocean with its whales. I thought especially of the whales breaching, their huge majestic bodies coming straight up from the water. I thought of them bubble feeding, when they gather in a circle, rise up from the water and open their mouths to feed on the krill that come to the surface. These are awesome sights, but I see them very rarely--they are a special gift. Most of the time I know the whales are in the sea, but I don't see any sign of them. Once in a while I might see a spout of water which signifies their presence or a fin rising from the water. This is a good way for me to think of God's presence in my life.  Like the whales God is always present, is always there, but I only get a glimpse now and then, perhaps in a sacr...

Recently a friend came to Juneau for a week, both to see me and to experience this section of Alaska. Since this is a scenic area with mountains, waterways, whales, and eagles, and more, I wasn't surprised when she began to exclaim about the beauty of everything she saw. However, she continued to be in awe with the beauty, shades of coloring, soaring eagles, etc., for the entire week! I then began to realize that, though I too drink in the beauty of my surroundings, maybe I take it for granted sometimes and don't appreciate it as much as I should. This led me to reflect on the possibility that I could also take people for granted. I live with one other sister--we take turns leading prayer, cooking, cleaning and shopping. However, I realized that beyond a cursory comment on a meal or a thank you for doing the dishes when it was my turn, I don't often tell her how much I appreciate the little things she does for both of us, for me. When we are both invited to dinner ...