Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Perhaps you are familiar with the poet, Mary Oliver. She died a few months ago and it was only then I found out she lived a few miles north of me in South Florida. On Ash Wednesday I gave a day of reflection in which I include her poem:   The Summer Day .  The last line is:  “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” The title for this blog entry is how I adapted her words as those of us gather as Lent began.  This is the only Lent we have in 2019.  How did those present and how are you, using your one wild and precious Lent? I have long ago stopped using Lent to give up chocolate.  Rather, I am pondering how  wild   (God’s gift of free will) and  precious   (this very moment – every moment) is my life and all life including the earth’s.  I am listening to God’s call to the next action I am to take. Recently, that happened when participating in a congregati...

Wednesday  was a mixed-bag.  I joked with a colleague that the ashes on my forehead felt apropos for a vowed celibate on Valentine’s Day.   But the day held the truth of paradox on a much deeper level.   I awoke to the distribution of ashes and a special morning prayer with my community—a wonderful way to begin the day in holy communion.  Later, I got to visit with Congresswomen Maloney (CA) and Jayapal (WA) along with Sr. Simone Campbell to thank them for their service and for scoring 100% on NETWORK’s Voting Record.  Both women—testaments to the strength of love-in-action—inspire and demonstrate the “good” that can manifest on the Hill.   Then the news broke about another mass shooting at a school in Florida—17 students killed—and the grieving set-in.  A reminder that evil is also manifested on the Hill in the form of harmful policies, blame, greed, and vitriol.   I’ve never felt more in...