Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Our liturgical calendar for the beginning of February starts off with the Feast of the Presentation.   It remembers and celebrates the bringing of the child Jesus by his parents to the Temple and links us back to the feast of Christmas. That got me thinking about all the times we present – emphasis here on the second syllable.  We present a child for Baptism, we present a married couple at the end of the wedding ceremony, we present a graduating class to the assembly.  We make presentations, we make presents.  What connects this world of Presentation to our lives in these weeks of Ordinary Time?  The connector is this amazing truth:  Everything is a gift and all is connected to the ultimate gift of Incarnation, to the gift of God’s humanity that transforms our own and the entire universe forever.  We are challenged to make present, in our own daily lives and common experiences, the beauty and the reality of thi...

As I was working on a presentation this week about Consecrated life, I could not help but think how often sisters, brothers, and priest are perceived as “The Ones” who have the call to holiness.   When in fact, it is through the sacrament of baptism that all have the call to holiness.   Despite a persons vocation they are called to answer their baptismal call to be holy, Christ like.   A person is called to share in the mission to serve and share God’s love and mercy. What could be more appropriate than the season of Lent to work on answering this baptismal call? When I think of being Christ like, I think of sacrifice.   Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and died for our sins.   Sacrifices can bring about conversion and help us to seek and find what is holy and let go of what is not.   As Lent begins, I am thinking of what sacrifices I can make to lead me to be Christ like.   Make time for silence.   Make time for others despite a bu...

One of my favorite ministries is being a catechist for the RCIA program in my parish.    Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the baptism of Jesus, so naturally, part of our class last Friday was spent reflecting on this.  We focussed on how Jesus at his baptism was affirmed as the beloved of God in whom God's favor rested. They all expressed  a longing to be similarly affirmed at their baptism this coming Easter.   As I reflect on my life I realize that I am my best self when I live from this truth about what baptism affirms - that I AM the beloved of God; that God's favor rests on ME!  I am able to risk for justice, to affirm others in their own beloved-ness, and to say yes to whatever God might ask of me.  In fact, the certainty of this is what grounds me as I strive to be faithful to the call to live the consecrated life as a religious sister.   As I read the amazing stories filled with hope amidst terrible injustices, coming from...