Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Let’s celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—everyone is Irish on that day. Right? Though Ancestry.com testing might not indicate I’m Irish, the influence of the Irish culture lives within me. I will claim to be Irish by association.   On March 17 my “Spirit” circle will celebrate by sharing our insights from our study of Celtic spirituality. It’s my turn to choose our topic, offer resources, and facilitate our conversation. I’ve wanted to discover the essence of Celtic spirituality and I found it resonates with who I am.   Spirituality is a way of expressing who we are and how we live out what we believe. A central wisdom of the Celts is that all life is sacred and God is always with us, in us, all around us in the ordinariness of our lives.     The great discovery for me is how Celtic spirituality is so similar to Dominican spirituality. Celts have monastic roots. They pray always, not enclosed in a monastery but live in community wherever they are. Contemplation and stu...

Didn’t it seem like spring would never arrive this year.  And while we were waiting, COVID-19 came to our world and began to wreak havoc among us.  As we watch news reports, we see so much suffering and devastation, and yet at the same time we witness the best in human beings’ care and compassion for one another.  As we ponder the dark days in our lives and continue to hope for more light at the end of this tunnel, we grasp for hope, faith, and ever more insight.   A breakfast conversation with some of our sisters some time ago (before social distancing) led me to believe that suffering does, in fact, make us stronger, give us wisdom, and in the end, enables us to be the women we are today – powerful, durable, intelligent, prudent, hopeful women of faith able to share the “Good News” that God is indeed with us throughout all we are experiencing. So I’ve continued searching for the signs of spring, and I have begun to see my favorite image...

For the past two Sundays the Mass celebrated at our motherhouse was video-streamed to all of us. Whether we were on the east or west coast, somewhere in between, or in Bolivia, we were able to participate in the liturgy. Here in our Madison home the three of us lit a candle and joined in the singing and prayer responses. The sisters at the Mound were in the chapel but left an empty seat between them, so it almost seemed like a normal Sunday except no peace greeting and only the priest received Communion.  Sisters from all over the country and Bolivia commented on how in this time of separation we felt more united and together than we normally do. We come together in prayer because in our helplessness and vulnerability these days we know God is with us, will never leave us,  and will give us the peace we so need. How are you dealing with these days of social distancing? How do you experience togetherness? Marie Lucek OP Madison, WI