Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In the northern hemisphere we're stepping into the new season of spring. It's been a long winter and most of us are ready for a change. Maybe that means stepping with a spring in our bodies as we enjoy the new life around us.  I feel so blessed to live in north central Wisconsin where the earth is still pristine in its beauty and every day offers new wonders. Each day I follow the trail in the woods behind my house and each day I see new plants and birds and even a few little critters that I haven’t seen before.  Each day is a revelation of God’s beauty, goodness, and love. How can I thank God enough for this bounty? What’s in your backyard or in other areas of your life, areas perhaps long-dormant after a harsh winter? Can you name the trees bursting with blossoms? Can you greet the tiny wild flowers smiling up at you as you stroll past them? Can you sing along with the various bird songs that float over the breeze to tickle your ears? Sing with me Psalm 104:...

This past summer, in Washington State, we continued with the now annual smoke filled air brought to us from wild fires that prevailed all through July and August.  In fact, our air quality rating registered five times higher than China’s.  The smoke from our fires combined with smoke from Russia, Oregon, Canada, and California, as the jet stream blew where it would. Typically, I can see way beyond the local Catholic Church that offers a view of golden wheat and varying shades of green as the sun dances across the lawns, trees, and fields that give way to tree covered hills and mountains. Most notably, Baldy - a sheer cliff of Quartzite that towers over the east side of Chewelah was not visible. It was like where’s Waldo, but this was where is Baldy? We could even smell the smoke inside the hospital, where I serve as a Chaplain.  We saw our natural surroundings only a few times and waited longingly for the light. It was Advent like....