Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

The cherry tomatoes on my sister Molly’s plant make my mouth water!     The first two tomatoes I pick are so beautiful; I do not want to eat them.     The Saturday morning farmer’s market during these last weeks of August is an experience in abundance.  Each fruit and vegetable demonstrates the mystery of sunlight and rain, of earth and air.  Hidden seeds become luscious food. As Dominicans, we are called to praise and to bless.  The taste of a crunchy cucumber, the tartness of a blueberry, or the drippy sweetness of a slice of watermelon make it so easy to exclaim God’s goodness. This past Sunday’s second reading from the Letter of James says, “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you…” Even as this pandemic rages forward and the international scene speaks of injustice and oppression, James reminds us that we are called to be the harvest of God wherever we are, in any way possible.  The harvest of God’s love, mercy...

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Poland to touch base with my Polish roots. The first city we visited was Warsaw, the scene of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. In retaliation for this uprising 85% of the city was systematically destroyed by the Nazis. Old Town with buildings that had dated back to the 13th century were completely demolished. After the war this area was painstakingly rebuilt using photographs and drawings of the buildings. Today Old Town truly feels like an old town. I was deeply moved as I walked through the area. After such devastation to their country the Polish people could have given up any idea of rebuilding or perhaps only have planned for a partial rebuild.  Instead they had hope--hope that they could once again touch base with the past while passing on a legacy to their children.  What an unquenchable hope in the face of such challenges!   We have just celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Though these da...