Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

I love water. I love to be by it, on it and in it. Perhaps it’s a genetic predisposition but I find my soul just resonates in the presence of water. It can be smooth as glass, white capped, whipped by wind or tidal waves, large and small with their regular rhythm resonating along a shoreline. I love water’s many presentations and how it interacts with the ever changing light. I am a swimmer. After over a year of not swimming I am gratefully fully vaccinated and have found a local pool where I can book a lane for lap swimming. So, I am thrilled to be back in the water.   It’s a saltwater pool and I have been going early at the beginning of each new day.    I love the interchange between air and water as I move the earth and fire of my body through these precious elements. St Catherine of Siena said, “As the fish is in the water and the water is in the fish, so I am in God and God is in me.”   What a wonderful metaphor for the experience of being enfolded, submerged in...

Recently I was asked to do a reflection on Mary, the listening virgin. As I pondered what I would say I reflected on how much our society today needs good listeners who show respect for the person speaking. It seems almost everyone has an opinion and expresses it, sometimes shamelessly, on social media—often what is said is degrading and hateful. Are they really listening to one another? Yesterday a woman came to my office saying she didn’t think anyone cared about her; no one loved her—she didn’t even think God loved her. She felt very alone. What could I do; what could I say? I listened to her and reminded her that God loved her into existence and will never stop loving her. We prayed together and she left. I don’t know what I did for her, but I knew she needed someone to listen to her. Maybe she needed the reminder that God loved her, but she didn’t need my advice nor did she need me to resolve her angst. I listened; was that enough? I hope so. It has been said that we have...

Recently I was on a team of women preparing to give an ACTS retreat for 17 women.  ACTS stands for Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service. We spent two months in preparation, forming a giving, loving community among ourselves. Then for two and a half days we gave these women a true gift of love, always thinking of them first and putting our own needs in the background. During our preparation time we were focused on making this an experience of God's loving presence in the women's lives, so it seemed nothing was too difficult for any of us, small hurts were quickly forgiven, and all needs were met with a joyful willingness and a generous spirit. After the retreat ended we tried to keep the same loving spirit, but the focus was different.  But, why should it be?  Isn't this a focus for our everyday lives, too?  Forming this small community gave each of us a concrete experience of what is possible if we keep our focus on God's presence among...