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...

How do you say “Thanksgiving”? “THANKSgiving” or “ThanksGIVING”? According to an article in  Mental Floss , if Thanksgiving, which is thoroughly an English word, actually behaved like an English word, the stress would be on the first syllable. (Think of words like SEAfaring, BABYsitting, HANDwriting, ALMSgiving, etc.) Linguist John McWhorter believes a shift to stressing the second syllable of Thanksgiving is reflective of the way our view of the holiday has shifted, that we “don’t truly think about Thanksgiving as being about thankfulness anymore.” I don’t know if I buy that…the word has always been “ThanksGIVING” for me and about gratitude. Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing.  However you pronounce it, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the grace and abundance in our lives. In these turbulent times, it’s often easy to overlook our abundance and focus on scarcity and what we think we need. I am reminded of this quote, attributed to a variety of people:...

For Dominicans, every day should be Thanksgiving Day.   We live in the gospel practice that all we have and all we need comes from God.   Our God offers us abundance everywhere we turn.   This grace comes with a huge invitation to offer to others this self-giving love of God.   We know that all we have and all we are is for others.   So, how do you live the spirit of Thanksgiving Day all year round?   Peggy Ryan, OP Casa Nona McGreal Waukegan, IL                

Yesterday Grace and I picked the abundant mulberries growing on the trees in the back lot adjoining ours. There were plenty to eat, plenty to share and plenty for the birds who are singing so joyfully this season. These humble berries appear in June/July without our irrigation or pruning. They remind me of the abundance of the universe. June/July brings other abundance as well. I have met new people as I go on summer walks or go to summer events. People have dropped by our house with cookies, sweet peas and offers of friendship. The longer nights are opportunities for deeper conversation over glasses of wine or other refreshments. Our house community has hosted overnight guests who are coming and going to various places. They share their culture with us. In the face of such abundance, how can I be greedy?   How can I close my door or my mind to the other? How can I not be grateful for the gift of every day and every person? ...