Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

As we step into the practices and  opportunities of this Lenten season I am aware that a whole year has gone by in our Covid reality. My nature appreciates solitude and my own company, but I do so miss my sisters. Even though I know they are close by and that I have lots of zoom and FaceTime opportunities, like millions all over the world I miss all the in person gatherings. My closest companions these days are the birds that flock to the seeds I put on my balcony. I have Chickadees, Cardinals, Woodpeckers , Juncos, Finches, Sparrows, Mourning Doves and the occasional Bluejay. I have learned  lots from these feathered ones this year.   How to take just what I need. How to share. How to take turns. How to stay  alert. How to just BE.   I think most of all they remind me of my own place in the great scheme of things. Like them I am but one expression of this sacred diversity of life. The birds, the trees, the lake awaken me to my small unique p...

This   is one of my favorite quotes from St. Thomas Aquinas. It is at the heart of my Dominican vocation. As much as I am reluctant to leave my comfortable warm bed when the alarm goes off at 5:30 I do appreciate the quiet freshness of the early morning.  At this time of year, it’s very dark and the moon and bright stars are my companions. I sit and watch in stillness as the sky becomes lighter and a thin sliver of red or orange moves along the horizon, slowly widening to welcome the rising sun.  I drink in the beauty and am grateful for the gift of the new day. As the light dawns, I eat my oatmeal watching as the chickadees, nuthatches, finches, come to my bird feeder. The cardinal and Juncos feed from the seeds that are scattered.   They take only what they need and fly off into the adventure of their day. I too fly off, to catch my shuttle which takes me to Edgewood College where I teach Digital Art and Design to undergraduates in my 8 o’clock class...