Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

When the feast St Andrew was announced before morning Mass, bells went off inside me.  I suddenly remembered that it was on the evening of St Andrew I received the sacrament of Confirmation with other members of my sixth-grade class. It came to me that the bishop that confirmed us also commissioned building the Parish where I belong now.  I was smiling at this wonderful intersection when an older man, Tony, offered to walk me home so I would be “safe” on my long walk from the church to the sisters’ house where I live.  We both laughed, since it is about 50 feet away.   I learned that my escort had worked as a landscaper and had helped prepare the land where the Diocesan office now stands.  It is named for the same bishop! Tony talked about trees, and the gift of nature which provides us with clean air and nutritious soil.      I encouraged Tony to preach his truth. What truth are  we  called to preach these days?...

Did you awake this morning wondering “Where am I called this day? this week? This life?” In 1170 Jane de Guzman had a vision that the child in her womb was like a dog running with a torch to set the world on fire.  After his death in 1221 the world knew this child as Dominic, the hound of God, and the order that grew out of Dominic’s adventures as the order of preachers. The Order is to proclaim the word of God by preaching, teaching and example, while being sustained by community.  In 2021 preaching takes on many forms. How are you called to preach?   On this day I awoke remembering that today is my turn to write the blog for Catherine’s Café.  What a wonderful call to preach!   I began by praying to God’s Spirit.  “What do you want of me to preach today?   I found a life of Dominic.*    It is an adventure story and a mystery story too.  The events that led to the beginning of the order of preache...