Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Residents of Fourth Floor Siena Community who meet daily to share Scripture readings I recently needed to take time out from my ministry to have surgery.  I came home to our Motherhouse and spent six weeks on one of our assisted living floors.  Healing is often a journey, full of ups and downs.  Throughout this sometimes painful, sometimes slow process, I was surrounded by the love and healing energy of my sisters. Encouragement, hope, courage, strength, and deep prayer were shared with me each and every day.   We heal in community.   I am so very grateful for my time at home.   I am so very grateful for the love and affection of my sisters.   How about you?   How do you heal? Peggy Ryan, OP Waukegan, IL

As a spiritual director and retreat leader, encouragement is one aspect of ministry.  Actually, encouragement is needed to be given and received from the minute we are born. I am reminded of this life support virtue as I read a friend's weekly blog. Not what she wrote as I prepare my blog entry but something I occasionally remind her about especially when she creates a conversation with her dog.  These blog entries have beautiful faith and moral implications. My friend as already authored two books and my encouragement is that she consider writing books for children using the 'doggie' posts.  I can almost see the pictures that would go with these stories. Each of us both need to give and receive encouragement.  Sometimes we may push back when another offers this to us.  Yet, with gratitude we need to be open to what is being said. The other person just may be drawing out of us a gift of the Holy Spirit we didn't know was in us. What...