Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

I never wanted to be a religious sister (nun) because I felt I would never be happy.     This calls me to reflect on what is happiness.     Some say that happiness is a feeling.     It is when you feel good and cheerful about something that happened or is happening in your life.     However, I think that true happiness comes from when you make others happy.     After I went out of my way to assist someone and they unexpectedly tell me how much my helping meant to them.     I experience an unexpected warm feeling inside.     True happiness I think is a sense of fulfilment you feel even if what you did was not acknowledged, yet you know that deep down inside you did and gave of your best to help someone without any conscious ulterior motive.     You did it because it was the right and necessary thing to do at the time. Everyone searches for happiness and many know that true happiness cannot be found in things,...

This weekend I was blessed to gather with a group of Dominican sisters- those who are in temporary profession and our companions.  It was a rich weekend, full of heartfelt prayer, genuine sharing, and plenty of laughter. Our weekend was enriched by some unexpected guests - a mother duck and her 13 offspring who were living in the courtyard of the convent where we were gathered.  Throughout our weekend, we would spot the ducklings waddling after their mama, bathing in a small water bowl, and having their fill of the birdseed that had spilled underneath the feeder. The ducklings were the center of attention!  Their wagging tail feathers and small peeps brought smiles to our faces all weekend, and their activity consistently drew passers-by to pause at the windows and watch a while. These little ones, by their mere presence, inspired happiness.  They invited anyone who glimpsed them to slow down and delight in their presence.  It was an invitation I ...