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...

Well, hello. It’s Monday, January 4 and I was just very gently reminded that my blog post is due today!   There is a real ‘thing’ called pandemic cognitive ‘slippage’. It’s been documented by psychologists across the country who themselves have suffered from it. In my particular case, I am finding that days run together and melt into weeks, even months. I lose track of time.   When I made my perpetual profession two short years ago, I placed my hands in the hands of our prioress and asked, “for the mercy of God and yours.” Never has that been more true than now.   One gift of this unusual time is the opportunity to become more self-reflective, more self-forgiving, more merciful to ourselves and to each other.    My wish for you is to be gentle with yourself, to practice compassion and empathy toward others, and to breathe mercy into a world so desperately in need of it.   Kathy Flynn OP Madison, WI

Easter is such a tender day.  Children remember the eggs and chocolate bunnies, but as we mature we learn that Easter begins with remembering death and suffering before we remember forgiveness, mercy, new life and love. Today I am remembering my Polish Grandma, Magdalene. Who came to the US with adopted parents, her own parents having died in a flu epidemic.   Sometimes I would sit with her for afternoon coffee.   Of course, we always had a cookie or a piece of cake to share as well.   She taught the art of welcoming.   “It doesn’t matter what you have, always treat the visitor with kindness.   If all you have to offer is a piece of bread and a cup of coffee, offer that,” she would say. Our community has been so blessed to welcome to our house, not far from where Grandma and I shared coffee—people from China, Peru, and Colombia, --people of Lakota, Navaho, and Mohican nations, people who are African American, Turkish, and of course people like ours...

Being a Dominican means being open.   I find this openness a great gift.   Being a guest and witnessing another culture’s traditions widens my tent poles and calls me to new truths.   What a privilege.   When I fail to be open to a new idea or another’s way of life, I feel it.   I have to admit that I sense my judgmental nature.        Recently, I attended a dance recital by a Mexican Folkloric Dance Troupe.   It was spectacular - full of color and music and joy.   I was aware of experiencing something ancient and deeply rooted in a people’s love for God, for nature, and for each other.         Jesus walked with openness to others everywhere he went.   He taught us how.   Our Dominican lifestyle offers our world this reflection of his compassion and mercy.   Each of us has the opportunity of being the healing presence our Earth so badly needs right now. How about you, ...

I read recently that students in the high school graduating class of 2016 or 2017 will be the first to have no personal memory of the events of 9/11.  They will know only what they have read and been taught.  Thus, what is written and what is said (both in and out of the classroom) can enormously influence the worldview of these impressionable young people, who will grow to lead us into an unknown future.  What they read and hear could cause them to live life either cynically and in fear, or in hope.  What they read and hear could cause them to see themselves as independent beings or as integral parts of an interconnected worldwide family and Mother Earth who sustains it.  What they read and hear could mean an increase in suspicion and oppression of the ‘other’ or to a healthy curiosity and welcoming of the rich diversity offered to all of us, by each of us. We are teachers accountable to our children and the future we are asking them to be...

It's been an unusually dry season so far.  Yet, the bougainvillea plant blooms and it's brilliant flowers delighted all who came here for retreat.  In addition, the trees are shedding their leaves and I have managed to resist raking them all up.  Those I do rake, I compost.  It has been fun over the years watching this apparent waste turn into nutrient rich earth.  A deeper reflection makes me think that there is nothing too dry for God and God can take apparent nothingness and transform it into something good and beautiful and useful.  The retreat house has hosted many groups this lent.  Special among them for me were the students.  For morning prayer I took them around the garden stopping at various 'stations' to reflect and pray with different aspects of nature - the bougainvillea, the trees, the dry leaves, the compost, the water, the vegetables.  The idea being to make them more aware of the need to be grateful, to reverence and car...

Writing a piece for Catherine's Cafe is always a challenge for me. I am never quite sure what to write. I start to reflect on my personal prayer and experiences of the recent past. That's where I begin each time. I have been intrigued with a book entitled Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God by Cynthia Bourgeault. Though I read it last year I decided to read it again. This time around, the message of the book has taken me so much deeper, especially since my dad's recent passing. So I was contemplating the notion of "hope" and "mercy," wanting to share some of the insights with you. Then I went to a gathering in celebration of our 800th Jubilee at Dominican University. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, previous Master of the Order and world-renowned speaker and author, was the keynote speaker. I had no idea what his topic would be. He began with these questions: What gives you hope?; How do you communicate that hope to others, especially the youth; a...

I walk down the hallway of the shelter and turn out the bathroom light. An hour later, I do it again. Two hours later, the same thing. 6-8 times a night, I turn off the bathroom light until …finally… Epiphany! A light goes on in my own head and heart… shining on the truth of a reality that to women and children living in the darkness of domestic violence... conservation simply means self-preservation, making your own light… maybe even leaving it on where you find it. As Christian women and men, we are called to be light to others… and to accept light from others… without judgment, without exception. May 2016 truly be a year of mercy compassion and love A year committed to ending violence in our world, in our country, in our neighborhoods and in our own hearts A year committed to letting our light shine… for the common good… for Peace   John 1:5 “ The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” ...