Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

It is a cave of sorts. A Global collection of people are crammed together with luggage piled floor to ceiling.  Unlike the donkey, trains were on strike.   All faces glued, to the fine print of the ever changing billboard, announcing arrivals and departures.   People with a mission and a purpose like Mary and Joseph. The door swung in, edging us closer together, and the door swung out, making room for anyone who came knocking.   Are you waiting for an arrival, or for a departure?  Is your purpose being lived?   Here is what I gave birth to, as I waited to depart:   Like Mary and Joseph, we carry a call.   All we know, is something beyond our womb is calling us.   We find ourselves whether male or female pregnant once again!   Do we abort? Do we carry to term?   We worry.  How will we feed this call?   Wakening, we hope all is a dream.   It is a reality.    We've been here before. Over and over throughout our...

Each morning as I prepare for the day I look in my closet and ask, “What shall I wear today?” The answer depends on different factors, e.g., the weather, my schedule, where I’ll be, how I feel, etc., etc. The outfit chosen reflects a number of mostly inconsequential factors, yet it is an important part of my day. In fact, what I am asking is, “Who am I today?’ or “What is my purpose?” Clothes are a significant aspect, a very personal aspect of ourselves. Clothes help to create the “persona” that I reflect to the world – my message. On the other hand, we could dig deeper and look at the persona within and ask what that reflects. Saint Paul says in his Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four, “You were taught to…clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” In other words, we are invited to “put on Christ” and actually BE the persona, the image of God Incarnate, reflecting mercy, generosity, forgiveness and hope. What wil...

One morning I was on my 8:00am weekly transformational leadership growth group conference call.   Where some of us who are leaders in the local Catholic Church were sharing on what was our mission and purpose in our life.     When it was his turn to share the youngest member of our group who was in his early 30’s then proceeded to tell us that he did not subscribe to having a mission and purpose for his life.       Well, to say the least I could not believe what I was hearing.     Why would this thirty something year old not think that there was a purpose for his life?   It made me think of myself and my journey to discovering my purpose.  I did not always know what it was until I realized that you and I are here on this earth now for a reason.  It is not by chance or coincidence, it is to fulfill our purpose.  We are not called to merely exist, but to thrive.  Figuring out and living our purpose in lif...

Since early childhood I loved to learn. I was an over achiever so I put forth a lot of effort. Learning provided meaning and purpose in my life. I connected learning with school so I have a love for education.  When I entered the Sinsinawa Dominicans and became a teacher I felt right at home. I’m grateful for the educational opportunities I’ve had. After my teaching degree I went on to receive two masters and certification. What blessings these experiences have been. Beyond formal study, Dominicans are life-long learners. In fact, study is an essential part of our charism. The longer I live the more I realize the many ways we learn. Learning has become a way of life that enriches me with meaning and purpose. Living at the Mound I have so many opportunities to study and learn. Mealtime is a great source of learning. The sisters provide a wealth from their life experience. There are many different study groups, mini-courses, prayer groups, book clubs, seminars and regu...