Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

The gardener in me is always grateful for the resilience of Spring. Each springtime I marvel how plants that in their dormancy looked nearly dead rebound back.     However, this year with the merciless reality of climate change I have discovered another side of nature’s resilience.     This summer with 108 plus degrees I have witnessed both the cruelty and tenacity of earth.     As I sit in silence with plants unable to receive their fill of moisture I   pause to enter more deeply into the mystery of recovery.     We are all learning more about recovery from a devastating pandemic.  We are actively pondering the devastation of centuries of white supremacy.  We are engaged in understanding the fragility of our republic.  Where do you find your resilience these days?  Me?  I gently observe how even a little water is slowly healing my garden.  And you?   KC Young, OP Kirkland, WA

  For the past 3 months, I have intentionally engaged in reading and reflecting on collective hope, resistance, and resilience. I am currently re-reading a book about spiritual resistance and hope. It is food for my heart and soul, and I have shared it with several friends. Last night I was invited to have dinner with two of my Sinsinawa sisters and a guest who is in town to speak on her advocacy work, insights, and current social justice lobbying efforts.   There were several times, before and during dinner, when injustices and collective or communal hope entered into our conversation. It has become increasingly clear that I am definitely not alone in being comforted and energized by the power of hope, grounded in faith and community. In my daily work, I encounter significant loss and worry, individual and collective grief, and way too many “isms” and biases to count. But reflecting on the power of spiritual resistance, collective hope, and resilience reminds me what...

I live in a wonderful neighborhood.  Our convent is on a block full of diverse families.  On any given day, you can walk down the street and listen to Spanish, English, or the beautiful Spanglish of neighbors who have their hearts and souls in two worlds.  Children on bikes, an elderly couple holding hands as they walk to the store, or teens clumped together in a pack all on their phones are common sightings.  However, what really stand out for me at this time of year are the flowers.  Some potted, some lining the sidewalks deeply planted in the earth, and others mixed in with veggies or fruit growing in gardens.  There are dainty roses and bright petunias.  Germaniums, daisies, and peonies.  My favorite is the sweet smelling jasmine. There are amazing lilies reaching for the sky.  As Dominican women, committed to a gospel way of life, I believe it is our call to find beauty and faith.   The abundance of flowers in...