Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Lately, the concept of   Hospitality   has been in the forefront of my days.     Even the Scriptural readings for this past Sunday have focused on offering hospitality – Abraham and Sarah greeting and providing a meal for travelers outside their tent, Martha and Mary providing food & beverages and a listening ear when Jesus came to enjoy their company.     I recently read a novel called  Martha  based upon the Mary, Martha, and Lazarus stories in the Gospel. Throughout the story, gracious hospitality was extended to guests who appeared at their gate.     My sisters and a cousin came to visit the home where I live last weekend.  In that case, the hospitality was reciprocal.  Since I am still in full-time ministry and they are retired from full-time employment, they brought the first evening’s supper and ideas of “adventures” they’d like to explore during the weekend.  I provided beds, showers, a...

When I realized it was “my turn” to write a reflection for this website, I continued asking the Holy Spirit, “What is it you need me to say?”     The answer came around the table in the Dining Room as I ate breakfast with 3 other Sisters in the community.     In the very act of sharing a meal together, we deepen our experience of community life.  It’s not so much the tales and ideas that are exchanged (although some of those conversations are quite delightful and engaging) or the joys and sorrows expressed as it is our knowing that we are together; and we are supported in whatever happens to all of us and each of us.  During the days of ministry at the Mound and especially when the day’s schedule becomes quite intense, this is the reason I look forward to meal breaks.    Perhaps this is also why Jesus told so many stories about food and gathering with others to eat together. Jesus, being totally human, knew that in the very act of f...

A thought has been consistently pestering me, filling me with awe for quite some time, particularly over the last few years.  Although difficult for me to articulate well, I am consistently reminded how ordinary and extraordinary, how significant and insignificant we all are. I have met many people from all walks of life since joining the Sinsinawa Dominicans five short years ago, and many more people before that.   Incredibly gifted yet incredibly ordinary people, doing incredibly good yet incredibly ordinary works.   Each one uniquely created yet each created in the image and likeness of God.   But 5-1/2 years ago I was not aware of their existence, and vice versa. Imagine!   I guess what I’m trying to say is that we are surrounded by incredible stories that we may never hear, stories of people we may never meet – whose lives, like our own, are filled with passion and sorrow, hopes and fears, doubt and deep faith and stumbling faith.   Stories ...

Many stories are shared in the small community in which I live. Two sisters and one associate moved to a modest house on Madison’s near east side one year ago.  We had lived in a very large parish convent, where we often welcomed guests to share meals, meetings and/or overnight accommodations and, of course, stories. It may seem sad to give up a place that was a great place for Dominican life. But what blessings and what stories guests have shared in this smaller space. This morning began as usual with our 7 a.m. prayer that we share by phone with a sister in Maryland and an associate in Barneveld WI.   We begin by sharing the Gospel story for the week.   This time it was about what is required to be a disciple of Jesus.   We talked about the challenge of continuing to discern anew what it means to share the Gospel of Jesus with others. As two members were sent off to their day jobs.   A person came to the front porch to return keys and share abou...