Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

What do you do when you have so much to do and so little time? Often I begin to “burn the candle at both ends.” This is dangerous. I chip away some of my prayer time in the morning and stay up late to do one more thing. Result? I’m exhausted and overwhelmed. This is when burnout can happen.   In times of this kind of stress I “stop” and pay attention as I ask myself: What do I need right now? What I needed was already on my schedule for today—a spiritual guidance session. But did I have time for that now?   Thank God I decided to save time and met via ZOOM rather that traveling to meet with her in person. As I shared what was going on for me and how I was feeling she listened compassionately, asked a few questions, and soon I was able see my way and found inner peace, no longer overwhelmed.    When you are overwhelmed do you have a “go-to” person to help you navigate and refocus? What a difference it makes.   Mary Therese Johnson, OP Pastoral Minister at Sinsina...

Did you ever have “one of those days”?  When you think “ if one more thing goes wrong I’m going to…” Fill in the blank!  Recently I found myself stressing out about all the interruptions at work, growling at a driver so slow and overly cautious he/she braked driving UPHILL, and trying to smile at someone who walked in with “You’re not doing anything right now, are you?”  When this happens I remember the words of one of our wise women, who, when I was complaining years ago, said to me, “The interruptions ARE your work, often more so than what you think you are about.” Thank God, with those words, grace steps in.  Writer Ann Lamott  quotes a friend of hers:  “Grace is WD40 for the soul.”  When soul/spirit gets stuck, gets painfully locked in a negative place, grace appears and offers a way up and out.  It is stronger than any problem, more present than any deadline, more soothing than zooming along at top speed.  How do I know it is grace? N...

I recently read a reflection that has really impacted my thinking, attitude, and prayer.  The author Fr. Herbert McCabe, an English Dominican theologian and philosopher, wrote “What matters first is that we are loved.  We matter, not first because of what we have made of ourselves, but because of what God has made of us.  To serve God is to … begin to love ourselves as God loves us: not for being rich or clever or powerful, but just for being ourselves.” This week promises to be a very busy one that could, in fact, be stressful.   What will be needed from all of us is compassion for ourselves and each other as we move through the activities of the week.   I don’t know about you, but when life happens and things don’t go as I thought they would, I tend to “stress” rather than remembering perfection doesn’t matter.   What does matter is that we are loved no matter what happens in life.   So let’s make a pact today and tomorrow to be gentle with o...