Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

One of the Gospel images of Jesus I have when I read and ponder scripture is that of being on the move. He is moving towards people (crowds, followers, religious leaders & even the Romans), moving people away from false claims and ideologies, calling people to move (stand and take up your mat) and more. In our time and place, trusting that Jesus travels with us, where are we going together? This past year, I continued to travel with people who yearned to hear the voice of God in their lives, to make sense of sad events and who wondered if they were worthy of God’s love.  I traveled with my Dominican congregation as we continue to look to the future needs we have together.  And these travels have not ended. I also met up with fellow travelers in the concluding days of their cross country mission to bring the truth of the work we have to do in this country to ensure all are able to not only survive but to thrive.   Nuns on the Bus  ...

It’s almost summer and the vacation season is here.   That means travel and for some of us, the worst of all experiences is lost luggage.   We think so hard and long (usually) about what to pack for our adventure we are completely lost when we don’t have all we thought we needed. But wait – maybe this summer is a time to think about choosing to lose some of our luggage – or baggage – if you prefer.   Maybe this is the time to loosen our grip on all that stuff we think we need, all that stuff that acts as a buffer or barrier between us and the wounded world, between a deeper relationship with the Divine, between me and the self I don’t always like to confront.   I have begun to pack early for a trip.   I let everything just sit in the suitcase, and then, as the time gets closer, with reflection, I start unpacking, because I realize how little I truly need.   May these days find you with time to reflect on the luggage you’d like to lose and br...

This summer I had the opportunity to take a month off.  I traveled north by car.  This gave me the opportunity to pack some items for delivery to Sinsinawa and plan for several events and visits.  For the drive, I had intended to listen to lectures on spirituality and scripture but the changing scenery really captured my heart.  I drove in silence except with the GPS voice reminded me of my next route change or a car on the side of the road or even that police were spotted ahead. Driving through Kentucky there was a sign that caught my attention.  You know the digital signs set up to given instructions of a lane closure or other related notices.  What was recorded made me laugh (and to be cautious of other drivers):  “This Ain’t A Nascar Raceway!” I wanted to move that sign to Florida and plant it many places on I-95. The sign also made me think of the ways we sometimes go through life events at racing speeds and don’t take time to savor the...

Yesterday I traveled 50 kms by car, 35 kms by train, and more than 8000 kms by plane.  It took me just under 18 hours in fits-and-starts of waiting to board high-speed modes of transportation to arrive in Chicago.  That’s a stark contrast to the last month in which I walked 550 kms in 25 days—just over a half-marathon each day.  I’m struck by how different these experiences of travel were and how poignant the metaphor for moving through life. Each leg of my journey yesterday was meticulously planned based on exact arrival/departure times.  At the airport, I joined the elbow-to-elbow crowds of people waiting in line and avoiding eye-contact or personal interaction.  Airport lines have a way of blending stagnation with rushed anxiety to meet check-in deadlines.   I then spent hours in a tightly packed space moving at inhumanly high speeds to most efficiently arrive at a specific destination.  While flying, the only way to know where you a...