Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

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...

A couple of weeks ago, Ruth Poochigian, O.P. wrote a blog declaring “I took the WHOLE weekend off!”  She asked at the end, “When was the last time you took time off from your ‘important’ work?”  I realized it had been over a year since I had taken some extended time off.  I just kept pushing myself until my scheduled vacation because there was so much to get done. Now that I have returned from a 10 day vacation that included a family wedding and reconnoitering with my 4 biological sisters, I am aware how much I needed that time away. Even though there are multitudinous tasks, projects, emails, etc. awaiting my attention, I am REJUVENATED.   My spirit is revived!   I have more energy, and tasks do not take as long.   I have to ask, “Why do I do this to myself?   God gave us the gift of Sabbath.   Why do I not let myself enjoy that gift more often?”   Jesus showed us the way when he slipped away from the demanding crowds to spend time alon...

I suspect that each of us looks to a vacation that will refresh and renew them.   And that's not the same for each of us.   I just returned from a week of vacation at a cabin on a lake in the northern woods which, for me, is the perfect vacation.   I've been reflecting on that experience of simply being in God's presence. This time and place provided me with the space to enter into the gentle presence of God in   all of creation, which too often in my busyness, I can miss.   It was a time to just be. I was in awe at the beautiful sunsets on the shores of this lake, the strength and determination of the old turtle that I caught, the lovely bluegill who gave their lives for our breakfasts, the many faces of the lake and the simple love and fun shared by friends.    I delighted in hearing God's voice in the cry of the bullfrogs, the wind coming through the trees, the glorious songs of the birds and the play of the children nearby.   I recognized...