Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Last weekend I had the privilege of leading a weekend retreat with young people in their twenties and thirties.   It was an emotional time for many of us who had to hear the various heart-wrenching stories of some of these young people and the various ways that they have dealt with these life changing events and still continue to do so.   The weekend was a time for them to take stock of their lives and see if they were satisfied with where they were presently in their lives and if they happy with the person that they were becoming.   I am always amazed by the resilience of the human spirit.   Even though they were going through their own hell, they were still willing and able to try and reach out to others who were also hurting. Due to the magnitude of the hurts some were unable to be able to reach the place of forgiving the perpetrators.   Forgiveness for some is a journey; it is not an overnight event.   Jesus was able to forgive his perpetrators...

As our earth continues its journey around the sun, we experience shorter days of sunlight. Perhaps you notice a change within yourself. For some, this month of November herald's the coming of colder weather, barren trees, and long nights. So the changes are quite apparent. For me, November is a month of grace. This year November began with an interactive presentation with children at St. Luke's Parish. Connections were made between Halloween, All Saints' Day, Day of the Dead, and All Souls' Day.  Sharing stories of the lives of the saints like our founder, Samuel Mazzuchelli (November 4), Martin de Porres, OP (November 3), and Kateri Tekkawitha helped me realize more and more that all of us have the call and ability to become saints. It's in every one of us to be a light in our world. The light of Christ that is within me is real and tangible in a new way as I intentionally focus on Christ's light at my center. The practice begins with...

As I contemplate my perpetual profession of vows I am savoring some of the words and phrases in the profession ritual, like "to the honor of the Almighty God", "even unto death," "the mercy of God and yours," "Yes, this is what I choose," "poverty," "chastity," "obedience," "vow yourself to God and to live in this Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation," "constitution," and "trusting in God's faithfulness." Wow! How awesome this is!  How impossible to live this out by human standards!   I am so grateful for the promises implied in the words of profession.   As I vow myself to God, implicit there is the assurance that I am not alone.  God will be my strength, my comfort, my consolation, my joy and my Love, even unto death.  Am I not asking for God's mercy?  As I place my hands in the hands of my prioress and vow to live this out in the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation, impl...

Luke 9:60, (“Let the dead bury the dead”) has always challenged me.   As I (and many) have struggled this past week with the loss of our dear friend and sister, Rose Marie Conway, and brother, Matt Walsh, OP, I wonder all the more how Jesus could be so callous in his response to the young man who simply wanted to bury his father before following Christ.   Seems reasonable and respectful.   It wasn’t until I heard today’s Gospel with a new set of ears that I grasped what Jesus might have meant.   In today’s reading, Jesus talks about God being a God of the living, rather than of the dead.   Our bodies, while holy, are merely vessels that carry the essence of our creation, our Spirit.   When the body stops functioning, it dies.   The spirit, the Divine spark in us, however, goes on living! God is still the God of Rose Marie and Matt ~ the God of the LIVING Rose Marie and Matt! And that is the Good News! Since I arrived at the novitiate in August,...

"What will life look like in the future?" (Georgia's last blog.)   Sunday morning our Sister, Rose Marie Conway, may have been wondering the same. She knew she was living with cancer for the past couple of years. And she was living!     She planned time to connect with each person she met or had known. She would sit quietly with   a friend enjoying the beauty of a park or kayaking on Madison's lakes.   "I love you," she would say to each duck or bird on those excursions. And she put up her hands and blessed the water. " I love you," sparkled in her eyes as she greeted me or others. She participated fully in each gathering of sisters. On Sunday morning she was called to truly see future life. She died as she had lived with a peaceful smile on her lips.   Those of us who live in Madison gathered by her bed to pray with and for her. The picture that Sister Isabel had taken of Rose blessing the water was placed on the bed where Rose's body...

As we celebrate the saints who have gone before us during this chilly (yes, even in Kentucky) fall season, I have taken some time to reflect on recent opportunities I have had to delve deeper into my Dominican heritage. On November 4 we Sinsinawa   Dominicans celebrate Founder’s Day, the birthday of our founder, Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP. Samuel left home at an early age and devoted his life to bringing the Good News of God’s love and mercy to everyone he met, particularly the Native Americans and immigrants. My study group recently spent some time sharing our insights on the life of Fr. Samuel.   Another opportunity came to me this year as Sister Geri and I spent a week volunteering at the McGreal Center in Chicago.   This center is a place dedicating to telling the story of American Dominicans -   sisters, nuns, brothers and priests.   Helping out there always reminds me of the great 800 year heritage of preaching and teaching begun by St. Dominic but al...