Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

I write this blog on the feast of Catherine of Siena, one of our greatest Dominican saints.   Although I am no scholar of Catherine, I know enough about her life to know that she was truly in love with Jesus and because of that relationship she reached out to those Jesus loved – especially the poor and downtrodden.   But Catherine did not just serve the poor.   She also challenged the leaders of the Church to “shape up,” to be better examples of true disciples of Jesus by not living lives of corruption but lives of humble service. Catherine’s spiritual life was nourished by a deep, mystical prayer.   Most of us, at least I speak for myself, will not experience that type of prayer life.   But if we are to be truly unselfish, dedicated servants of God, we do need to pray every day – at least to touch base with the God that gives us life and people to love and serve.   The Easter season is a great time to strengthen our prayer life. ...

One of my favorite things about being a young sister-in-formation is allowing people to ask me their burning (and sometimes silly) questions about religious life.   Questions like: Do nuns have jobs?   Can you still go dancing and swimming?   You mean you get to keep that nose ring? Becoming a sister right now is an interesting thing: religious life has changed drastically in the past fifty years, but many people’s stereotypes about it haven’t.   Many of these stereotypes seem superficial (ie- all nuns wear habits; nuns don’t dance) but they may reflect deeper misconceptions about religious life… like the idea that sisters are somehow more holy or less human than “normal” people.   For a long time, my own misconceptions kept me from really considering religious life. And so I enjoy the questions.   I love making people feel free to ask them, and I love surprising them with the answers.   After all, they aren’t really asking about my nose ring;...

I am responding to Peggy Ryan’s question in her recent posting.  Where have you found Easter?  Like Peggy, we are seeing the inauguration of spring in our southwest Wisconsin area.   We are finally viewing green grass, a few brave flowers, and the very beginning of wispy green on trees.   But I really found Easter in a movie I saw on Holy Saturday – Heaven Is for Real.   In the midst of our current world where the nightly news tells us of one horrific story after another, suffering without end, this was a movie filled with Easter hope.   I witnessed an average family and community experiencing the Pascal mystery.   The gradual revelation of the encounter of a four-year-old child with heaven both challenged their faith and gave them the opportunity to leave behind their fear & pain and to accept incredible peace.     Isn’t that what Jesus tells us in the Gospel stories again and again, “Fear not” and “Peace I leave with you.” ...

Spring is coming very slowly to our Midwest city in Southeast Wisconsin.  Seeing spring takes a huge act of faith right now.  These little buds are a sure sign that hope is all we need.  Hearing spring is easier because the birds obviously know more than we do.  They are making new songs everywhere.    The tomb is open and empty.  Christ is risen!!!  The newness has begun.  All we have to do is open our hearts and eyes and trust in the resurrected presence of our brother and friend, the Christ. Where are you finding Easter?  Is it in a seemingly impossible situation with a family member?  Is it in a person or place that you would have never looked for anything good to happen?  Is it in a broken-down promise?  Is it in an ending that you must face and really do not want to?    Let’s look together this year.  Let’s help each other find Easter everywhere we can.  T...