Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In one of her short stories, Barbara Kingsolver’s character, Great Mam, who is of the Bird Clan, asks the question, “Why are there state lines on the map if you can’t see them?”  What a great question.  Why do we label borders that are not there?   How do we decide who is a neighbor and who is not? How do we decide who is a sister or brother and who is not?   As Dominicans, we are called to offer our lives in community with a selflessness that mirrors that of Christ.  Who do we see?  How do we offer our gifts and talents?  What are our priorities?  Dominicans have to ask the question, in the midst of all our own troubles and brokenness, “How does my life relieve the misery of another?”  Whether the suffering of another falls within our borders, within the lines of our map, or takes place across the globe, we are called to accompaniment.   Love knows no border. Peggy R...

A few days ago as a nation we celebrated Independence Day. As an immigrant of over forty years it has become almost second nature to me. Nowadays however I see that independence is a necessary developmental stage but it isn’t the fullness of maturation. Wouldn’t it be great to celebrate an   interdependence   day ? None of us exist in a vacuum. We are all connected. We are really all one. Everything on earth teaches us this connection, this   interdependence . Looking out my window at a beautiful mature tree I see that each leaf is connected to a twig, which is part of the branch, which connects to the trunk whose roots go deep into earth and all are nourished by its water, minerals and sunlight.  Nothing exists in isolation. How are you part of the whole? What are your many circles of connectedness? Isabel Rafferty, OP Madison, WI

Several years ago one of our elder Sisters asked Sr. Ann Willits, OP this question:   Are we coming or going?   Ann was in the process of writing a presentation for an event as the Order of Preachers was celebrating our 800 th anniversary worldwide.  She said the question was just what she needed for her presentation. I have never forgotten this question and in times of transition it especially comes to mind.  For me this summer is a time of transition as I move from a long-time retreat ministry in Florida to my hope of developing an itinerant preaching ministry…and…moving back to the Chicago area. (Oh my – the artic vortex!) This time of transition is filled with the question – am I coming or going?  The only correct answer is: YES!  That little connector – “OR” --  belies the truth about transitions because these times in our lives include both. They include goodbyes and hellos, letting go and going forth, p...

Surprises happen to us all the time. Sometimes they are small, like walking into a Ben and Jerry's and finding out they are giving away free samples of their newest flavored ice cream. But sometimes they are significant, and then you wonder if God is behind the surprise. This is what I experienced recently. I had moved to the Mound, our motherhouse, last November, expecting to  live there for a number of years. I had settled in and was beginning  to be asked to help in various ways. But then, unexpectedly, in April  I was made aware of a need for someone to move to a house in another  city. What was this about? Was I really being asked to be uprooted so  soon? I went to visit the community, I prayed about it, and in the end  I felt God was calling me to answer this need. Was it hard to leave the motherhouse? Yes, but I knew that if God was  behind the surprise I would receive all the graces I needed to begin  anew in another location. And that ...

I just finished reading  At Play in the Lions’ Den: A Biography and Memoir of Daniel Berrigan  by Jim Forest (Orbis Books, 2017). Daniel Berrigan, SJ has been a hero of mine for a long time because of his intrepid dedication to the cause of peace and non-violent resistance. Recalling his example reminded me about the importance of “showing up” to oppose whatever militates against the Gospel in our time. “Showing up” means acting even when it is inconvenient or frightening. Action on behalf of justice can be crushing if undertaken by one person, but a group can make it possible to be courageous and to persist when opposition is strong. Participating in communal action for justice can be truly joyous. There’s another kind of showing up that is more muted but is an expression of the love and caring that we have for those who are near and dear to us. It is definitely a high value in the Sinsinawa community that we go the extra mile (often literally) to attend wakes and fu...

Last weekend I enjoyed celebrating the Diamond Jubilees of 26 women. The festive celebrations, with colorful decorations, and joyful music, and delicious food created an atmosphere of “jubilation.” Smiles were contagious along with well wishes and lots of storytelling. This time last year I was busy sending out invitations for my Golden Jubilee. I am so glad I am on the other side of my jubilee. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my jubilee very much. But, do you ever realize the deeper meaning of something after you have experienced it?  Jubilee is a year-long celebration. It has its roots in the Jewish tradition. (Leviticus 25:8-12) A year of jubilee was announced with trumpet blast and was heard throughout all the land. Every fifty years marked a jubilee year. It was a consecrated year when all debts were forgiven. The peoples were set free. Jubilee is a fresh new start.  The tradition of jubilee is alive in our Judeo-Christian lives. Women and men religious honor...

She was beatified by Pope John XXIII and he called her ‘the apostle of the Holy Spirit.’  She was a 19 th  Century Mystic who founded an Order in Italy, called the Oblates of the Holy Spirit.  She shared with others her love for and promoted a devotion to the Holy Spirit in their everyday lives.  She petitioned Pope Leo XIII many times, asking him to invite the whole Church to grow in this devotion.  Moved by her passion he mandated that the entire Church pray the Novena to the Holy Spirit leading up to Pentecost.  In one sense Jesus himself instituted this Novena when, at his Ascension he said to the disciples: “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. The apostles returned to the city and spent the whole time in prayer with Mary the Mother of Jesus.  We all know what happened!   Today is the 4 th  day of this Novena which begins on the Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter.  You can find t...