Cooking is a Vocation

Sister Dolores Super cooking spaghetti sauce,
taken by Sister Laura Suhr

Last April, during the Stay at Home order because of COVID-19, our cooks stayed at home as we took on their positions in the kitchen. Many sisters were in the kitchen with our aprons, hats and plastic gloves to peel vegetables, wash pots and pans, and prepare the meals. Cooking has always been a favorite activity for me, so I enjoyed taking my turn preparing meals every other day for our sisters living at the monastery.

Preparing meals for 85–90 sisters was a challenge, yet it also brought me great joy. My cooking companion and I would begin our six-hour shift with prayer. We made soups and stews, baked chicken and turkey, steamed potatoes and vegetables. I was energized when I cooked. I always knew that I was a hands-on person; this opportunity proved to be true once again. As we recognize National Vocation Awareness Week, November 1–7, 2020, I am asking you to look at what you like to do; recognize the gift you are and the gifts you have. Celebrate your gifts with joy, it is part of your vocation. I followed my Baptismal call which led me to become a member of Saint Benedict’s Monastery over 37 years ago. It is here where I find great joy and discovered my hands-on vocation of service to others. How have you followed your Baptismal call?

If you would like more information about Saint Benedict’s Monastery, please contact Sister Lisa Rose at lrose@csbsju.edu.

Lisa Rose, OSB