When I was a very young boy, my Italian -born mother told me something that has always baffled and intrigued me to this very day.
As many other families, we had a cat. A beautiful animal marked by various colors, and my constant companion as I played away the days. I had had asked my mother why our cat purred so often throughout the day.
Without skipping a beat, my mother informed me that my cat was murmuring its prayers to God.
Perhaps it was simply something that a young mother would tell her young child to appease him or her, but I wondered. I can’t remember if I was skeptical or intrigued. But I could never forget what she said.
Later in life I came across a scientific article that stated that cats purr only when they were extremely relaxed or in extreme pain. It further stated that cats often purr as they are dying as a way of comforting themselves, an instinctive way of using its own breath to bring itself comfort.
As the years went by, it dawned on me that perhaps my “praying” cat did have some special innate insight, maybe even the wisdom of Solomon within it- or perhaps not.
But certainly, even a creature as basic as this animal of God, seemed to have come to realize something (instinctively) .. that takes some humans a lifetime to appreciate; that through life‘s joys and through life‘s pains – that our loving Creator is closer then our very breath…
You can read this and other stories of lighthearted and sometimes deeper inspiration by MichaelAngelo Massa, JD @ Patheos.com
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In