Eight years ago I adopted my cat, Vera. In that time she has taught me so many lessons, including spiritual ones! Her presence has been a blessing to me, and I will be forever grateful to God for bringing her into my life.

Approach prayer with joy! As I used the Magnificat prayer book for morning and evening prayers, Vera would be right there, rubbing up against the book and purring away. I would ask her if she was saying her prayers too by doing that. I loved hearing her purr and it always put a smile on my face, even when I was going to bed later than I wanted or waking up early for a special event. Prayer time is important, but so is our attitude about it. We should approach all prayer with joy and awe at the ability to be heard by our Creator. 

Patience is something to always practice. Not being able to communicate in a common language, we each needed to learn how to communicate with each other. Trying to keep her safe meant not allowing her in certain rooms, or not allowing her to chew on string — like my scapular. Teaching her what the boundaries meant, I had to find a way to communicate the correction without hurting our relationship. I didn’t want her to fear me, but rather appreciate that I was keeping her safe even though she may not have understood why I was asking her to amend her behavior. The infinite God who knows all, gently corrects us in our actions and decisions. We may not be able to see the bigger picture and how what we say or do impacts the wider world, yet God knows and understands. While I’m still learning to be aware of God’s kind nudges, I’m much more aware that He does them because of caring for Vera.

The amount of love I have for Vera cannot be expressed in simple words. Yet I know it is but a thimble-full in comparison to the love that God has for me. God loves me as I am and always wants me to be closer to Him. He wants me to become the best version of myself that I can be. Knowing the love I have for Vera puts me in awe of God’s love for me. It makes the incarnation of Jesus as well as His Passion, Death, and Resurrection boggle the mind at the depth of His love.

The most important lesson, however, I learned over Lent and Easter this year. Shortly before Lent began and the day before I left for Japan, the vet drained two pounds of fluid from Vera’s abdomen. I was blessed that she was able to greet me when I got home, however, the vet drained her twice more over the course of the Lenten season. As we focused spiritually on Jesus’s Death and Resurrection, I watched Vera decline. On Easter Monday, she passed in my arms. All this talk about resurrection, yet animals, because they are not made in God’s image or likeness, are not thought to have immortal souls, nor is there any teaching that we will see animals in heaven. It has been hard to process this grief because it seems so… final. Yet I’ve come to the conclusion that the goal of heaven is to be with God. Whomever else, be it human, or animal, or some other being, will be an added blessing if I see them in heaven, but is not the requirement to be happy in heaven. I do believe that God has created all things, and I will not limit Him to who or what is in heaven, or who is resurrected when our souls are reunited with our bodies. While it has been challenging to celebrate Easter with the joy it deserves, I know I’m celebrating it with a heart full of gratitude for the time I’ve had with Vera and all the joy she brought into my life. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Lord. 

Even though I grieve the loss of my feline companion, I know I will welcome another in my home when the time is right. I leave it to Divine Providence to bless me with yet another cat who will continue to teach me about God in ways I can’t even imagine.