Sister Regina is a fictitious Handmaid who appears almost every week on this site, on our Facebook page, and in our Twitter feed. She gives those outside the cloister an idea of what life within the monastery can be like. Click any cartoon to see a larger image.
Sister Regina the cartoon is not published during the seasons of Advent, the Christmas Octave, Lent, or the Easter Octave to not only allow the Handmaids to more deeply enter into those times of more intense prayer, but also to encourage others to do so as well.
This month we mark Gunther’s (a.k.a. Shadow) first anniversary of arrival. As we don’t know his birthday, we’ll consider this day the one to celebrate. The shy Russian Blue has made himself part of our religious family transitioning from his earlier life as a barn cat mouser to something of a monastic therapy cat with mousing on the side and has endeared himself to all.
We are grateful to God for gifting us with such an extraordinarily polite and gentlemanly cat. And to all the dear souls who have made it possible for us to have him at the monastery as well as those generous cat-lovers eyeing the wish lists for feline related needs.
It`s difficult to describe prayer. Imagine the near impossibility of conveying in mere human language what transpires between God and a soul. The cartoon may help disabuse some folks of the notion that nuns have prayer come easy to them or that prayer is only for priests and nuns and not everyone else.
The truth is that not only are all called to an intimate prayer life with the Almighty, but also that achieving this union with the Trinity really isn`t an `achievement` at all. It`s a gift. We don`t do it. We can`t schedule it. We are expected to do our part to cooperate with the grace that God gives in growing in holiness, but it is never solely our doing.
Prayer is communication with God but often we need to remind ourselves that listening to him in silence is far more important than whatever we tell him.
Do you remember singing, “All God’s Creatures Got A Place In The Choir?” Yes, everything and every little thing was indeed made by God for a purpose even when we can’t know precisely why that is. In Heaven, adoring God in the Beatific vision, it’s unlikely that we will feel the need to ask, “Lord, why did you create the lady bugs that bite and stink and aren’t so lady like?” But we can practice now being grateful for them. After all, they do eat aphids and are fairly cute.
Being grateful even for things we can’t understand, or even like, is wonderful preparation. Preparation for what? Growing in holiness. Joyful gratitude is the hallmark of the Saints. So next time you want to complain about those little bugs, thank God for them instead.
A news update from Cor Jesu Monastery: Gertrude (named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats and cat lovers...at least since 1983) joins Gunther in anti-squirrel operations. Though trim and tiny, Gertrude shows great promise as an ally in the squirrel wars. Gunther, now a medically retired hunting veteran, will be showing Gertrude the ropes as to monastic living for cats before he resumes what can only be referred to as ‘therapy cat’ duties. [He refuses the moniker ‘house cat’ and feels he must have a job. He still hunts and patrols indoors.]
But this also means that Shadow, Gunther’s cartoon alter ego, needs his new companion in cartoon-land to have an appropriate name as well. So we are accepting suggestions to suit the duo of a solid 11 pound Russian Blue male 3 year old and a Dilute Tortie female 7 month old who hasn’t approached even 6 pounds on the scale.
May y’all have a Blessed and safe Thanksgiving! We are are grateful for each and every one of you and send a special note of thanks and appreciation to our special veterinarian and her staff.
We’ve also added a few kitten related items to our Amazon wishlist and remain indebted to all our friends and benefactors.
Website note: September 2020 – We switched to posting Sister Regina’s Comic Strips on Instagram, but you can still enjoy her past comics in the archive below.
Humor helps. A cartoon from the not so distant past.
