Feline Lessons for Laetare Sunday: Pursuing Jesus with Passion and Delight

You’re wondering how we can work cats into Laetare Sunday? Well it’s about passion and delight. 

 

Sunbeam (a.k.a. Gertrude) is our squirrel cat. She loves being outside, rolling in gravel, and chasing fast living objects. She has a strong prey drive and her passion is to stalk, hunt, chase, capture, and “play” with her trophies. In a recent example, she managed to capture a lizard, sneak him into her Sister Handler’s cell, and place him in an area he couldn’t escape while she happily played with him until he met his Maker. 

 

Now, Shadow (a.k.a. Gunther) is our indoor therapy cat. He loves to play “snake” with a toy of wand and fabric that can move something like a snake. He can entertain himself for several minutes simply delicately pawing and patting the end of the ‘snake’. This is one of his favorite games and he can make ‘snake’ out of ribbons, shoelaces, bits of plastic bags simply being captivated and delighted with the object before him. 

 

So what does all that have to do with Lent? Well, do we pursue Jesus with the passion Gertrude goes after a lizard? Do we delight in the Lord with the happy focus Gunther shows to a piece of string?

 

Bonus question: Do we allow Jesus to pursue us and delight in us with that kind of drive and freedom?