Fr Ray Blake has the story about the kitten that has been brought in to the opus Dei Retreat Centre in Sydney to keep the Holy Father company. (cf. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! Kittens)Now personally, I don't have any pets. Frankly I'm too busy - it would be just one more thing to take care of when I actually get to take a day or two away from the parish. But if I were a noted cat lover (actually I don't mind cats - don't much like dogs on account of having been bitten by one or two when a small boy) I would certainly appreciate the thoughtfulness of anyone who brought a cat in for me to play with, fed and watered the animal and took it away again.
This is so quintessentially Opus Dei - real care and thought for their guest. I bet that it was the women who came up with this great idea.
8 comments:
AMDG
Was it not baron Corvo in Hadrian VII who wrote that men can be divided into those who are feline and those canine?
My great-uncle Fr. Wiliam Conney VF was definitely a canine. He used to visit his brother, my grandfather,in Mullingar, in the 1940's and 1950's in a model T Ford with four large dogs in the back of the car. By that stage he was the PP at Oldcastle.
Another great dog story is about the Jesuit Retreat House in Presov Slovakia. I knew the Superior of the Jesuit Community, Pater Ivan Buncek SI, there well.
I had noticed on the garden wall there was a "Beware of the dog" sign. I asked Pater Buncek one day where the dog was as I had never seen him.
"He was not very good", I was told "He barked all night and the neighbours complained."
"Ah well", I replied "was he bad before he became a Jesuit dog or did he become bad after he arrived to guard the Jesiut residence?"
Father Buncek replied "Ah no I think he was always a bit naughty!". Now that's what I call Jesuitical.
Sorry no cat stories I'm a Corvian canine as well.
In caritate Xp.,
Bryan Dunne
"I bet that it was the women who came up with this great idea."
That or one of those guys with six cats. Ewwww!
Thanks again for another light hearted post. :-D
I knew you liked cats really...
;-)
I dearly love our wonderful Holy Father and am heartily in agreement with everything he has done in his pontificate.
BUT when it comes to cats I'm afraid I have to fall into the camp of 'loyal dissent'!
Ah, well. Can't have everything.
:-)
Three cheers for Bryan. I am from Presov, Slovakia and I can't believe that someone mentioned my hometown on this blog. Simply amazing. The world is so small.
When my old colleague, william Oddie, was editor of the Catholic Herald,he wrote in an editorial:(I can't remember the topic) "...angels, who are, of course, labradors." I know what he means. Can't you just imagine them gambling round the throne of God!
My cat (Tiberius) now wants me take him to my next Opus Dei retreat at Arnold Hall ;-)
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