The sun peeked through the clouds of leftover rain and it was sunny – at least for a few hours. Then the sky darkened again. I had ventured out to clean up one small areas of the yard and to get rid of this plant growing inside, yes, inside the structure called a portable greenhouse.
And there’s that cat again, the one that has adopted me. It sleeps on the side porch, comes to be fed, and rolls over and purrs so I will rub its throat and tummy. It appeared several weeks ago, perhaps left behind when someone moved. Clearly not feral but very tame and wanting lots of attention and loving. Of course, so do the others.
For those of us who have pets, we wonder, who would leave a pet behind. When the Ukrainians fled their cities and towns under attack, brought their pets, dogs, cats, and even a rabbit. Caring for something or someone else is essential to our humanity.
Prayer for the Day
Abiding God, be with us throughout this day
As we seek to serve you in this world;
Move us from our gray tinted spectacles,
Into the multi-colored world of your kingdom.
Open our eyes beyond what we see with our eyes
And our minds beyond mere thoughts to a deeper knowledge
In the name of the One who opens the world to us,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen
Thoughts for the Day
Compassion for the other comes out of our ability to accept ourselves. Until we realize both our own weaknesses and our own privileges, we can never tolerate lack of status and depth of weakness in the other.
- Joan Chittester, OSB, American religious writer
Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. ... Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.
- Henri J.M. Nouwen, teacher, writer (1932-1996)
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, God saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116: 5-7