Monemvasia, Greece ~ shared by r. Theodore and Irena 2026
In the featured photo, a sunbathing cat dozes contently on a shop’s sill. Behind, in the store window, is an Holy Icon of Our Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, holding Christ. She points towards the Lord, directing us to Him, Who is our guide to God and Salvation.
What is our life without cats? Cats are fur flowers. They can be made into bouquets. And blessed are the hands of those who comfort our little brothers and take care of these ‘flowers’. And I fervently believe, I am convinced: your cats will certainly put in a good word for you before God. ~ Archimandrite Savva Mazhuko
…they serve God in their place better than we in ours…~ St. Basil the Great (on animals in general)
In Paradise, the animals sensed the fragrance of grace and served Adam. Since the fall, nature has been suffering together with man… However, when a person returns to the state in which he was before the fall, animals again approach him without fear. …My mind tells me that even the animals are better than me; so, I humble myself and obey them. Very early this morning, being tired from praying all night and exhausted because of my illness, I lay down to rest. After awhile, I heard a kitten meowing outside my cell as if she needed something. I really wanted to rest, but I humbled myself and went against my own will. I obeyed the kitten and replied to her calling. I went to open the door. It had started to rain and I let her in so she wouldn’t get wet. What do you think then? Should I obey the animals or not? My thoughts tell me I should. ~ St. Paisios
St. Gerasimus was a great elder, and he had a lion. We are small, so we have cats. ~ St Nektarios of Optina
There’s an amazing spiritual bond between us and the natural world. We who are (and have been) blessed to be guardians (I won’t say owners – as cats believe they own us) of pets, have been gifted with a great Stewardship.
Asking God’s blessings on all creatures great and small, and for their human protectors who’ve received warm and loving paw prints that stay forever in their hearts. Let us rejoice in His creatures and relish those beautiful bouquets of fur flowers!
But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? ~ Job 12:7-9
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6