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Gratuitous cat photos: #PopeInNYC edition

Gratuitous cat photos: #PopeInNYC edition

21063516314_e86d0452f0_zIf you have not been hiding inside a tree or running for President, you are aware: Pope Francis is in da house.

No, not Tabby’s Place, alas. But, as I type these words, the Pope is a mere hundred miles from Ringoes, NJ, and he’s got us having all kinds of papal fun-cio.

"God loves the lowly. When we live humbly, he takes our small efforts and creates great things." - Pope Francis
“God loves the lowly. When we live humbly, he takes our small efforts and creates great things.” – Pope Francis

Whether you are Roman Catholic or Rasta or a rhinoceros,* odds are you like this particular Pope. This simple, stubbornly joyful, Jesus-powered man has the gift of pointing all eyes towards the Light.

From his unflashy Fiat to his unhesitating embrace of the aching and the odd, Pope Francis reminds us that love is simpler and stronger than we realize.

We don’t need to make much of ourselves.
We don’t need to fear.
We don’t need to wait one hour to be loved.

We all come to this business of loving cats differently. But the common thread in all our oddball anecdotes is that we’ve been loved, and so we love.

Maybe you’ve been loved by cats.
Maybe by people.
Hopefully both.
Certainly you’ve been loved by God, who apparently digs loving us through cats and people, papal or otherwise.
We love because we’ve first been loved. I’d bet all the Mumfords in Manchester that, at some point, when you were small and bare and stock-still with fright, someone loved you well.

And so you love the weak ones.
And we are all the weak ones.

We love with the love we’ve known. We walk in the light we’ve been given.

Pope Francis delights to remind us of all that we’ve been given. There’s a party-ready twinkle in the man’s eyes, the sort of holy joy that life can’t snuff.

"Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God." - Pope Francis
“Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.” – Pope Francis

And with good reason.
All that we can’t do — make ourselves good! make ourselves sparkly! make ourselves acceptable! — has already been done by the only One who loves us enough to do it.
The rest is gravy.
So much gravy.
We’ve been given all we need.
Now we get to invite all the other beggars and bumblers and crazy cats to the party.

We belong to each other.

We’re invited into Love’s presence just as we are, and Love will make us different.
Better.
Love-lier.
Love will have its way, rolling through us like a mighty tide.

Let the waves crash over you as you check out these cats meditating on Francis-isms.

"Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God."
“Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God.” – Pope Francis
"We are impatient, anxious to see the whole picture, but God lets us see things slowly, quietly."
“We are impatient, anxious to see the whole picture, but God lets us see things slowly, quietly.” – Pope Francis
"God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy." - Pope Francis
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.” – Pope Francis
No one can grow if he does not accept his smallness.
“No one can grow if he does not accept his smallness.” – Pope Francis
"Living together is an art. It's a patient art, it's a beautiful art, it's fascinating." - Pope Francis
“Living together is an art. It’s a patient art, it’s a beautiful art, it’s fascinating.” – Pope Francis
"Perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naive. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon." - Pope Francis
“Perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naive. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.” – Pope Francis
"In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities." - Pope Francis
“In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities.” – Pope Francis
"I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person's life. God is in everyone's life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else - God is in this person's life. You can - you must - try to seek God in every human life." - Pope Francis
“I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else – God is in this person’s life. You can – you must – try to seek God in every human life.” – Pope Francis

*I hear they’re Presbyterian, but this hasn’t been independently verified.

 

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