After Fr. Gregory’s beloved old tabby cat died, he adopted a kitten from the animal shelter and named her Frances. While chasing a squirrel one day, Frances ran up a tree, and then refused to come back down.
The tree wasn’t sturdy enough for a grown man to climb, and Fr. Greg didn’t have a ladder. After thinking it over for a while, he had an idea. He took a piece of clothesline and tied one end to the tree and the other end to his car, thinking that he would drive just far enough to bend the tree down to where Frances could be reached from the ground.
But just about the time the tree was bent far enough, the clothesline snapped. The tree sprang back and Frances sailed up into the air and out of sight.
The priest searched everywhere for the kitten, without success. Finally he gave up and prayed, “Lord, I commit Frances to your keeping.”
A few days later Fr. Gregory was at the grocery store, where he saw one of his parishioners, Mrs. Murray. He noticed that her shopping cart contained several bags of cat litter and a couple dozen cans of cat food.
“I didn’t know you had a cat,” he said.
“We do now,” said Mrs. Murray. She told him how her little girl had been begging for a cat, and how she had always said no. Then a few days ago, when her daughter had resumed her pleading yet again, Mrs. Murray had finally said, “Pray about it. If God gives you a cat, you can keep it.”
“And I know you won’t believe me, Father,” she continued, “but I saw it with my own eyes. Emily went out in the back yard, got down on her knees, and started praying. And a few seconds later, a kitten came flying out of the sky and landed right in front of her!”
Ah, if only God would always answer prayers in such a literal manner!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Haha so true
LikeLiked by 2 people
😹
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah ha ha!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ah mvaden1948, God, meaning what that Really Is, does always answer prayers in such a literal manner. bb of b has beautifully told this story and it accords perfectly with my own experience.
Of course, it takes some practice to see the evidences of things unseen. We are all on that pilgrimage to ‘see’ God, face to face; and we laugh in delight in such a glimpse as this story affords us.
It would be a great loss to any who demean this as merely a charming tale.
LikeLiked by 1 person
God does move in mysterious ways. 🙂
LikeLike
God always answers my prayers. Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes the answer is no. I’m satisfied when the answer “not right now”….meaning I have a while to earn what I asked for.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, ha. Looks like Father will just have to make another trip to the animal shelter. That cat was meant for the little girl. He was just the messenger. 😀 — Suzanne
LikeLiked by 3 people
😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
And how do you take a pet away from a child? Well…it’s back to the animal shelter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Given that most shelters are full of animals that need homes, Fr. Greg should have no trouble finding another furry friend. But he needs to stop at the hardware store first and pick up a ladder, just in case he runs into the same situation again. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha, and more and likely – he will!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved this story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a sweet story thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Sunday funnies […]
LikeLiked by 1 person