The English novelist D. H. Lawrence once wrote: "All that matters is to be one with the living God, to be a creature in the house of the God of life, like a cat asleep on a chair, at peace, in peace and at one with the master of the house, with the mistress, at home, at home in the house of the living." Don Holt, a former Presbyterian minister who is now a Catholic, certainly knows in his bones the truth and imaginative clout of Lawrence's words.
During a depressing period of unemployment, the author spent a lot of time in prayer and was joined by his cat Katie. At first, Holt felt her presence to be intrusive — after all important matters were going on here. Then it dawned on him that Katie had become "a spiritual provocateur and guide."
Holt takes in her gaze at him and writes: "For me she becomes a model of contemplation. Simply to sit at God's feet and gaze, trying neither to understand nor influence, seeking neither to realize joy nor unload grief, simply interested in watching God be God."
Things at home really start humming as Holt looks to Katie for new insights into his relationship with God. He pays close attention to her curiosity, caution, playfulness, and petitions at dawn. These help him come to fresh perceptions of faith, grace, patience, peace, and devotion.
Praying with Katie shows how pets can become spiritual teachers for us if we only take the time to learn from them. Holt's tender and loving relationship with Katie is touching — he benefits immeasurably from her as revealed in the following phrases: "My cat has been my shepherd. I no longer want. She has laid down with me on brown sofas. She has led me through quiet thoughtfulness; she has restored my soul."
