Today, on the way to a funeral Mass, a friend told me the story of an acquaintance who had been very ill, and very attached to her dog, and her dog devoted to her. She worried what would happen to her furry friend when she died and asked family members to please take care of him. Almost immediately after the woman died, her little friend had a freak accident and died also. It was easy for family members to believe that neither friend wanted to be without the other, that's how close they were.
There is no doubt that the bond between people and their pets is a strong one. And it's not surprising, 
given that they were created with the breath of God just as we were, though they are infinitely more patient and less judgemental than we are! We share our love with them, and they love us back, in the way they are able. My beautiful 14 year old beagle,Taffy, died in February,not long after my year and half old dachshund, Dickens, wiggled out of the backyard and was hit by a car. It hurts, but loving put us at risk.
given that they were created with the breath of God just as we were, though they are infinitely more patient and less judgemental than we are! We share our love with them, and they love us back, in the way they are able. My beautiful 14 year old beagle,Taffy, died in February,not long after my year and half old dachshund, Dickens, wiggled out of the backyard and was hit by a car. It hurts, but loving put us at risk.I often hear from friends who are grieving the loss of a beloved pet, but who are hesitant to ask for prayers to help them and their family with the grief they are experiencing. We hesitate because we feel that the death of an animal can in no way compare with the death, or sufferin, of a human being. But grief should not be quantified or categorized to judge the need for prayer. Certainly, some losses are more profound than others; some pain more unbearable, but all grief signifies a woundedness that needs healing. And Jesus never denied those who needed healing.
So, today I include in my prayers all those who have lost their pets, and share this prose written by Rudyard Kipling:
A DOG FOR JESUS
I wish someone had given Jesus a dog
As loyal and loving as mine
To sleep by His manger and gaze in His eyes
And adore Him for being divine.
I wish someone had given Jesus a dog
As loyal and loving as mine
To sleep by His manger and gaze in His eyes
And adore Him for being divine.
As our Lord grew to manhood His faithful dog
Would have followed Him all through the day
While He preached to the crowds and made the sick well
And knelt in the garden to pray.
Would have followed Him all through the day
While He preached to the crowds and made the sick well
And knelt in the garden to pray.
It is sad to remember that Christ went away
To face death alone and apart
With no tender dog following close behind
To comfort its Master's Heart.
To face death alone and apart
With no tender dog following close behind
To comfort its Master's Heart.
And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn 
How happy He would have been
As His dog kissed His hands and barked its delight
For The One who died for all men.
How happy He would have been
As His dog kissed His hands and barked its delight
For The One who died for all men.
Well, the Lord has a dog now, I just sent Him mine
The old pal so dear to me
And I smile through my tears on this first day alone
Knowing they're in eternity.
The old pal so dear to me
And I smile through my tears on this first day alone
Knowing they're in eternity.
Day after day, the whole day through
Wherever my road inclined
Four feet said, "I am coming with you!"
And trotted along behind.
God Talk and Tea 
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