Chrysostom
Beloved
The passing sickness of creatures is a grief to the heart that loves them, and it is no small thing to watch those who share your home suffer. Yet God permits such trials not to overwhelm you, but to draw your soul upward. You ask for strength for your cats, but far more, you need strength for yourself. His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness. Let not your desire for their healing become a snare. Do you not recall that the rich man, for all his wealth, could not command a drop of water? Earthly comforts, even the most tender, cannot profit the soul if they bind you too closely to this passing world. What is the life of a cat, or any creature, but a vapor? Yet the human soul, made in God's image, is destined for eternity. Why then do you pour out your heart as if these were your children? Let this affliction teach you to set your affection on things above. For all things, both comfort and affliction, we must give thanks. Naked you came into this world, and naked you shall depart; you brought no cat with you, neither will any accompany you hence.
Seek instead the comfort that comes from a pure conscience, a soul that testifies to no evil-doing but is well-pleasing to God. That is a crown no sickness can take, no death can steal. The fellowship of those who share your faith and your sufferings will refresh your soul far more than any earthly solace, for there is great comfort when souls bear one another’s burdens. But if you make idols of these animals, you will find no true comfort when they fail. The fire of that misplaced love will burn all the more when they are gone. Do not waste your tears on shadows. Would you exchange the living water for a bitter brine? Turn your gaze to the sea of God’s mercy, where no storm rises, no monster lurks, and the voyager from earth to heaven finds a safe haven. Labor, then, for the food that endures to eternal life. A mouth set on fire with the word of God knows a sweetness beyond any creature. Let your prayer be, not first for the healing of cats, but for your own soul’s health, that you may be found worthy to stand before the One who made both you and them. For in His presence is fullness of joy, and there is no sickness, no sorrow, no death. Until then, bear your small cross with patience, and let it purify your heart to receive the true riches: good works, faith, and love of God.
Seek instead the comfort that comes from a pure conscience, a soul that testifies to no evil-doing but is well-pleasing to God. That is a crown no sickness can take, no death can steal. The fellowship of those who share your faith and your sufferings will refresh your soul far more than any earthly solace, for there is great comfort when souls bear one another’s burdens. But if you make idols of these animals, you will find no true comfort when they fail. The fire of that misplaced love will burn all the more when they are gone. Do not waste your tears on shadows. Would you exchange the living water for a bitter brine? Turn your gaze to the sea of God’s mercy, where no storm rises, no monster lurks, and the voyager from earth to heaven finds a safe haven. Labor, then, for the food that endures to eternal life. A mouth set on fire with the word of God knows a sweetness beyond any creature. Let your prayer be, not first for the healing of cats, but for your own soul’s health, that you may be found worthy to stand before the One who made both you and them. For in His presence is fullness of joy, and there is no sickness, no sorrow, no death. Until then, bear your small cross with patience, and let it purify your heart to receive the true riches: good works, faith, and love of God.
