Houseguest
I borrowed the logo from my brother Terence’s dog training business for this entry because I don’t have a photo of Dulcie (named for a Barbara Pym character). Dulcie, my parents’ 8 year old American Pit Bull Terrier spent the past four days with me while my folks were in Baltimore. She is the gentlest, sweetest dog I have ever known. Dulcie greets me with an affectionate lick as soon as I wake up. She sits quietly under my desk while I work at the computer and rests at my side while I say my prayers. While I am at the monastery celebrating Holy Mass she waits patiently for me in the car. Dulcie also expresses joy (or some comparable doggy emotion) with a great glorious howl of glee. More priests should have dogs. They keep one human and grounded. N.B. Santa Croce in Gerusalemme has two dogs: Morris and . . . Bernardo, of course.
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Wonderful observations! I have 2 dogs, and have found that they keep me in line. I HAVE to get up early and feed them every morning, whether I want to get up or not. I HAVE to take them for a morning walk, which means I have to plan enough time in the morning before work to do this. When I get home from work, their needs come before mine, because, goodness…they have to go OUT! They give my life discipline, and actually, they have helped to identify certin character flaws which have lead me to confession more than once.
And they have saved my life a couple times. That alone is worth all the work and cost that goes into caring for them.