Saint Gertrude, yesterday

 Saint Patrick and Gertrude's feast days were yesterday. Saint Gertrude is called the patron saint of cats. According to the Catholic writer who I read yesterday, her feast assumed cats as she used to have mice running up and down her staff in her iconography. 

For almost a decade I have been interested in the years that came before the rennaissance. The rennaissance gets a lot of attention, but the years before and after are all just as fascinating, for as long as it can be remembered since yesterday until, gosh, maybe it's always interesting! Even to Cleopatras time. 

History has so many neat stories, but this is about cats specifically and since I heard the story yesterday about how the cat got its  "M" on its head, let us reflect on the beautiful Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus, who I read is "God's masterpiece" in the rosary readings.

One could say Jesus was his Masterpiece, but it says "This masterpiece of God's creation" which leaves room for other masterpieces of God's creation, like, well, cats!

Not to be a little old cat lady, but I have a profound love for felines and would like to share that the superstition that killed cats in the 1200s allegedly caused quite a problem in the following century, when cats could not kill the mice who spread plague through Europe.

According to the article, written on a Catholic outlet, the "M" on the cats head is a stroke of Mary's beauty. She was patting the cats head as it comforted the new baby Jesus and left her mark. 

I was looking up now at my ceiling and saw a print of the letter "M" there and it reminded me that the print, repeated again and again by the sponge painter, was similar to DNA in a way and that was truly fascinating. 

How each mark is a little different but all from the one sponge. 

                   In this photo it is upside down.

A lot to think about, but something we can be sure of, even if Mary hasn't left her mark on all cats, God's hand has beautifully stamped each and every one of us with the blessing of his and our families love and life. It is a sincerely amazing thing to wonder at.

Mary is the "Masterpiece" who was God's instrument, Jesus, her and his son, is more than that.