Hello there! My name is Mandu. I am an eight-year-old male cat who absolutely loves food, especially when it arrives upon my demand.
I would like to join the Feline Cloister because I saw how the Benedictine way of life can make a huge difference in the life of a feline. In human lives, too.
My housemate Calvin was a Worldwide Novice. He’s now in the Feline Paradise Cloister. I hope to honor his memory by becoming a Worldwide Novice.
Br. Ricky asked about my outstanding characteristics. First, I’m a very loving feline. Br. Ricky gave me a big feline smile, opened his well-worn copy of The Rule of St. Benedict in Mew, and read these verses.
“Among themselves [the monastics] show the pure love of sisters and brothers; to God, reverent love; to their prioress or abbot [and their human], unfeigned and humble love.” RB 72.8-10
I purred, hearing that I am already practicing this most important directive in the Rule. Next, I shared that I love pats, working from the tail and eventually getting to my ears. Feels SO GOOD. And I LOVE to eat and to talk about wanting my meal two hours before the regular time.
Worldwide Novice Calvin,
now romping in the
Feline Paradise Cloister
Br. Ricky picked up his tiny green pencil, opened a small notebook and jotted something down. He then mewed, “Novice Mandu, we all love to eat. Benedict asks that we don’t overdue this pleasure. I invite you to listen.”
“…above all overindulgence is avoided, lest anyone experience indigestion. For nothing is so inconsistent with the life of any Christian as overindulgence. Our God says: “Take care that your hearts are not weighted down with overindulgence” (Luke 21:34). RB 39.7-9
My ears flattened hearing all that! Was it necessary to trumpet “overindulgence” three times? Then Br. Ricky shared yet another directive from the Rule. This made my fur stand up.
“Let us follow the prophet’s counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. (Psalm 39:2)…Therefore, any requests to an abbot or prioress [or your human] should be made with all humility and respectful submission.” RB 6.1a, 7
Noticing my distress, Br. Ricky assured me that he would help me moderate my, perhaps excessive (?) mewing.
So that you, dear Reader, won’t get the wrong idea about me, I share what I like – to play just a LITTLE like chasing a mouse on a fishing rod. And I am a very loving feline as I shared before. But there is a limit.
I DON’T like to see children and am shy around people. Br. Ricky nodded in agreement, offering that many felines feel exactly as I do, even in the Feline Cloister. Not insisting that I change, Br. Ricky mewed these verses.
“Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else.” RB 4.20-21
Illus. Cat playing with mouse on fishung rod
I like these important verses. Maybe leading with the love of Christ can help me moderate my behavior when I want to eat but my human wants to give me pats. But the bottom line, I mewed with great force, is that my human needs to learn…
I WANT MY FOOD WHEN I ASK FOR IT!!
Br. Ricky’s eyes widened. He quickly jotted something in the little notebook with his tiny green pencil. I anticipate future quotes from the Rule about my energetic declaration. But that’s okay. I’m a Worldwide Novice because I want to learn how to be a Benedictine feline!
Mandu looking for his very delayed meal
Br. Ricky invited me to ponder this verse from The Rule of St. Benedict:
“No monastics are to pursue what they judge better for themselves, but instead, what they judge better for someone else.” RB 72.7
But these are my favorite verses from The Rule of St. Benedict:
“For the daily meals, whether at noon or in midafternoon, it is enough, we believe, to provide all the tables with two kinds of cooked food because of individual weaknesses.
In this way, the person who may not be able to eat one kind of food may partake of the other. Two kinds of cooked food, therefore, should suffice for all, and if fruit or fresh vegetables [or crunchy cat treats] are available, a third dish may also be added.” RB 39.1-2
Novice Mandu, content after a tasty meal of
two kinds of cooked food