Sit in the Sun: And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats
As a spiritual pilgrim for more than half a century, Jon Sweeney has practiced with teachers of many religious traditions. He's gone looking for wisdom, beauty, and truth wherever it can be found. But recently he's found himself learning closer to home--from the teacher-cats he lives with.
What he discovered is that our greatest spiritual teachers are at our feet. Literally. They are the cats we love and treasure. Nearly 60 million cats live in US households today. These feline teachers have much to offer us about living in the present, loving unconditionally, approaching life with a sense of playfulness, and trusting others, all the while being independent spirits.
Jon Sweeney, beloved scholar and author of The Pope's Cat and numerous books about Saint Francis, offers a beautifully illustrated, playful, gentle, informed meditation on the many spiritual truths and practices our feline companions provide if we but pause and pay attention.
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Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and one of religion's most respected writers. His many books include James Martin, SJ: In the Company of Jesus, in the "People of God" series; The Pope Who Quit, which was optioned by HBO; and The Pope's Cat, a popular fiction series for children. He edited A Course in Christian Mysticism by Thomas Merton, published by Liturgical Press. Sweeney writes regularly for America in the US, and The Tablet in the UK. He is the publisher at Paraclete Press in Massachusetts, and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife and daughters.
"Cat lovers and fans of Sweeney's other works will be excited about this title. This is a good spiritual nonfiction book, a cozy one for patrons to sit with over a cup of tea or in a meditation pose with a cat curled in their lap." --Library Journal
"Spirituality author Sweeney here pounces on the endearing (or less so) habits of our cat companions, providing segues into comparable activities for humans, and every other paragraph seems to have a quote worth saving: 'Be foolish, just a bit.'" --Booklist
"With his signature light and enlightening touch, Jon Sweeney graces us with a volume seemingly simple yet richly composed from his own domestic practice with feline gurus, enriched by insight gleaned from the lovers and researchers of this 4,400-year-old tribe. All of this makes the invitation to 'sit in the sun'--and many other instructions from this most intriguing species--a healing mode of contemplation as we learn to be attentive to the wisdom of those with whom we share our homes and our one common home." --Kathleen Deignan, CND, PhD, director of The Institute for Earth and Spirit at Iona University and co-convener of the Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue
"Sit in the Sun is the purr-fect guide to show the spiritual lessons we can learn from our feline friends. Curl up and read this wise book, preferably with your furry companion on your lap." --Joel Fotinos, author of The Prosperity Principles
"A playful book sharing interspiritual wisdom and soul-softening and -deepening practices, Sit in the Sun will reawaken your sense of wonder. Be prepared to pounce over perfectionism and experience purr-fect joy!" --Carmen Acevedo Butcher, translator of Practice of the Presence by Brother Lawrence and The Cloud of Unknowing
