My daughter and I had spent the morning shopping together, sharing moments of joy, of companionship and harmony.

When we got home, our cat, Pioupiou, was sitting at the door in a very strange position. As soon as she saw us, she started to whimper. Her pupils were completely dilated, and it appeared she couldn't see because she turned her head only in response to our voices. I noticed that one of her rear paws was bent. As I felt her with my fingers, I noticed that the leg had become separated from the hip.

At first I was shaken—especially since she couldn't seem to see—and I didn't know how to pray. But a sentence I'd heard two days before during a Wednesday testimony meeting in my church, came to me: "The Lord's Prayer is a healing prayer."

I then turned to this prayer and soon found ideas that strengthened and relieved me. I was comforted right from the first words: "Our Father." I thought: "Our Father-Mother to everyone, all Love, You are the one responsible for us, who takes care of each being. You are the one who gives us inspiration to face up to this situation. You are the one who heals. You are the Life and the true identity of this small animal."

I continued praying with the Lord's Prayer. When I got to, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," I first thought that this passage didn't relate. But I saw very quickly that thoughts such as, "If Pioupiou had not left the garden, she wouldn't be in this state and I wouldn't be suffering because of her," were an offense and had to be refused. I then set about denying any negative thoughts that came to me. When my daughter shared her fears with me, we spoke of the real nature of our little cat. She was a spiritual idea of God, who is the only Life of the universe, who perfectly creates and maintains all being, spiritually.

We also asked ourselves if we had enough love to trust our cat completely to God, without wanting to tell Him what needed to be done. After talking about physical healings through prayer that we had experienced in our family, both of us were certain that prayer as it is taught in Christian Science was our best choice for Pioupiou.

My daughter then decided to study the Bible Lesson found in the Christian Science Quarterly and draw from it the Truth that heals. I had originally planned to go to a play with two friends that evening, but I canceled that appointment so I could continue to pray and stay close to our cat and my daughter.

I was also scheduled to teach a Sunday School class at our church the next morning, and I considered canceling this engagement as well. But then I realized that if I listened to this thought, it would be like accepting that healing could not come quickly, as if I thought that God needed an extension of time. So I expected to be in my place the next morning in Sunday School. I knew that God's law of harmony was working right then.

Soon after this, Pioupiou's whimpers stopped, which encouraged us to continue our prayers. I denied all the suggestions that tried to come to me about the physical condition of our cat or the possible aftereffects of an accident. Instead, I maintained in my thought that the perfect and indestructible structure of each spiritual idea is intact and protected by divine Love.

That evening, around 11:00 p.m. when we were going to bed, there still seemed to have been no progress. But, with the cat at my feet, I fell asleep peacefully. I woke up at 6:00 the next morning, and Pioupiou was no longer on the bed. I got up to look for her in the house. When I didn't find her, I went out into the garden and came face to face with her. She looked at me as if to say, "What are you doing out here at this hour?" Then she bounded onto the kitchen counter, gave me a mischievous look, and begged for food. Her eyes once again had their beautiful green irises, her paw was back in place, and she no longer limped.

I am infinitely grateful for this healing, which also enabled my daughter to be an active witness to the power of God. I thank God for having led me to Christian Science.

ANDRÉE CASTEL
OZOIR-LA-FERRIÈRE, FRANCE