Yesterday our church held a Blessing of the Animals to honor St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and ecology. He was a Roman Catholic saint who joyfully followed all that Jesus said and did. The blessing custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures.
My husband, three children, and I brought our dogs, Puppers and Goofy, to be blessed just before noon. My husband’s parents and their dog, Sam joined us. Already a line of owners and pets stood on the sidewalk ready to be blessed. We enjoyed seeing all the different breeds of dogs, large and small. There were a handful of cats also waiting to be blessed, as well as one bird in a cage.
My dogs sniffed other dogs while Father Tim led us in prayer and reminded us of what St. Francis stood for. Father Tim’s dog also attended the blessing. After the prayers, we waited for our pets’ turn while conversing with the other pet lovers. It was a warm, friendly atmosphere. When we brought Puppers and Goofy up, Father Tim asked about what breed they were and noticed Puppers was shaved on her sides. We explained that she had been ill and had tests this week at a university hospital two hours away. He gave Puppers an extra blessing, knowing that she might not be with us much longer. The dogs flinched in surprise when Father Tim shook the holy water on them. He laughed that it was the cats that really don’t enjoy the water.
Afterwards, we meandered through the throng of wagging tails and smiling members of our community happy to be part of this event.
The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between the two is basic love. Hug your pet today! We are indeed blessed to have such loving companions in our lives.
My husband, three children, and I brought our dogs, Puppers and Goofy, to be blessed just before noon. My husband’s parents and their dog, Sam joined us. Already a line of owners and pets stood on the sidewalk ready to be blessed. We enjoyed seeing all the different breeds of dogs, large and small. There were a handful of cats also waiting to be blessed, as well as one bird in a cage.
My dogs sniffed other dogs while Father Tim led us in prayer and reminded us of what St. Francis stood for. Father Tim’s dog also attended the blessing. After the prayers, we waited for our pets’ turn while conversing with the other pet lovers. It was a warm, friendly atmosphere. When we brought Puppers and Goofy up, Father Tim asked about what breed they were and noticed Puppers was shaved on her sides. We explained that she had been ill and had tests this week at a university hospital two hours away. He gave Puppers an extra blessing, knowing that she might not be with us much longer. The dogs flinched in surprise when Father Tim shook the holy water on them. He laughed that it was the cats that really don’t enjoy the water.
Afterwards, we meandered through the throng of wagging tails and smiling members of our community happy to be part of this event.
The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between the two is basic love. Hug your pet today! We are indeed blessed to have such loving companions in our lives.
