written by David Stewart'.
Pets Welcome At Church
The third annual blessing of pets to be held at the King Anglican Church, on Sunday morning. Father Ian Howarth expects to again welcome pets of all types. "All walking, climbing, flying, crawling animals are most welcome", he said. Pet blessings are traditionally held at this time of year, to celebrate St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. It's acknowledging that God cares for animals as well as human beings, and also recognises the importance of animals in our lives."
Yes, God made everything that lives on the earth -- including the animals. In the beginning, the Bible says, "God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals.' And it was so" Genesis (1:24).
And yes, the Bible commands us to take care of the animals under our care. One of the signs of a righteous man, the Bible says, is that he takes care of his animals Proverbs (12:10). Even the animal of an enemy was to be treated kindly: "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him" Exodus (23:4). One reason God commanded His people to rest one day out of seven was so their animals would be refreshed (see Exodus 23:12).
In fact, the Bible says we must never treat any part of God's creation with contempt. When we do, we are indirectly treating our Creator with contempt. Instead, God calls us to be stewards or trustees of His creation, and the Bible reminds us that we are responsible to Him for the way we treat it. We've often forgotten this -- but it's still true, and when we ignore it we not only hurt God's creation but we also hurt ourselves.
Most of all, however, God calls us to put Him first in our lives. He loves us, and our greatest calling is to respond to His love by opening our hearts and lives to His Son, Jesus Christ.
Francis, whose feast day is October 4th, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey.
Francis wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.” And there was testimony in the cause for St. Clare of Assisi’s canonization that referred to her little cat!
That there are today over 62 million cats in the U.S. attests to the continuing affection that they have for their furry, feathered or finned friends. They have even had a cat called Socks in the White House. Other popular presidential pets range from Abraham Lincoln’s Fido to Lyndon Johnson’s beagles, named Him and Her.
For single householders, a pet can be a true companion. Many people arrive home from work to find a furry friend overjoyed at their return. Many a senior has a lap filled with a purring fellow creature.
The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love.
No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing. Church is the place where the bond of creation is celebrated.
At Franciscan churches, a friar with brown robe and white cord often welcomes each animal with a special prayer. The Blessing of Pets usually goes like this:
“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”
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