For the Love of Dogs

October 4 is marked as the Feast of St Francis. On this day or the Sunday following it, Catholic and Anglican Churches around the world have a service where animals are blessed. The Feast of Saint Francis is in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi (Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone) Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals and the earth. You may also know him by the following prayer that has been put to music:

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow Love.Where there is injury, thy Pardon, Lord.Where there is doubt, let there be Faith.Oh Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.Where there is despair, let me bring Hope.Where there is darkness, let there be Light.Where there is sadness, let there be Joy.O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek:To be consoled, as to console,To be understood, as to understand,To be loved, as to love.Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow Love.For it is in giving that we receive,It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.And it's in dying that we are born To eternal life, to eternal life.Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.An instrument of thy Peace. Amen.

 



 So, in honor of Saint Francis, I took my dog Sophie to a Feast of Saint Francis in Roanoke, VA on Sunday, October 7, 2012 and she was blessed by an Episcopal Priest.

 So why bless animals? Why not bless animals? In both accounts of the creation story, Genesis 1 and 2, we read how all the animals came into being. The animals of the sea, earth and air all came from the earth, or dirt we might call it. Something else was created from dirt as well. Adam; mankind, was created from dirt and that life was formed from the breath of God. We as humans are connected to every animal and creature by where we came from, the dirt(earth) Throughout scripture we read story after story of how God blessed his people. If God's people, us, came from the earth and are blessed then why would all the other creatures that came from the earth not be in need of blessing or be deserving of blessing? In the 2nd story of creation God gives Adam, mankind, dominion over all the creatures. As we have dominion over all the creatures of this earth I think it would be of great importance for us to follow God's example. That example would be one of blessing. In response to the blessings God bestows upon us let us in return bless all creatures that we have dominion over. Not just for the love of dogs but for the love of all of creation.