Blessing of Animals

[@FatherMichaelRowe]

Transcript: St. Francis Pet Blessing St. Raphael’s, FMB Michael Rowe In the Name . . . You know, when God made the heavens and the earth, the plants and the animals, and Adam and Eve; he made it all to fit together in unity and peace, without turmoil or conflict. In fact, he made it Adam’s responsibility, humanity’s responsibility, to “have dominion” over the earthly creation, to tend the Garden; so that the whole creation would fit together, with humanity as the capstone, as the priesthood, directing the creation’s praises to God. Of course, sin entered the world and with it conflict, strife and division; not just between people, but in every aspect of nature. The idea of the earth freely producing her harvests for all to enjoy; the thought of the lion lying down with the lamb; becomes just a dream, doesn’t it? Yet through the mercy of God that dream becomes a promise; and in Christ a certainty. In the new creation, when Christ is all in all, all the pieces will fit together perfectly in ways that we can only now imagine. We get a taste of that, see hints of that, wherever God’s grace is welcomed and lived; and especially in lives of particular holiness; in the lives of the saints. In them, the divisions of this world are substantially broken down; and the unity and joy of heaven are glimpsed. St. Francis knew the fundamental unity of the whole creation in ways that only someone who lives largely on God’s side of things can know. He understood brother sun and sister moon; mother earth and sister death. He thought it worthwhile to call out the glorious gospel of Christ for the birds and the animals to hear. He didn’t look through nature into God. Rather, through the love of God he saw nature restored. In our small ways we experience bits of this. For many of us, it is in connection with our pets, whom God gives us as cherished companions, so different from ourselves and yet in the mystery of God’s creation, so close. We thank God for them today and pray for God’s blessing and protection on them. And we say THANK YOU for this taste of what God’s creation is meant to be, and will be; through the omnipotent grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN