As autumn arrives, people in various places may notice
something odd.
A procession of animals, everything from dogs and cats to
hamsters and even horses, is led to
churches for a special ceremony called the Blessing of the Animals.
This custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of
Assisi’s love for all creatures.
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.”
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.
