A Dog Who Walks on Two Legs . . . and a Blessing of the Animals
28 September 2022
804 years ago.
A Christian named Francis—later canonized as a saint—died 804 years ago. But still today, many of us continue to find value in at least two of his legacies.
First is the prayer either written by or certainly attributed to Francis, asking God’s help to be a daily peace-maker. Whether in worship or in daily devotions, so many of us find resonance in Francis’ hope to be somebody who adds value to their daily surroundings:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
O Master, let me not seek as much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.
While there are countless fascinating and inspiring dynamics of Francis’ life–his positive outreach to Muslims with long-lasting benefit is especially intriguing–I’d like to highlight a second faith gift from Francis that still brings joy to our lives today. That is his passion for God’s creation.
Often portrayed as holding a bird or shaking hands with a wolf (check out the stories!) and known as instituting the first “Live Nativity” at Christmastime, Francis celebrated God’s creation to such a degree that Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology, stating in 1982, “Francis’ love and care for creation was a challenge for contemporary Catholics and a reminder not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned, but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer a welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us.”
Many faith communities enjoy a Blessing of the Animals event. COS is one them! This Tuesday at 6.30 PM, we hope you will bring your fuzzy or finned or whatever friend to the church parking lot for a brief time of song, laughter, prayer, and blessing of our amazing planet partners who offer so much comfort and love. We do so on Tuesday, October 4, because that day is the Feast Day of St. Francis (or the day he died and began his feasting in heaven).
Here are two clips to brighten your day, that I know St. Francis would also enjoy.
This first we featured in our sermon about baptism and how all of God’s creatures enjoy a life-giving bath:
This second one features an amazing dog who, after a tragic accident, decided to not stay down but get on up in a fascinating way. Maybe it offers you inspiration to ask for God’s help to figure out how to keep walking into your future when you feel you’ve been knocked down.
Bonus riddle: This Sunday we’ll explore our third “Worship Treasure” in our “X Marks the Spot” treasure hunt. So far, we’ve covered God’s use of water and baptismal fonts as well as God’s Feasting and tables. What part of the worship space do you think a two-legged standing up dog might represent? Email me back with your guess and I’ve got a special prize for you!
Let us pray: Dear God, thanks for co-travelers like St. Francis, who see the value of peace, peace and connection with fellow humans, as well as peace and connection with all of creation. Remind us you call us to be stewards of the welfare of both. Your creativity is amazing, Lord. You send us pets for our homes and/or animals for our yards who bring us such smiles. Wow and thanks. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
