Blessing of the Animals

October 5, 2003

Genesis 1:20-25, Psalm 121, Galatians 6:14-18; Matthew 11: 25-30

Blessed are you, Lord God, in all your creatures and holy is your name forever and ever. Amen

Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. [Matthew 11:25]

Today has been set aide as a day to bless the animals God created. The lectionary lessons are those related to animals and those appointed for the Lesser Feast for Saint Francis of Assisi, October 4.

Throughout the course of his life, Saint Francis steadfastly refused to join the ranks of the wise and learned. He remained a fool for God, and as such, was always open to rethinking the Holy Spirit's inspiration. Saint Francis did not seem to get most things right in his life. He seems to constantly get the wrong message: the young Francis had a vision in which Jesus told him “Francis, I want you to be my knight.” And so Francis persuaded his father to outfit him. But, during one of Assisi’s many wars with neighboring Perugia, Francis gave his armor, sword, lance and horse to an impoverished nobleman and marched off to battle unarmed. He was captured, imprisoned, became very ill and, when finally ransomed, had a high fever.

Later in his life, after he had renounced his family, and gone off to live the life of a hermit, he had one of the more remarkable experiences in what was to be a most remarkable life. While praying one day before the crucifix in the ruined church of San Damiano, the figure of Jesus came to life and spoke to him saying, "Francis, rebuild my church, which, as you see, is falling down." Francis looked around him and saw that, indeed, the church of San Damiano was falling down. He immediately began putting stone on stone, rebuilding the church. The people of Assisi thought he was a fool. Slowly, again, he began to understand that he'd gotten it wrong. It wasn't until much later in his life that he understood that Jesus had meant for Francis to rebuild his Church, with a capital "C".

According to tradition, two years before his death, half blind and seriously ill, Francis received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side suggestive of Paul’s letter to the Galatians “I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body”. [Galatians 6:17] Francis was also famous for his bodily austerities. He would throw ashes into his beans so that he couldn't enjoy them too much. He was known to roll naked in thorns and snow to discipline his body. As he lay dying (while still a young man), he may have had an understanding that, again, he'd been foolish and hadn't Got it Right. He asked his body to forgive him, and perhaps realized that he'd squandered one of God's gifts by not being kinder to himself.

But today we concentrate on the popular Saint Francis. The Saint Francis who heeded Jesus command to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”; the Francis who was indeed a knight for Jesus and who gave a place of rest to those who labored and were heavy laden. He may be seen in gardens around the world. He is enshrined on bird baths and bird feeders. The prayer that we associate with him, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace," is arguably one of the most popular prayers circulated. He is the patron saint of animal lovers, peace-makers, and ecologists. He is associated with cardinal works of mercy to the poor and marginalized.

I am grateful for this day to look beyond human life, human woes, human celebration of God. I am grateful for a chance to broaden and expand our understanding of what it is to be one of God's created creatures. For in truth we, along with the dogs, cats, snakes, hermit crabs, toucans, elephants, moles, and every other form of animal life, are God's intended creation. Humans are not all that God created. We humans are but a small drop in the bucket of the unlimited creating abilities God has made known to us, in this world, in the universe, and all universes beyond our farthest reaching, exploration, and thought.

We need to be sure we get it right for what we know about God, who has such a vast imagination of creativity, is that all of the created world is seen in God's eyes as good, even holy. Human beings have been honoring the god of creation since they began to walk upright; and animals, plants, seas, and valleys reflect that holiness, each in their own way. Indeed, if one seeks it, a sacredness can be seen in all of life. Instead of thinking of all else in creation as subjects under us for our own use and pleasure, we are to be co-creators, co-caretakers, co-blessers with God. The Psalmist’s words apply to all creation: “The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth for evermore.” [Psalm 121:8] We, therefore, are to care for creation, to see its uniqueness and goodness and holiness as God sees ours. God does not use us whimsically or self-servingly. Therefore we cannot be whimsical, lazy, or self-serving in our treatment of the rest of creation. For if we are truly to be in relationship with God, then our relationship with all the rest of God's creation must be more as God's relationship is with us, one of dialogue, caring, benefactor, a relationship based upon servanthood, love, teaching, and nurture. We cannot be self-serving, monarchial, or dictator-like because God is not.

Letting go of our lives to serve God and others includes serving all of Creation, not just human creation. Scientists are making us more and more aware of the ecological balance and interdependence of all of life. We humans and all creation are engaged in a dance, a dance conducted and choreographed by God, because we were all created together, intentionally, by God, to fit into a divine dream made real.

And God saw and sees that the dance is good; it is holy and right. God's covenant includes us, and it certainly includes the animals we will bless today, as well as all that do not make it inside the doors of this sanctuary. Blessing the animals is a deliberate and intentional act that represents what we humans must do to be in relationship with all creation.

But it is not enough for us just to bless these animals, somehow we need to be as honoring of all creation as we are of these animals this morning; somehow we need to be as self-giving and deliberate and nurturing of creation as God is with us, as Jesus taught us to be with one another. We are called to protect all creation as God has promised to protect us in Psalm 121.

The blessings today honor the holiness of our relationships with the animals that give us so much joy and whose lives depend upon our care and attention. The pets gathered here become symbols for us of the bigger part of creation. They become icons through which we see how it is we are called to care for the creation with God and for God, and in partnership with creation itself. The love we give to animals can draw us more deeply into the larger circle of life, into the wonder of our common relationship to God.

Let us bless these animals with thankfulness and joy; but also, let us every time we look at them remind ourselves of the dance we are part of, the dance with all creation that God has entrusted to us. Dance with, bless, keep holy, all that God has made!

“O God, Who, through the merits of blessed Francis, magnifies Your church, enriching it anew with spiritual offspring: make us, like him, to disdain the goods of earth, nor at any time to lack the comforting gifts of heaven.” Amen. [Roman Catholic Missal]

J. M. Barnes