Blessing of the Animals

When I learned that around the Feast of Saint Francis, churches worldwide celebrate the blessing of animals I started participating in the ritual.  On Friday, I left work early to take my spoiled mutt to get him blessed.  At Saint Simon and Jude Elementary School in Huntington Beach each year parents bring their pets and children bring their stuffed animals to get blessed.  “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord…" I took my fluffy guy and brought some holy water home for my other feathered kid.  It was such a neat celebration and quite funny because one of the dogs accidently drank a bit of the holy water- which I guess will teach the friars to not place their saucers of holy water within doggie reach (smile).  I also was a bit too ambitious in making sure my baby got holy water on him- so much so that the priest seeing my determination sprayed me full in the face and I was also blessed.  After being completely drenched in the face with holy water, I was pretty confident that Dollar had gotten a good soak himself mostly from the drips streaming down my face (smile).  Thus, we proceeded towards the car happily blessed and extremely refreshed. 

The event brought many critters: dogs, cats, parrots, parakeets, cockatiels, chinchillas, rabbits…  I believe if you were either an animal or animal lover this was the event to be at.  And like in paradise all the animals got along quite marvelously- there were no fights or incidents usually expected within a union of so many different types of critters.  Which served as a great ecumenical lesson for us humans.  If animals can get along – there’s hope for us yet (smile).  Last year, my little runt got blessed individually and this year he quite enjoyed himself in the group setting.  He looked rather distinguished in his autumnal bandana.

I love animals! Truly I do.  Being around them does a body good.  While I can’t boast of a family of my own- I have my doggie and he makes me so happy!  Making him happy is my purpose as a pet momma.  The last words of Saint Francis were, “I have done what is mine to do may Christ teach you what is yours.”  While I am still figuring out how to serve my community and loved ones better with greater commitment- my doggie too has a mission.  He brings so much happiness to my life and my family ADORES him too- but away from that he also brings a lot of cheer to the seniors at my local senior home.  He visits them once a month- usually in costume (I, his momma force him to wear).  And though I have heard often (from those believers too arrogant to know the REAL truth (wink)) that animals have no souls and thus they don’t reach heaven- I, in my simple animal-loving self, know that like in the new Narnia there will be animalitos in heaven- I couldn’t face eternity without them and Jesus would never allow such an omission from paradise (smile).