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We had close to 70 attendees in church this afternoon...never mind that almost half of them were animals. It was St. Francis Day (transferred from the 4th) and we were blessing anything with paws or claws or fins or wings. I'm constantly amazed by the variety of canis lupus familiaris - we had a Great Dane and a Chihuahua, about as different as two members of the same species could possibly be. We also had a frog and fish and guinea pig and hamster. Only one cat, but a cute one. I was especially interested in the day because I wrote the liturgy, and I have to confess I was rather proud of how it came off. The "Pet Owner's Promises", a sort of covenant between human and pet and God, was a particularly good moment, as was the final prayer. "May their tails wag, may they purr, may they sing and swim and slither and crawl in peace and joy." As regular readers probably know, I'm a huge softy and animals are my biggest weakness. I was on the verge of tears as I prayed the opening collect. "Help us to follow St. Francis' example and to care for all your creatures, especially our pets who trust us for food and shelter and love. Give us patience when they misbehave, joy when they welcome us home and comfort in their constant friendship." All I have to do is imagine wide-eyed Sybil, meowing for attention, and I melt. I think I find it easier to bless animals than people! |
