St. Francis Day: How To Be A Blessing To The Animals

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord"

                                          Psalm 150:6 

            If you have read the About Me section of this blog, you know that my journey toward understanding animal welfare as a theological concern began with an idea to include animals who really need a blessing – shelter pets in need of the blessing of a loving home – in a St. Francis Day Blessing of the Animals service.  To that end, I contacted the Washington National Cathedral and the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) and arranged just such an event.  (The event, that year and in all the years following has included animals from both the WARL and the Washington Humane Society, as well as representatives from both organizations and the Humane Society of the United States Faith Outreach Department.)  It seemed fitting, therefore, that as I begin this blog, I should mark St. Francis Day by presenting the remarks I made at that first blessing event, before I had any idea where this road would lead or how central this issue would become to me. 

            These remarks were in the year following Hurricane Katrina and present at the event were dogs WARL had rescued from that disaster.  The remarks also reference then-pending legislation.  While Katrina and some of those bills are in the past, there are always animals in need of rescue from natural or man-made disasters and there are always legislative issues requiring our attention.  The remarks, therefore, remain just as relevant today as they were when they were first made.

            Finally, by way of introducing these comments, I would like to observe that St. Francis has become quite tame and domesticated in our modern understanding.  We picture him surrounded by birds and bunnies, praising the sun and the moon.  This does him a great disservice.  St. Francis was a radical theologian, who walked away from a life of wealth and comfort to live in poverty and serve the unwanted – be they human or animal.  He calls us to a radical faith based in service and grounded in the understanding that all of creation belongs to and is loved by God.  St. Francis tells us that caring for the animals as God cares for us is not a part-time theology for the children and their pets – it is the way we are called to live every day.  

St. Francis Day Remarks

Washington National Cathedral

October 4, 2005

I am glad to see so many happy, well-loved pets here this evening.  We are all here tonight because we love animals, and we especially love our animals.  So we are here to ask God’s blessing on these furry members of our families who have blessed our lives so richly.  We do this on St. Francis Day to honor a man who rejoiced in all of creation, and made it his life’s work to show kindness and mercy to all of God’s creatures, from the lowliest of humans to the smallest of animals. 

In that spirit, as we ask blessings for our animals, I ask that we take a few moments to remember animals who do not have a warm, dry home to keep them safe.  Animals like the rescues here tonight and the many, many homeless animals in the DC area.  And the thousands of four-legged victims of Hurricane Katrina, who, like their humans, have lost everything and are entirely dependent on the goodness and tireless efforts of their rescuers, those who support their rescuers, and those who will adopt these animals and give them homes.

I ask that we remember other animals, too.  Animals forced by their owners to fight for their lives in rings.  Dogs crammed into puppy mills.  Farm animals warehoused in unconscionable conditions in factory farms.  And next year’s crop of baby seals, who will once again be subject to the hunt.

God has given us stewardship over – and responsibility for – these animals, as well. They, too, are entirely dependent on human voices and humans actions to make their lives bearable.  And so, as we ask God’s blessing on our animals, I ask that we seek God’s blessing on these other animals, too.  More than that, I ask that we be God’s blessing on these animals.  I ask that we adopt our next pets from shelters or rescue organizations, that we resolve to spend a little more and buy cage-free eggs and certified humane meats.  I ask that we ask our grocers to carry these items.  And I ask that we get on-line to find out pending legislation that affects animal welfare.  Right now, as we gather tonight, there is legislation pending that would enable people to bring their pets with them in future emergency evacuations, thereby avoiding so many of the thousands of animal victims of Katrina, legislation to impact animal fighting, and legislation to regulate puppy mills, to name just a few.  Contact your representatives, tell them how you feel about these issues, and tell them these issues are important.

In short, I ask that we live in to the injunction of proverbs 31:8 to “speak out for those who have no voice.”  I ask that we would give mercy in order to obtain mercy.  You and I and all of us together can make a real difference in the lives of animals through small actions.  Our animals show us love and compassion every day.  Let us learn from them how to do good in the world.

Finally, I would like to end with this short prayer by George Appleton:

O God, we thank thee for all the creatures thou has made

so perfect in their kind –

Great animals like the elephant and the rhinoceros,

humourous animals like the camel and the monkey,

friendly ones like the dog and the cat,

working ones like the horse and the ox,

timid ones like the squirrel and the rabbit,

majestic ones like the lion and the tiger,

for birds with their songs.

O Lord, give us such love for thy creation,

that love may cast out fear,

and all they creatures see in man

their priest and their friend,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen. 

                                            Photo credit:  Washington National Cathedral