On Sunday, October 7, at both services, we will be blessing animals and pets that are part of our lives. Larger animals (horses, cows, etc) will be blessed after the 8:30 service in the front parking lot.
Francis of Assisi was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant, but early in his life he denounced his wealth and joined the church taking on the vow of poverty. Under his leadership the Order of the Franciscans came into being, and they took literally Jesus’ words to his disciples that they should take nothing on their journey and receive no payment for their work. Their task in preaching was to “use words if necessary.” Francis had a spirit of gladness and gratitude for all of God’s creation. This commemoration, which is remembered on October 4, has been a traditional time of the year to bless pets and animals, creatures that Francis called his brothers and sisters.
The Blessing of the Animals is a long standing tradition at St Mark which is looked forward to by both children and adults alike each year. We listen and talk about God’s unconditional love for us at church each Sunday and we see examples of unconditional love in many of our animal companions at home the rest of the week. This event is an opportunity to acknowledge our animal companion’s love.
Here are a few words about the logistics of implementing this event. In the past, people have pretty much figured out for themselves what works best for their animal. That has worked well in the past and will continue. Some mellow dogs do just fine staying in the pews (on a leash) though the entire service. More excitable dogs do better in the narthex, parking lot, or in cars and are then only brought in during the actual blessing ceremony. Cats and other animals are typically kept in carrier cages until the actual ceremony. Use your own best judgment about where that carrier cage is kept. It should go without saying, if it’s a warm day, don’t leave animals unattended in a car.