Blessing of the Animals: A Celebration of Creation

Blessed are you, Lord God,
maker of all living creatures.
On the fifth and sixth days of creation,
you called forth fish in the sea,
birds in the air and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love,
enable him or her to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you
for all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

I love going to church. Especially when it’s noisy! Dogs barking, cats meowing, birds chirping/screeching, and all looking forward to praising the Divine in his or her special way!

Every year on the celebration of St. Francis’ birthday, on the first Saturday or Sunday of October, many churches hold the Celebration of Creation, called The Blessing of the Animals. This year the Celebration of Creation falls on Sunday, October 4.

My dogs, cats and I attend this event at the St. John the Divine cathedral New York City. It begins with a mighty and impressive procession of biblical animals including a donkey, an elephant, a llama, a snake, a pig, a tortoise, an eagle and even a camel.

For the last 5 years or so, they’ve included a tree at the back of the procession. Humans and their companion animals look on in awe as the group slowly ascends the steps to the cathedral.

After this official blessing, the public's pets—dogs, cats, ferrets, parrots, monkeys and fish—are individually blessed.

It’s one of the most joyful days of the year for me and many others here in NYC. I think the animals know it’s a sacred event. I’ve never seen any discord beyond a little barking. No fighting or aggression. Everyone seems to be in a spirited, celebratory mood. Even the subways and buses are full of dogs and cats being transported to the cathedral and other churches where the blessing is offered.

I think no matter what your religion is, a blessing from God can do nothing but good. Here’s one from  theologian, physician, philosopher and great humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer: “Dear God, protect and bless all beings that breathe, keep all evil from them, and let them sleep in peace. Amen.”

If you’d like your pet to be blessed, you can submit your prayer request on the OurPrayer site.

Top photo by guerreroink

Send in a photo and prayer for your pet!
 
Sharon Azar is an assistant to the editorial staff at GUIDEPOSTS. In her spare time, she rescues dogs and does portraits of furry, feathered and scaled companion animals. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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