Bless the Beasts
The wildly popular blessing of animals has put the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on a par with Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, and the St. Blaise blessing of throats. Some might even consider missing the October 4th blessing as worthy of confession, penance, and absolution. Truly, there is no sense of obligation in it. To present a dog, cat, or other creature from your household to the Lord in prayer seems natural and desirable. If we care so much for our beloved friends, shouldn’t God care, too?
