"May God bless and keep you this day and
always,” the pastor said to the puppy squirming in the teenager’s arms.
And then to the family cat cowering in her carrier, the stuffed animal
in the arms of a 2-year-old and all the other waiting critters during
one of the blessing-of-the-animals services that are an increasingly
popular time of celebration (and orchestrated chaos) in many
congregations.
Most
often they’re held in early October near the feast day of Francis of
Assisi, the 12th-century patron saint of animals. Some people find the
services cute, mostly for the kids. For others, the blessings
acknowledge as sacred the deep bond they feel with their animal
companions.
Numbers tell that millions of Americans share
their homes with animals. The American Pet Products Manufacturers
Association reports 63 percent of U.S. households have at least one
animal and thatowners spend billions annually on food, vet care,
toys, habitats and other paraphernalia.
More and more of
those pet owners bring their animals to blessing services every
year—animals that bring daily blessings to their lives. God also asks
us to be a blessing in theirs.
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© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
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