“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
And not one of them is forgotten before God.”
Luke 12:6
Each year on October 4, the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi, with so many of us having a fondness for him, the Little Sisters strive in a special way to offer a loving devotion.
This year, I was invited to direct the Residents’ annual retreat at St Mary’s. The theme for the Feast Day was, “to bring Christ to birth,” i.e. to bring Jesus to every situation in which we find ourselves. So we celebrated our presence in the neighborhood with the “Blessing of the Animals.”
Residents and Sisters welcomed many neighbors with dogs of every kind and size, with cats and even a fish. St. Francis would have us find “the Creator in everything, in all creation. Everything even what may seem so simple can point us to the love of God.”
After the prayers and hymns, all presented their pet whose name was announced and then blessed with holy water. Residents were able to meet their neighbors and give a little blessing of their own to their furry neighbors as well.
Click here to view photos from our animal blessing.
Blessings Unleashed