Bless Thy Pet This Sunday
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it treats its animals.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Has the Lafayette Church gone to the dogs? Fortunately, it has... and it's also going to the cats and the birds. This Sunday at 2pm, Reverend Drew Ludwig will be blessing Buffalonian's pets... after all, pets are people too. From Drew:
"My neighbor asked me to bless her pets for St. Francis day and mentioned that no local community is doing such a thing. I volunteered to go over to her house, but then thought, "I wonder if other people would like this service?" I guess there was a lack of a church that was offering a blessing this year. So we'll fill the lawn up with pets and bless them.
"It was hard to pick a time due to the afternoon Bill's game, morning church services and the sun going down early. This blessing ceremony will be performed right in the middle of the day. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of people who walk their dogs before the game, so it could be a perfect time. My theology is that the whole world is God's, and all of our lives God cares about. Actually, pets are already blessed, but we present before God the things that we care about. Saint Francis was a Christian Saint who was known for his love of animals and his love of nature. He was known to preach to birds. And the birds would sing back."
The following is from St. Francis:
"My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you…you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore… always seek to praise God."
Maybe next year we can get a pet processional on Elmwood that would lead to the blessing ceremony that takes place at the corner of Elmwood and Lafayette?
Photo: Sun Sentinel
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Sitler
That picture is a classic.
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scooter
This is a fun event. I had my dog blessed at St Chris in tonawanda. funny event. one dog even bit the pastor.
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crisa
Oh! That's nice!
It used to be that when a family bought a house, one of the first things that family did after moving in was to have a minister/priest come to the house and bless it, bless the family and even bless the pets.
Does anyone do that anymore?
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carl
crisa,
people do not do that any more because it was a relic from the 15th century, when people thought that having a priest bless your house could protect you from the black plague, and witches, and even expel the former owners evil spirits.
rational people have moved on.
treating animals humanly is one thing, treating animals anthropomorphically means that you need a human friend.
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PaulBuffalo
Carl, many people of various religions still participate in house-blessing rituals and animal-blessing ceremonies. In New York City, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine blessings often include large animals -- horses, elephants and camels -- inside the Cathedral itself. It becomes spectacle.
Isn't anthropomorphizing our environment an innate part of human nature? Isn't the participation in myth how we construct our psychological world? You don't have to believe in goblins to participate in Halloween -- now the most celebrated holiday in the United States -- you just have to suspend reality for a while and enjoy the moment.
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stephenjames716
this has to be the best picture ever on bro.
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Ruetts
Carl - do you need help pulling the stick out?
Stephennjames - go back towards the summer when the pug party was discussed. maybe july? that is a close 2nd if not the best picture on bro!
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crisa
Then there's the practice of saying "God bless you" whenever someone sneezes. That expression was begun out of fear of deatg, In ancient times, sneezing could easily mean the onset of an illiness and death.
But people still use that expression today even when a stranger sneezes. It is now considered a courteous response rather than a religious superstition.
And there's the practice of eating fish on Friday, also begun in ancient times and for two reasons.
One, because the populous were dying off from rotted meat but the fish was fresh, and,,,
two, because, if the population was warned about spoiled meat, the fishermen saw a chance to push selling fish!
That practice also continues today! It's healthy to eat fish at least once a week, and, Friday fish fries are also a staple of the restaurant economies, and its just plain fun to look forward to as a weekly family get-together staplization event!
Easter basket blessings; I don't remember about that origination...
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Dan
Meanwhile, dogs in Williamsville won't be getting any treats next Thursday.
שלום
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crisa
i was going to type 'That beautiful poodle might BE a resident of Williamsville', but instead, I am wondering why what came to my Inbox reads: "_expression" twice instead of the way I typed it twice above minus any underscores?
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