All Creatures Great and Small

Furry, feathered, fluffy - all animals are blessed

Do you know one of the most popular services at the famous Greyfriars Kirk is their annual pet blessing? Coinciding with the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, the informal service is held on the nearest Sunday afternoon to October 4th.

And this year at the Blessing of the Animals Service, our very own Paddy Hanrahan, was invited to speak by the The Interfaith Association .

Of course, the kirk is famous the world over for its association with Greyfriars Bobby where the dog and his owner, Auld Jock, are buried.

Every year the Kirk throws open its doors for a short service which gives thanks and blessings for the animals in our life.

Paddy has kindly agreed to share his lovely words with us to read and to perhaps give our own private thanks for the cats, dogs, hamsters or any animal we share our lives with.

The 4th October is celebrated as the Feast of Francis of Assisi and under his patronage it has become World Animal Day.

Many images of Francis have him preaching to animals and in particular to birds.

I was fortunate to have visited Assisi on the eve of his feast day a number of years ago. While there I travelled with others to his nearby mountain nature retreat at Calceri (Mount Subasio, Italy) and experienced the atmosphere, especially the birdsong for myself.

I understood then why Eckhart Tolls once said that he didn't believe that Francis had been preaching to the birds but listening to them. During the pandemic lockdowns my wife Mary and I spent time on long walks in beautiful natural spaces near us.

As the days went by, we began to notice a distinct difference to the experience. Birds appeared to be singing louder, happier songs. The deer lingered a little while longer before leaping off into the woods. Sometimes we also met dogs taking their owners for walks. Their wagging tails and the seeming enthusiasm with which they welcomed us into the woods transformed our moods during a time of general low level depression.

Something had changed.

It was if they were welcoming us into their home where the roof is the sky and the carpet was the grass and wild flowers!

As a member of Celebrate People, a humanist and spiritual community, we believe that there are more things that as humans unite us than divide us. As such we actively work together to listen and hear others so that we can connect with them.

I believe that this desire for connectivity should be extended to our animals friends and our environment. On this annual day in which is customary to hold ceremonies to bless our animals as we are doing now,

I invite you to join together with me, in thanking animals for their love and companionship. We thank them for their loyalty and for knowing just when we need comforting and stroking. We resolve to not only listen to them more intently but to hear the wisdom that they offer every day. In doing so we commit to doing more to protect our common home.”

Beautiful words Paddy for our furry friends. We must remember animals enhance our lives, ask for nothing in return and give so much joy. We are indeed blessed!