Blessing of the Pets

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) is known for his generosity to all people, his quest for justice and his companionship with, and compassion for, all animals.

The church remembers Saint Francis on 4 October each year. Around this time, many Christian communities hold Blessing of the Animals services as a reminder that all creatures belong to God and are part of the creation that God made and loves.

This year Radford College has again held a virtual Blessing of the Pets service. It is a wonderful celebration of all creatures great and small! You can watch the service here.

In the spirit of Saint Francis, a dedicated follower of Jesus, we celebrate and give thanks for our pets. We give thanks for the work of those who care for animals and re-commit ourselves to acting for the good of our common home.

I recently learnt about the rich connection of the bilby to these lands now called Australia and to First Nations People from Koori Curriculum director Jessica Staines:

“There is more to ‘why save bilbies’ than the fact that they look amazing, they have adorable ears and beautiful silky soft fur.

Firstly, bilby ancestors have been found as fossilised remains dating back 15 million years – which make them a very special species. They have been an intrinsic part of the landscape across 70% of the Australian mainland for all that time. From the time Europeans arrived, bilbies stretched from the Great Dividing Range in the east to the Gascoyne coast in the west.

Yet in the last 100 years they have been pushed to the brink of extinction as a direct result of colonisation, change of land use, population growth, and introduced non-native species.

The bilby is also an animal at the heart of Australia’s First Peoples’ culture and is a significant creature present in many Dreamtime stories and cave art.”

The well-known Australian author Jeannie Baker has written a beautiful children’s book about the bilby which will soon be available in the Radford Junior School library.

Blessings to you all as we navigate this time together. Have a wonderful holiday break,

Rev. Katherine

A prayer by Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O, God, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

See below for a small selection of pets in our Radford community.