Faith Reflection

This weekend we will celebrate St. Francis of Assissi with an animal blessing. To wrap up our month-long “God’s work. Our hands.” service project for Franny’s Friends.

The blessing of the animals is a Christian tradition celebrated around St. Francis of Assisi's feast day on October 4th. The tradition is inspired by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), the patron saint of animals and the environment, who was known for his compassionate relationship with all creatures. It honors all of God's creations, particularly animal companions, asking for God’s blessings for their health and well-being. 

St. Francis of Assisi is revered as the patron saint of animals and the environment because of his deep spiritual connection to all creation. Francis saw animals not merely as possessions but as fellow creatures sharing in the divine nature of God, just as humans do. Francis' actions and writings, especially the "Canticle of the Creatures" which praises God through all aspects of creation, emphasize humanity's responsibility to care for the natural world and its inhabitants. 

One of the most well-known stories of Francis tells of his preaching to a flock of birds, not in an attempt to have a human-like conversation, but to call them to praise their Creator.

Another famous tale recounts Francis calming a hungry wolf that was terrifying a town. Starving at first the wolf attacked and slaughtered animals but then began attacking human beings. Francis brokered a peace between the wolf and the townspeople: the wolf, he explained, was not evil, but hungry. They should feed it. So, from that day on whenever the wolf appeared, someone in the village fed it. 

St. Francis of Assisi demonstrates the importance of caring for all creation, embracing radical poverty and simplicity as a path to spiritual freedom, and showing compassion for the poor and marginalized. His life encourages us to seek God's will above our own, find opportunities to love and serve others, and approach the world with a sense of gratitude and wonder for all of God's creation. 

Francis saw the entire natural world— including the sun, moon, animals, and even death—as a divine family and worthy of love and praise. This emphasizes a spiritual call to care for and be a steward of the Earth.