Blessing of the Animals – 5th October 2025

~ All creatures great and small, the Lord God made them all ~

Spoken Eucharist: 8 AM

Sung Eucharist: 10 AM

FRANCIS ASSISI

Francis was born in 1181/82 in Assisi, Italy, the firstborn son of Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy silk merchant, and Pica de Bourlemont, a gentle and devout woman of noble French origin. Francis grew up living the high-spirited life of a young nobleman, enjoying wealth and social privilege.

There was a conflict between Assisi and Perugia, two neighbouring city-states in Italy during the early 13th century. Around 1202, Francis joined Assisi’s militia and went to fight against Perugia. He was captured during the battle and imprisoned for about a year. During his imprisonment, he fell seriously ill. This period of suffering and isolation became a turning point, revealing the emptiness of worldly pursuits and calling him to a life devoted to God.

After his release, Francis began distancing himself from worldly ambitions, eventually leading to his conversion and renunciation of wealth. He spent time in solitude seeking God’s guidance and began preaching on the streets, soon attracting followers.

Around 1205, while praying in the small, ruined chapel of San Damiano near Assisi, he had a mystical vision of Christ saying, “Francis, go and repair My house, which is falling into ruins.” He initially interpreted this literally and used cloth from his father’s store to repair the chapel. When his father opposed him, Francis renounced his inheritance, embraced a life of poverty and penance, and restored several chapels in need.

Francis founded the Franciscan Order (Order of Friars Minor) around 1209 by gathering his first companions who wished to live like him in poverty, preaching, and penance. He travelled with his first companions to Rome (1209–1210) to seek official approval for his way of life. He was received by Pope Innocent III. The Pope initially had doubts but reportedly had a dream in which he saw Francis holding up the collapsing Lateran Basilica, symbolically supporting the Church. Moved by this, the Pope gave oral approval to Francis and his small community, allowing them to live according to their rule of poverty, preaching, and penance. This approval marked the official recognition of the Franciscan Order, ensuring it could grow within the Church. Francis returned to Assisi and continued his ministry and preaching.

Around 1212, Saint Clare of Assisi, inspired by Francis, founded a community of women living in poverty and devotion. Francis wrote a rule for them, and this became the Order of Poor Clares. Around 1221, Francis established the Third Order / Secular Franciscans, a way for lay men and women who could not live in monasteries to follow Franciscan spirituality while remaining in the world.

He is also credited with creating the first live Christmas Nativity Scene in 1223 at Greccio, Italy, to help people experience the birth of Christ. In 1224, he received the stigmata, becoming the first recorded person to bear the wounds of Christ’s Passion.

Francis felt called to imitate the life of Christ and had special reverence for the Eucharist. He is remembered not only for his compassion toward people but also for his extraordinary love of creation. He believed that all creatures—human and animal, as well as the elements of nature, the sun, moon, and stars—were part of one great family under God. He often referred to them as brothers and sisters.

His Canticle of the Sun (Laudato si’, mi’ Signore), written around 1224, one of the earliest pieces of Italian poetry, praises God through the beauty of creation, calling the sun “Brother” and the moon “Sister.”

Canticle of the Sun (Laudato si’, mi’ Signore)

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
And no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
Especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who brings the day;
And You give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour;
And bears a likeness of You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
In the heavens You have made them bright, precious, and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
And through the air, cloudy and serene,
And every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
Which is very useful and humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom You light the night,
And he is beautiful and playful, and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
Who sustains and governs us,
And produces varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who forgive for Your love,
And endure sickness and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
For by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
From whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are those whom death shall find in Your most holy will,
For the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks
And serve Him with great humility.

Stories about Francis illustrate his deep connection with animals. Tradition tells us that he preached to the birds, urging them to sing in praise of their Creator. Another well-known story recounts how he tamed a fierce wolf in the town of Gubbio, bringing peace between the animal and the villagers. These accounts remind us that Francis perceived God’s goodness and harmony in every living creature. (These are traditional accounts; while widely told, they are hagiographical rather than strictly historical.)

Saint Francis of Assisi died on 3 October 1226 in Assisi, Italy. His remains are entombed in a crypt beneath the main altar of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. He was canonized as a saint on 16 July 1228 by Pope Gregory IX, just two years after his death.

The Prayer of St. Francis, also called the Peace Prayer, was not actually written by St. Francis himself. Historical research shows it was first published anonymously in 1912 in the French spiritual magazine La Clochette (“The Little Bell”). The exact author remains unknown, though it is inspired by Franciscan spirituality—love, peace, service, and humility—and reflects the ideals he lived by: harmony with creation, care for others, and imitation of Christ.

The Prayer of St. Francis (Peace Prayer)

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 Divine Master, 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.

—

In 1979, Pope John Paul II declared him the Patron Saint of Ecology. Today, he is universally acknowledged as the patron saint of animals, pets, and ecology. Catholic and Anglican churches celebrate St Francis’s feast day on 4 October, often holding ceremonies to bless animals in honor of his love for all creatures.

The Blessing of Animals in the Church

In the early Church, there was no special custom of blessing animals or pets. The focus was on baptisms, the Eucharist, and blessings connected with people’s daily lives, such as families, food, homes, and crops. However, in medieval Christianity, especially in rural Europe, it became common for farmers to bring livestock—horses, oxen, sheep, and donkeys—to be blessed, asking God’s protection for the animals they depended on.

The modern Blessing of Pets has grown out of the Franciscan spirit. Inspired by St Francis’ love for all creatures, churches in the 20th century began inviting people to bring their pets—dogs, cats, birds, and others—for a blessing on or near Francis’s feast day, 4 October. This tradition recognizes that animals are not just possessions but companions who share in our lives and reflect God’s goodness and creativity. The blessing is a way of giving thanks for the joy, comfort, and unconditional love that pets bring, while also asking God’s protection upon them and those who care for them.

In celebrating St. Francis and the Blessing of Pets, we are reminded to care for our animal companions, live as faithful stewards of creation, and honour God with humility, gratitude, and harmony toward all that He has made.