Blessing of the Animals

Dear Friends,

This Sunday, we bless pets! At least at the 10:00 am service (if you prefer something a little more…contemplative, the 8:00 am is the one for you). 

Our annual Blessing of the Animals will be bigger, better, and wilder than ever before. The Rev. Susan Beebe and I share all the highlights of what to expect in our This Week at Bethesda video.

But as we celebrate St. Francis’ legacy, I thought I’d share a bit about this remarkable saintly soul. In the popular imagination, most people reduce St. Francis to little more than a garden gnome. So he sits there amid the flower beds with a bird on his shoulder and a rabbit at his feet. 

But this doesn’t do justice to the man behind the statues, the one who lived a life of such radical faith. Now, almost everyone knows at least something about St. Francis. About his early life of frivolity, about his conversion and turning away from his family's wealth, about his love for creation, the founding of his order which became known as the Franciscans, his receiving the stigmata, his being credited as having put together the first nativity scene. 

But in the end, Francis was simply a faithful disciple of Jesus. He took literally the verse about selling all your possessions and giving the money to the poor. Few are called to such radical sacrifice, but Francis was.

When we bless “all creatures great and small,” we honor a faithful man who, legend tells us, preached to birds, tamed wolves, and befriended fish. Yet at its heart, this celebration isn’t just about animals — it’s about relationship. It’s about remembering that we are part of God’s magnificent web of creation, bound together by divine love and mutual care.

So bring your dogs, rabbits, birds, and lizards. Bring your gratitude, your laughter, and your friends. And together, let’s give thanks for the God who created, redeemed, and sustains all living things.

Peace,

Tim+