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BS: Blessing of the Animals
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Subject: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Padre Date: 03 Oct 03 - 08:50 PM Tomorrow, October 4th is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and I will be conducting a Belessing of the Animals. Here is a prayer from Albert Schweizer that I'd like to share with all Mudcatters who have animal friends:
Padre |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: LadyJean Date: 03 Oct 03 - 10:43 PM I love my cats, but if I hug Musetta I will be suffering! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Joybell Date: 03 Oct 03 - 11:01 PM I've got a couple of wild orphans not ready for release yet. I'll hug them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: harlowpoet Date: 04 Oct 03 - 04:32 AM Padre All the best for posting this thread. I haven't any pets of my own to pray for, but I'll say one later anyway. I wrote this poem/song for St Francis a while back, and as its his feast day today, I think I'll post it. Song Of St Francis Its a love that I have found I cast my riches there upon the ground The wealthy clothes I wear I'll swap and now a poor man's robe I'll bear No ragged hag is she My lady poverty She is the truest love The lowest is the best way to above I'm poor and foolish here I know that something wonderful is near I'll travel wide and free With my lady poverty No more I need to seek I'll be walking with the poor and week In humbleness I'll strive Because in marriage, I will be alive She gave her ring to me My lady poverty The birds fly up on high I speak to them as they are passing by The lay their heads so low And give me more than they will ever know And this I only see With my lady poverty Simon |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 04 Oct 03 - 05:13 PM Yes indeed! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Clinton Hammond Date: 04 Oct 03 - 05:37 PM There's room for all Gods creatures... Right next to the mashed potatoes LOL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: katlaughing Date: 04 Oct 03 - 06:14 PM Tsk, tsk, CH!:-) Padre, thanks for posting this thread. If you see the "Soemtimes my cat" thread, you know why I am hesitant to give any of my lazy cats hugs, today. BUT, I do give thanks for them and our dog everynight and today, I will ask for forgiveness for our taking the lives of two mice who'd got in our cupboards. Poor little blighters. kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Padre Date: 04 Oct 03 - 10:27 PM Update: We had 11 dogs, 3 cats, 2 large 'fancy' rats (whatever that means - they just looked like big rats to me), but they got blessed [while they remained in their cages] and 1 box turtle who wandered onto the church grounds. We sang Royal Oak (All Things Bright and Beautiful) and a good time was had by all. Padre |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 05 Oct 03 - 02:58 PM When we were on holiday in Venice two years ago we were out walking, and suddenly realised that we kept on seeing people carrying cats in their arms walking along. At first we though it was some Venetian tradition, perhaps to stop them falling in the canal - but then we came up to a church, and on the steps was this old old priest in ragged old vestments standing on the steps, with a crowd of people carrying cats around him,and he was having a special service to bless them, and preaching in a mixture of Italian and Latin. St Francis would have loved him. He was 96 we gather, so maybe they are together now. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: SINSULL Date: 05 Oct 03 - 06:51 PM PBS did a special on the Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Of St. John, the Divine. Wonderful! The church was filled with people with their dogs, cats, gerbils, etc. and a parade of exotic animals went down the aisle for a blessing - llamas, sheep, boa constrictors, frogs, worms, a cow, a pig, lichen, a parrot, an eagle, a hawk, an owl, etc. The group was followed by a priest and his assistant pushing a wheel barrow and picking up the animals' "sacred offerings". The prayers were for the safe keeping of animals throughout the world and a recognition of man's responsibility to preserve and protect them. A beautiful ceremony. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 05 Oct 03 - 07:02 PM Here's a page about that St. Francis at St. John the Divine (New York) Includes a picture of a camel standing on the steps. SINSULL doesn't mention a camel - maybe the camel never made it into the church, or they'd likely have needed another wheelbarrow. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Joybell Date: 05 Oct 03 - 07:26 PM Oh I hope the blessings fell on the poor Australian sheep dying on their Middle East cruise. Please send them blessings everyone. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: TIA Date: 05 Oct 03 - 10:09 PM Musetta! Oddly enough, I just saw a great local production of La Boheme this afternoon. Best blessing of the animals I ever attended included my youngest (then 3) presenting a whole basket of crickets to Father Corcoran. The picture made the paper. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: katlaughing Date: 05 Oct 03 - 11:30 PM McGrath, thanks for the links. I really like the blessing: "We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea,...for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers, and for the wonder of your animal kingdom. We praise you for these good gifts and pray that we may safeguard them for posterity....Amen." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:53 AM I was very glad to see Simon (harlowpoet) posting that song of his. I think gets straight to the heart of what St Francis was trying to get people to understand about poverty and wealth. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: GUEST,harlowpoet Date: 02 Oct 04 - 09:33 AM Thought I'd refresh this for Monday |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Blissfully Ignorant Date: 03 Oct 04 - 12:55 AM Thanks for posting this... i love the prayers and the poem. I have two cats and two fish, i'll certainly hug the cats (i do anyway, it's good for you to hug cats i think. good for the cats too) but maybe not the fish :0) I might get them some new plants or something! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: LilyFestre Date: 03 Oct 04 - 04:54 PM I love this too! I have 9 dogs, 6 cats and 2 fish....I'll try to hug all of them (as I do everyday!), but like the above poster, I'm pretty sure my fish wouldn't appreciate the hug! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Peace Date: 03 Oct 04 - 05:13 PM I have no pets but I have had many in the past. Mostly dogs. I keep being reminded of something that Radar O'Reilly said in a MASH episode: "Animals are people, too." Gotta love it. Thanks for the thread, Padre. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Padre Date: 03 Oct 04 - 10:01 PM For this year's Blessing of the Animals (held yesterday right after a wedding!), I blessed an anole (lizard) and the ashes of a departed dog, as well as the usual assortment of canines and felines. Still waiting for someone to bring their horse or cow. Padre |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Mooh Date: 03 Oct 04 - 10:24 PM Rosie The Wonder Dog received her blessing after the regular church service today, out on the rectory lawn with a slew of other dogs, cats, and what-have-you. Aside from wanting to deliver the sermon herself, she was pretty well behaved. Peace, Mooh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: GUEST,harlowpoet Date: 04 Oct 04 - 03:54 AM He wrote many songs in his life time. A story of his life is here God's Troubador |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: GUEST Date: 04 Oct 04 - 01:07 PM Skimbler and wonky got blessed yesterday at dockside, the smell of fish was so strong that skimbler began to believe in the supreme cat and wonky ate my cucumber sandwich..Bless em all, the wee animals that delight our days. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Mrrzy Date: 04 Oct 04 - 03:04 PM My mom always said that she didn't think it odd that St. Francis talked to the animals, but that the animals talked back. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: beadie Date: 04 Oct 04 - 03:31 PM Our menagerie includes two rather large dogs, four lazy cats and one ferret (Mabel the Fearless) who rules the roost. All were acquired from various pounds, humane societies or rescue shelters. Since none of the local churches saw fit to offer a formal blessing, I did my own from a pagan text that I have been studying . . . short on ceremony but long on sincerity. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 04 Oct 04 - 07:16 PM This page has a woodcut of Saint Francis with the Wolf of Gubbio. I was in Gubbio on a coach holiday a couple of years ago, and they had a little street market in the square in front of the church - and there was this girl who had come there with a cardboard box full of kittens. Not to sell - she was looking for people who looked like they would give them good homes. By the time we had to get on the bus again, she'd found homes for them all. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Haruo Date: 01 Nov 06 - 02:20 PM Longfellow's The Sermon of St. Francis (if you use it please let me know what tune you used). Also, I have a small hymnal (text-only, about 40 pages) entitled Hymns for Creatures Great and Small, © 1997 and edited by British Christian animal-rights activist James Thompson. One of the hymns is at the (American) Hymn Society site. I can post others if anyone's interested. Haruo |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Big Al Whittle Date: 01 Nov 06 - 02:30 PM not about Eric Burdon then.... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: katlaughing Date: 01 Nov 06 - 02:33 PM Yes, please, Haruo. Thanks for the link and reminder of this thread. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Haruo Date: 01 Nov 06 - 05:05 PM Is that "Yes, please" as in you want me to post more of the texts? Probably won't be till after Christmas, but definitely in time for next St. Francis' Day. Haruo |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Scoville Date: 01 Nov 06 - 11:51 PM I hug my dog every day. Puts me in mind of the animal episode of "Vicar of Dibley". I love that episode. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: katlaughing Date: 02 Nov 06 - 01:25 AM Yes, please post some more.;-) Thank you, whenever you are able. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Blessing of the Animals From: Haruo Date: 29 Jul 07 - 10:11 PM I don't know why this thread is still listed as BS. I think it needs to be promoted (or demoted) to the music list. Anyhow, here's a lyric by James Stephens (a friend of James Joyce) that I think is a fascinating take on the Lord's Prayer that would go well on St. Francis' Day. I'm not sure of the date; though it very likely is still under copyright technically, none of the sources I've seen pinpoint its origin. The earliest occurrence I know of is the Oxford-published hymnal Songs of Praise, 1925, and I don't yet know what tune it's set to there. The 1930 New Hymnal for American Youth has it set to a 1927 tune by Peter Lutkin called Dublin; since there are other tunes called Dublin, better to cite this as Dublin (Lutkin). Little Things, that run and quail, Haruo |
