From Our Pastor
Dear Folks,
Last Saturday we held our Annual Blessing of Animals. The rain held off, and we had a nice assortment of animals to be blessed. I had encouraged you all to “step up your pet game” at a few Masses the previous weekend. This is because the animal blessing at StMaryIC had brought out cats and dogs, and more cats and dogs. Exotic animals have proven very rare during the six years I have been blessing animals here.
Well you sure did “step up your pet game!” This year I blessed a bearded lizard, rat, and fish, and a few more exotic animals! Thanks! I love seeing the variety and splendor of your pets, but when it comes to cats and dogs, I am decidedly in favor of dogs!
I did pray an extra prayer for folks who were unable to bring thier pets, so I got St. Francis working on behalf of your pets and maybe he helped send the rain as a sign of holy water being sprinkled on your pets.
It is always such fun to bless the animals. As the rite of blessing says: “God who confers his gifts on all living things, has often used the service of animals or made them symbolic reminders of the gifts of salvation.” We are reminded that God saved animals with Noah in the ark, and animals are part of the covenant with Noah. Here the Lord promises that whenever there is a rainbow “in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” This is a great promise not to destroy the earth by flood. (Genesis 9).
Also we find the account of Balaam’s donkey who recognizes the presence of the angel of God before Balaam himself (Numbers 22). Or the ravens that brought food to Elijah (1Kings 17:6) or the fish that saved Jonah (Jonah 2).
But above all we have the Paschal Lamb that is a beautiful symbolic reminder of our salvation. I once had the privilege of holding a young lamb for a group of Religious Ed children. I was amazed that as more and more hands reached out to touch and pet the lamb, it seemed to get even calmer. The lamb loved it when 20 children were petting it at the same time. I found this to be a simple, but beautiful image of Christ, He is calm and loving, patiently attentive, even when everybody is trying to reach out and touch him at the same time. Most folks get frazzled if too many things, tasks, or people are demanding attention and time of us all at once; not Jesus. He only needs us to respond to him by reaching out in love.
Pax,
father John Mosimann
