www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Blessing of animals?

I remember driving by an RC parish once, and I saw that people had brought pets and animals and everyone was gathered in the parking lot.

I pulled over and went to check it out and it happened to be the Feastday of St. Francis and the priest was blessing pets and animals people had brought. I thought at the time and still do feel this is a really nice tradition in the West.

I know in the East for Pascha we bring our foods to be blessed, and at the Transfiguration (if I remember correctly) that we bring in fruits and such to be blessed.

Do we as Eastern Christians have something similar?

Do you have something for the blessing of animals and pets in your parish?

Curiously,

-uc

Dear UC,

A slightly amusing anecdote from my experience. First, there are blessing prayers for animals in the Great Book of Needs.

The reason why I know, is I was covering a parish in between pastors. Apparently, I must have made some sort of impression on one of the parishioners. He approached me after liturgy and asked if I could bless an animal. I told him I would return the following week after I researched to see if I could find a blessing prayer for animals, in which I did.

Imagine my surprise the following week when he took me out to a local racetrack, right to the horse barn to bless his new thoroughbred horse that was going to start racing in the next week or so. I had to admonish him that I would bless the horse for health and productivity, but could not assure the horse coming in "win, place, or show". He was happy at that. I never did hear if the horse was a winner or not.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

This topic sounds familiar. Blessing of domestic animals in one form or another has always been a practice of agricultural societies in the Old Country, like on Chistmas Eve, etc. The people depended on the animals and the land to live and there were blessings for these things.

Dear Friends,

When the Greek liturgical books came into Rus'-Ukraine after the Baptism under ST Volodymyr the Great, the Fathers of Kyiv expanded the Euchologion to include a full two volumes of blessings of farm animals!

Thursday is my patron's day (true, er, JU-lian Calendar!) St Alexios the Man of God.

On this day, all East Slavic beekeepers would construct a special icon corner in their "honey houses" with icons of St Alexios, Saints Savvaty and Zossimas of Solovetsky and of St John the Baptist, the patrons of the bees.

They would have priests bless these and their new bees during a special moleben - and there are four special blessings for bees, beekeeping instruments, first honey harvest etc in the Trebnyk/Euchologion.

There are blessings for all other farm animals, fish ponds etc.

No reason why this should not be extended to include domestic pets!

Although some may argue that this might give the impression that we are going to the dogs . . .

Other Saints who were greatly attached to their pets include St Roch of Montpellier, St Philip Howard and his greyhound and even the Royal Martyrs of Russia whose little dog was also shot by the Bolsheviks . . .

St Seraphim of Sarov is the Eastern Saint of pets and animals par excellence!

Alex

The blessing of animals at the Franciscan Monastery in DC is a sight to behold! Religion, like all important things in life, should be fun sometimes and of course, St. Francis is seen as the patron of animals among his other virtues. The meowing, chirping, barking, slithering, etc. menagerie at the monastery is just great. The priests and friars have so much fun. So do all the people and the children.

I have an icon of St. Seraphim with an animal friend (a bear). Bears have a strange significance to me: from the time I was a baby, I'd always reach for the teddy bear and I'd make my poor suffering parents stand for hours watching bears poke around at the zoo. I could never comprehend a more wonderful thing to see in nature than a bear. Even in my dark agnostic years, I would look at a bear and doubt my own arrogance in doubting God, because I could not imagine a more wondrous creature than a bear, clearly the lovingly crafted product of an infinitely higher intelligence - and an infinitely higher intelligence with a sense of humor to boot. I always picture God in some way smiling when he came up with the giant panda or the spectacled bear. As the local bear keeper says, they are "such goofy little animals."

The icon of St. Seraphim with the bear (he is sharing bread with the bear in the icon I have) is an image of joy for me.

I remebered this thread when I came across this today:
http://www.catholic.org/clife/prayers/prayer.php?s=3
Blessing of All Domestic Animals
Lord God King of heaven and earth, Thou the Word of the Father by whom all creatures were given us for our support: look down, we beseech Thee, on our lowliness. As Thou hast given us these animals to assist us in our labors and needs so mayest Thou in Thy great goodness and mercy bless them from above, guard and preserve them; and, while Thou givest Thy servants temporal benefits, mayest Thou grant us thy continual grace so that we may praise Thy holy name with thanksgiving.

Translated by Most Reverend J. H. Schlarman Bishop of Peoria

There are several other animal Blessings listed also, including: Blessing of diseased cattles, Blessing of poultry, and Blessing of horses and other Draft animals, etc.

What are some of the reasons for Blessing animals. Is one of the main reasons to ward off possession demons?

I had been searching for something in regards to a local RC parish last year and after reading your posts remember seeing the blessing of animals on their website. They have some pictures up of the blessing
http://www.sfxbham.org/Photos/PetBlessing/TableofPetBlessingPhotos.htm

In fact they took a very modern church and made it rather very old looking - returning as it were
http://www.mediavp.com/stfrancis/sfxbham.htm

Well, maybe that is one of the reasons we bless animals, but here are some thoughts I have on this:

In the Garden, God gave Adam and Eve the tasks to be stewards of Creation, lovingly caring for the Garden with hopes of Mankind's love for God helping us to return the gifts of the Garden back to God.

Then came the Fall, and the previous blessed existance...where peace ruled through the world and Man was able to achieve God's intended destiny for humanity of theosis...was upset. Death ruled in the world as Mankind had broken the blessed relationship all things had with the Creator.

Well, we all know that Christ came to liberate us from this horrid situation. Our Liturgy recreates this stewardship role, where the gifts we present to God are first at the altar, then moved through the laity in the Great Entrance back to the altar, and then given back to us after becoming the Body and Blood of Our Lord.

Therefore, within the Church things are as they should be. All things should be at peace and helping everyone to grow towards God.

Since we recreate Eden, animals also can be blessed as they were in this state prior to the Fall, and actually we are acting as Creation's Stewards in returning the animals to their original state.

Thus Man, as steward, acts in concert with Christ as described in John 3:17: "It was not to judge the World that God sent His Son into the world, but that through Him the world might be saved"

My Granny always said those Bolshies would come to sticky end ... shooting dogs!

There must be books of blessings for all sorts of things from animals and machines such as motor vehicles. I suppose in a way it reminds us of our dependence upon God. The bees dont produce their woderful goods because of us but of the blessing of God. It might also remind us to look after what God gives us and to care and nuture what is entrusted to us.

The first Sunday of October - St. Francis Sunday - at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City there is a beautiful Liturgy, procession of the Animals down the cavernous naive and blessing of all pets brought to the Service by parishioners and guests.

You have to see it to believe it - it is wonderful!

http://www.stjohndivine.org/index.html

Every Theophany, all of my animals are blessed in the barn. There is a section of the Trebnik dedicated to the blessing of animals. And on August 18/31, on St Laurus and Florus, there is a special blessing for horses.

Alexandr

I think that it is a great idea having a big rally, where all the parish brings in there furry loved ones, but it does have some exceptions.

Like say I think every one would love my familys dogs, but probably not everone would love my snake :rolleyes:

But of cource him being a snake, I think he might need the blessing more than some of are other animals

The blessing actually says it pretty well - the animals that God created help mankind. We are thankful for animals. Frankly, animals are a wonderful gift from God. In modern society we rely upon them less for labors, but we stil rely upon them for companionship. Animals are marvellous reflections of God's ingenuity.

I believe the reason St. Seraphim had no fear of the animals, and the animals had no fear of him was because he had achieved theosis while still on earth. He was in the original state of man before the fall. A state in which there was no friction between man and beast.

Saint Seraphim would go to the Monastery once a week, and place a little bit of bread in his pocket to eat. At arriving at his hermitage, the animals would come to him and he would start feeding them. That little bit of bread kept everyone well fed.

Zenovia