Blessing pets

Jackie Macadam reflects on the importance of pets and animals in Church.

EVERY year, some churches hold a ‘Blessing of the Animals’ service. People are encouraged to bring their pets in to the church so they might be blessed by the minister.

A variety of dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and the occasional pony or donkey, come to the church service and receive a blessing.

During the service, prayers and blessings are offered for the well-being, health, and protection of the animals present. Sometimes, individual animals are brought forward to be blessed, which may involve the sprinkling of holy water or the laying on of hands. In some traditions, the animals are adorned with ribbons or garlands as a sign of the blessing.

The service serves as a reminder of the importance of treating animals with kindness and compassion, acknowledging their role in creation, and recognising the bond between humans and animals. It also provides an opportunity for pet owners and animal lovers to express gratitude for the companionship and joy that animals bring to their lives.

The blessing has its roots in the Festival of St Francis (of Assisi), renowned for his affinity with animals and his embracing of all living creatures as his ‘sisters and brothers’.

Animals have an important role to play in the Bible and are integral, in both a literal and metaphorical way, to the story of Christ. They can be representative of Jesus (ie the Lamb of God) wherein they represent both his innocence, purity and sacrifice.

They can represent power and authority like the lions in the pit with Daniel, strong enough to tear him to shreds but unable to do so.

And the humble everyday work-beast of the Bible, the donkey, chosen to carry both Mary when she was pregnant to where she would deliver Jesus, and then many years later, her son, as he entered Jerusalem, an entry not in triumph but humility, as he came to where he would eventually die.

Cows, oxen, bulls were used again to typify strength and were a wealthy man’s choice of sacrificial animal, whereas a poor man might only be able to offer a lamb, a goat or even a dove.

Snakes play a major role in the Old Testament, with Satan appearing to Eve in the guise of a serpent, perhaps one of the most famous snakes of all time.

Noah’s ark, of course, offered the full representation of all the animals on the planet who were saved by the miraculous boat.

Leopards, deer, bears, camels, apes, bees and a wide variety of insects also appear throughout the pages. And who can forget the leviathan, presumed to be a crocodile. Even the humble flea gets a mention. Birds are well accounted for, from the slightest sparrow to the mightiest eagle and everything in-between.

Dogs make several appearances but no cats. Though ministers are used to dealing with household pets when it comes to the Blessing of the Animals and Pets, and some might even be alright with handling a snake, it’s probably best if the leviathans are left at home!