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Blessing the Animals
Posted Thursday, October 1, 2009, at 12:09 AM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
I know I'll probably take some heat over this because somebodies granny goes to this church and I hurt their feelings but I've got to post this picture and ask if someone can explain to me if there is any Biblical basis for this? Why do Lutherans practice this ritual of blessing animals. I just don't get it! Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Originally from Rutherford County, Fernandez moved to Shelbyville to pastor "The Crossing" church and has lived here for two years.
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if it was not a church i would say it was for a scarificial ritual, because of the days, 30 and 31 of Oct?
http://www.blessingoftheanimals.com/
pulled this up , see what you think.
I attended Catholic church as a little girl and a Lutheran school during my grammar years, where we attended Mass each morning before class.
To my knowledge, the history of the Blessing of the Animals is varied. In the early days, the Blessing was held on or near January 17th, the day of San Antonio de Abad, more commonly known as St. Anthony of Abbot day, the official patron saint of animals.
He is not to be confused with St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian Roman Catholic Monk who founded the Franciscan Order, and is commonly known as the Patron Saint of animals, birds and the environment. Most people associate the Blessing of the Animals with the commemoration of St. Francis, but some Catholic and Protestant churches still honor St. Anthony.
Here is a glimpse of what I remember from the only Blessing of the Animals service/festivities that I attended (or at least the only one I can remember attending). It's been many years for me, so please correct me if I'm wrong:
Pet owners bring their animals to the main altar of the church in a grand procession, where the attending Bishop will give recognition to "Brother fox, Sister fish, sister raven, etc.," and then recite a benediction for the animals. Afterwards a group of clergy go forth and individually bless each animal by laying on hands or sprinkling them with holy water.
Sound crazy...think I'm making it up...imagine if you will a bunch of cats, dogs, birds, fish, snakes, rabbits, hamsters all being gathered into one room and being asked--essentially--to live in peace amongst one another. I wonder how that works for the hamster and the snake, or the dog and the rabbit...it's silly. But the animals did find a way to live among one another on the [Noah's] Ark, so perhaps that is some of the basis behind this ceremony?
Despite their good intentions, those who practice the Blessing of the Animals seem to promote the idea that animals have equal standing with mankind in the eyes of God. Yet the Bible tells us that God gave us animals as a blessing to man. He created these creatures to serve us, and to fulfill many God-ordained uses including food, clothing, and religious sacrifice. I personally don't believe that all the dead goldfish I've flushed over the years will be waiting to join us in Heaven, but hey, that's just me...maybe that's why I'm not Catholic or Lutheran, despite my upbringings.
As for the relevance to the Lutheran faith in particular, Martin Luther himself specifically listed "animals" among the blessings given to us by God out of His "fatherly, divine goodness and mercy" without any merit on our part, and for which "it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him."
As for me, while I certainly don't knock anyone for praying that God would help them to be wise stewards of all of His gifts, including the animals which were given to man for his service and enjoyment, I think it is wrong to promote the false idea that animals have equal standing with mankind in the eyes of God.
Maybe this is for the two legged animals also.
I was raised Catholic and while we were taught to care for other living things in a humane manner, I don't ever recall being taught that they were the same as humans in God's eyes.
The blessing of the pets was more of a reaffirmation for humans to value life of all kind and to be good stewards. I believe even nonsectarian psychologists relate how humans treat animals as a reflection of how they value life in general.
The blessing was also a comfort to those who love their pets dearly, (as many of us do) and gave hope that our Lord would protect and care for them as much as we do here on earth. Do most of us not try to give comfort to a loved one or friend who has lost a dear pet? At least with a kind word?
The website you listed Michael is a commercial site selling a book and other pet related merchandise. I have not browsed it enough to know it's origin, but it might be better to research a church related site like http://www.americancatholic.org/features... . I met a Franciscan brother many years ago and had a discussion about St. Francis referring to creatures of the land, sea, and air as his brothers and sisters. He always acknowledged mankind's superiority over these creatures, but in the same breath would also affirm our responsibility to care for God's creation.
To my knowledge, the blessing of the animals has nothing to do with the dates on the sign but that may be an innocent way of deflecting children and families from the more conflicting practices around Halloween.
I'm Lutheran and I've never heard of it or have seen this practice...
Come to think of it, it is also probably a "fall festival" just like most of our schools have, etc.
I've been both a Lutheran and an Episcopalian and we've had it. See Friday's edition of the T-G for a story about a local church doing it. Father Whelan had some very good reasons why it is done.
Oct. 4 is the Feast of St. Francis, which is why most high liturgical churches, such as Catholic, Lutheran and Episcopalian, do the blessing at this time. I think it's a nice way to remember that God created our four-legged friends as well as us, and we are supposed to care for them as he cares for us.
psalm 145:9 says his tender care rest upon all his creatures.
This is not a bad thing, just differant...
I bless and pray for my animals each day.
"As ye have done unto the least of these,even so have ye done unto Me."
Perhaps,we want our God to bless our pets (rather like having Grandma kiss our doll) because we see our animal companions as extensions of ourselves.
We see our relationships to them as duplicates of our relationships with our Creator.
Are we owned but neglected?
Do we bear His name and have our needs met but are strangers to one another?
Do we see him as "Staff" to cater to our every whim?
Is He the Master we obey,our best Friend,the One we trust unconditionally who would die for us (even as we would die or live for Him)?
It can be hard to imagine a loving God if our view of "lesser" beings is one of fear,contempt,hatred or indifference.
If those in our care are mere chattel,then the desire to see them blessed seems like a wasteful,foolish indulgence that offers them more than they merit.
On the other hand,if we believe that giving love says more about the worth of the giver than the recipient,then the greatest among us will give the most love and bestow it freely and unconditionally.
If we look to God's blessing as something no one should be without,we will be eager to claim it for ourselves as well as our pets.
If we want God's favor for our animals,we will want to give them healthy food,shelter,medical care and affection.
If we see how we can have our animals best interests at heart when we train them,confine them and otherwise meet their needs (if not their desires),then we can better understand why God treats us as He does.
When we dismiss the welfare of beings who are "Not Our Kind,Dear",then we create a category of "dispensable" creatures that is all-too-easy to expand.
If only humans matter,then how human does one have to be?
When and where does our humanity begin and end?
Does age,gender,race,how we think,what we think,IF we think determine whether our lives and feelings are worthy of respect?
If we acknowledge a class of entities that "doesn't matter" to God,then they needn't be recognized by us,either.
On the other hand,if we decide to err on the side of treating everyone as if they should share in an abundant life,then we include those who might have a different (even inferior) nature than our own.
What might God say about the idea of treating our property meant to serve us as if they were meant to interact with us as our comrades,our flesh-and-blood,and independent creatures worthy of existence in their own right?
He MIGHT say "No problem. I socialize with and bless folks who aren't my peers all the time."
If He can welcome the lion and the lamb,the dove and the eagle,the cat and mouse,bear and bull,spider and snake and dog and pony,then he can grant His blessings to creatures that can seem more beastial than the apes though they were created to be only a little less than the angels.
I don't think the animals mind being blessed.
After all,we can't bring our pets or our children into the presence of God without our coming to Him ourselves.
I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school, we never did this at the church/school I went to - but I have a friend who is Lutheran and animals were blessed at her church.
As ye have done unto the least of these even have ye done unto me in the bible was talking about children not animals. God breathed the breath of life into man not amimals. Only man has a soul so how does animals get to heaven.
"Only man has a soul so how does animals get to heaven."
it's friday. lighten up and enjoy:
http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/a...
Funny!
quantumcat man that was smack down awesome!
oh by the way: Lets be real....the bible clearly states that the lion will lay down with the lamb... Jesus comes riding a white horse.. from where?? Heaven...enough said.. read it.
Animals are beneath us that is why they were used as sacrifices in the bible instead of humans. God created man with his hands. Animals were spoke into being.
In Genesis 1:21-22, God blesses the birds and the water creatures to "be fruitful and multiply"NKJV. Animals are apart of God's creation. They are His design and plan. Nothing that He has created is without purpose. I believe that animals are a wonderful expression of the Lord's absolute supremacy and His love in giving us beautiful, diverse creatures.
With that said, we must remember that they are for us. Not we for them. In Genesis 2:20 among all the animals Adam named "there was not found a helper comparable to him."NKJV
Animals are not are equals. Any true steward of animals will tell you that. Bringing animals into a church to bless them as if they were human is paganism. Animals do not have souls. When they die, they will not be apart of the resurrection or to stand before God and be judged. Christ did not sacrifice His life for our pets. He did not rise again to give new life to them. There is no offer of salvation for them.
To assume this is dangerous and a lie. To bless animals that they multiply and live abundantly on the earth or to pray for continued service working for man is one thing, but to give animals a place within God's ultimate plan for us, the human beings He gave the "breathe of life", is utterly and foolishly wrong.
Animals are under His complete and total authority. They have been used throughout the Bible to demonstrate many important events, symbolism, and sacrifices. They have their place in our world and we have a great responsibility in caring for them. However, we should be mindful that they are still creatures that are beneath us in God's eyes.
My hope for any of you who participate or support this type of false worship (therefore satanic) is that the truth of Jesus Christ comes into your hearts to free you from this form of false worship.
I actually attended the service held at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on Sunday. I was not "worshiping" animals. I was there to worship God and to thank him for the pets in my life. It was a very nice, short service held in the courtyard. There were no processions or altars involved. Those there gave thanks and prayed that they be good stewards of the animals and show kindness that the Lord and Jesus has shown to us. Also, that God created all living creatures, and we are to be good stewards to them.
PROVERBS 12:10
A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.
I vacation in a city that is well known for fishing. Every year in the month of May they bless the boats in the harbor. This is to honor those who had lost their lives at sea, to seek safe passage to and from the harbor and to ask God for abundant catches. It was first started by the minister of the Episcopal Church. Now over fifty years later, the city is also a tourist destination and this tradition has expanded into a week long blessing of their city and includes all denominations of churches.
These boats do not have a soul and I can assure you the people of this city do not worship boats. Just because people have different traditions and customs than you does not make it bad.