At our “Blessing of the Animals” service this past Saturday, we had the opportunity to meet a number of friends and neighbours who dropped by with a beloved dog or cat (or with some special photos) for a special blessing.  Services like this are inspired by St. Francis of Assisi and his deep love and respect for all animals (his actual feast Day is October 4), and a lovely spirit abounded. Kelly has produced a delightful little video capturing some of what happened – and here’s the link.  Special thanks to Ralph, Dayle, Debbie and Kelly for all their great work.

As Kelly and I have five critters ourselves, I’m acutely aware of the important place that pets can play in our lives. They really do become part of the family.  So, when one of them becomes ill and has to be put down, the sorrow, and tears, are real.  Therefore, I was especially touched that two different families brought the ashes of a their beloved pet with them for a final blessing.   One family actually drove down from Fredericton with the remains of a special dog that had died several years ago, and it was clear that they still hadn’t recovered from this loss.  Another couple had just had their dog put down the night before, so were also rather raw with grief.  But they all needed to talk – they needed a safe place to tell stories and to have a chance to give thanks for all the love they’d both given and received. It was a real privilege to meet them on Saturday, and to be able to offer some comfort and solace. 

In the wider scheme of things, the importance of little encounters such as these can easily be overlooked.  But in this week’s reading from Luke gospel, Jesus’ uses the image of a tiny mustard seed to remind us that even small acts of compassion and kindness do matter, and can mean more than we might ever know.

I look forward to seeing you this coming Sunday morning as we celebrate Worldwide Communion, and give thanks for the opportunities for love and service that come our way.