Skip to main content

Beyond the Fluff and the Fur

🕊️ 

The Feast of Saint Francis: Beyond the Fluff and the Fur

Every year on October 4th, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi comes around with wagging tails and flapping wings. Churches fill with Labradors and lorikeets, poodles and parrots, all queued up for their annual blessing. It’s a delightful sight — a moment when even the most hardened church-shy neighbour will wander in, dog leash in hand, for a photo-worthy moment with the local vicar.

And yes, The Vicar of Dibley captured it perfectly: chaos and holiness mingled in equal measure — goats bleating, cats hissing, and Geraldine Granger standing there with that divine mix of amusement and exasperation. It’s a scene that could happen in any parish hall, really.

But beneath the comedy lies a deeper question: have we turned the blessing of animals into a feel-good marketing event — or are we genuinely hearing the call of Saint Francis to honour creation itself?

Saint Francis: The Radical, Not the Romantic

Saint Francis wasn’t the patron saint of fluffy things and Instagrammable moments. He was, in fact, a rebel. He walked away from wealth, stripped himself of privilege, and dared to see divinity in all creation — from the wolf of Gubbio to the humble worm beneath his feet.

Francis’ love for animals wasn’t sentimental. It was spiritual ecology before the term existed — a radical acknowledgment that all creatures, human and otherwise, share the same Creator and thus the same worth.

His Canticle of the Creatures — “Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Fire, Sister Water” — wasn’t poetry for poetry’s sake. It was a creed of connection, a song of accountability. If Francis were alive today, he’d be less concerned about photo ops and more about our addiction to plastic, pollution, and power.

A Blessing — or a Wake-Up Call?

When we gather to bless animals, we might well ask:

  1. Are we blessing them as companions — or are we blessing our responsibility toward them?
  2. Do we hear their cries — the extinction of species, the destruction of habitats — as part of our liturgy

It’s a hard truth: the world Francis loved is groaning under the weight of human consumption. The Feast of Saint Francis shouldn’t just be about giving thanks for our pets. It should be about repentance for what we’ve done to their kin — the wild, the voiceless, the unseen.

So, by all means, bring the budgie and the border collie to church. Let’s celebrate their joy and devotion. But when the fur settles and the feathers are swept away, let’s take home more than a blessed ribbon — let’s take home a mission.

From Blessing to Stewardship

True homage to Saint Francis lies not in sentiment, but in stewardship.

  1. Compost, recycle, and reduce waste — that’s a form of blessing.
  2. Support humane farming and conservation efforts — that’s prayer in action.
  3. Teach children that creation is not a commodity — that’s the Gospel alive.

The Feast of Saint Francis is not a quaint custom. It’s a call to conversion — a reminder that holiness is as much about how we treat the earth as how we treat each other.

In the End

So let’s keep the laughter, the barking, and even the occasional accident in the nave. But let’s also remember: the true “Blessing of the Animals” is not what happens at the altar — it’s what happens after we leave it.

If Saint Francis could speak to us today, I suspect he’d grin at our well-groomed Labradoodles and say, “That’s lovely, but what about my Brother River, my Sister Forest?”

The answer, dear friends, is ours to give — not in words, but in how we live.

A Franciscan Reflection and Praye

Creator God,

You spoke the world into being and called it good.

You gave us the creatures of air and earth and sea — not for our pleasure alone, but for our care.

Forgive us for when we have turned your garden into a marketplace.

Teach us again, as Francis knew,

to walk gently,

to love generously,

to live simply,

and to praise joyfully.


May our blessings be not only of words but of deeds.

May we bless the earth as you have blessed us.

In the name of Christ and all creation, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jesus Christ SuperStar Melbourne - A Review by Kevin Harper

Review: Jesus Christ Superstar – Melbourne, Saturday 29 March, 2pm Matinee Starring Michael Paynter as Jesus Returning to Jesus Christ Superstar after more than five decades, my last encounter being the original London production in 1972, I was eager to see how this timeless rock opera had evolved. Accompanied by colleagues from the clinic—avid followers who’ve attended various Australian renditions featuring renowned local talents—I approached the 2pm matinee at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre with a blend of nostalgia and curiosity. This production was undeniably spectacular, yet it cast a darker, more somber tone reminiscent of medieval mystery plays. This stood in stark contrast to the original’s lighter, more minimalist approach. The emphasis on shadow and symbolism added depth but also a heaviness that diverged from the narrative clarity I fondly remembered. Vocally, the cast delivered powerful and dramatic performances. Michael Paynter’s portrayal of Jesus was emotionally charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Joy of Singing

🎶 The Joy of Singing: Harmony Across the Generations 🎶 There’s something profoundly human about singing — the way it bypasses logic and leaps straight to the heart. Yesterday, at the Ballarat Choral Festival, that joy was not only heard but felt, filling Saint Patrick’s Cathedral with warmth, unity, and a sense of something far greater than the sum of our voices. From the youngest prep student, juniors shyly clutching their iPads , to our silver-haired sopranos and basses who have sung through decades of life’s seasons, the day was a true celebration of the ages — a musical tapestry that told the story of our community. Each choir brought its own flavour: ensembles with bright, eager tones; seasoned chamber groups offering polish and poise; community choirs brimming with heart and character. The repertoire ranged from sacred classics to toe-tapping spirituals, and yet, in the end, it was one song that brought us all together. As the final notes of “Walk on the Water” rose and fell...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trooping the Colour: Memories of a Young Lieutenant

“Trooping the Colour: Memories of a Young Lieutenant” by Kevin Harper – An Englishman Downunder As the Trooping of the Colour returns this week to Horse Guards Parade in London, I find myself recalling, with a mix of pride and poignancy, my first time in attendance—not as a tourist or television viewer, but as a serving officer. The year was 1982. I was a young Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, newly pressed and marching tall. My mother and father were with me that day, seated among the guests, beaming. I remember glancing toward them just before the parade began and seeing something in their faces—love, yes, and pride—but also a quiet knowing that their son was now part of something older and greater than any one generation. Trooping the Colour is not merely ceremony. It is an inheritance. In those days, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II would still take the salute on horseback, astride the ever-faithful Burmese. The music swelled, the regiments moved with clockwork ...
Post a Comment
Read more